Journalist Luke Hatfield does not expect West Brom manager Valerien Ismael to move away from his favoured 3-4-3 formation any time soon.

What's the latest news at West Brom?

The Baggies have had a largely positive start to the season, picking up 22 points from their opening 11 games, leaving them in second place heading into the international break.

However, they were held to three successive draws in September, and suffered their first league defeat of the campaign on Friday when they were beaten 1-0 by Stoke City.

These results indicate that West Brom are not firing on all cylinders at the moment, and the team have been booed off on occasions recently, with fans seemingly not happy with the style of play at the Hawthorns.

What has Hatfield said about Ismael?

Despite supporters voicing their discontent at times, Hatfield expects Ismael to block this all out and stick with his principles moving forwards.

The Express & Star journalist feels that Ismael has a set way of playing, and he will not change that for anyone.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about the matter, Hatfield said: “I think with Ismael it’s my way or the highway really. He has his set formation. He said he discovered that when he was earlier in management, I think he was at Wolfsburg at the time, and everything clicked for him there in terms of the formation.

“He found out that 3-4-3 was the way he wanted to go, and I don’t think he’d change that for love nor money. He clearly has grasped the system.”

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Should Ismael consider changing his formation?

Ismael's methods have worked for the majority of the campaign thus far in terms of gaining points that have put his side firmly in the picture to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League. 

Furthermore, West Brom trounced Cardiff 4-0 last week, highlighting how they can play eye-catching attacking football when using his 3-4-3 system.

Yet there have been signs that they are struggling for consistency under Ismael. Dropping points against Millwall, Derby and Preston was disappointing for the team last month, and they were well off the pace when they travelled to Stoke on Friday, as they deservedly left the bet365 Stadium empty-handed.

Having a clear philosophy is a good thing for a manager, as it gives off the impression that he knows exactly how he wants his side to play. However, the best coaches are also flexible with their tactics, and adapt to situations when matches aren't going to plan.

That is the challenge that faces Ismael - he may need to adjust his formation from time to time simply to freshen things up. Otherwise, West Brom risk becoming a predictable team to play against, and this will only hurt them in the long run.