This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Brom have struggled to get going over the last two seasons and it has led to boss Steve Bruce now turning to the free agent market to kick the Baggies into gear.

The former Newcastle United boss took over in January of this year, with Valerien Ismael faltering and the side unable to really hit the back of the net or pick up points. Whilst their fortunes changed slightly under new leadership, they still toiled and came nowhere close to the play-offs.

This year, with a full summer window under his belt, Bruce would likely have been hoping for his new look team to kick on. Instead, West Brom have continued to suffer when it comes to getting results. They've won only once so far in the Championship and are sitting in 21st place, just above the drop zone.

With the manager in need of something to turn the fortunes in the Baggies' favour, he has now begun to bring in players without a club. One such name has been Erik Pieters, who might be best remembered for his exploits with Stoke City. He spent six seasons with the Potters as they went from Premier League regulars to relegation fodder and then did the same with Burnley in the top flight.

Now, he has arrived at the Hawthorns to help them in defence - and Football League World's West Brom fan pundit Matt is optimistic about a deal to bring in the 34-year-old. He says the player has looked good so far and could provide some much-needed competition in their backline.

Speaking about the signing, he said: "I think the signing of Pieters is a good one, judging off the two games he has played in. Against Birmingham, he played a pass that won a penalty and by all accounts, played really well at Norwich (although I wasn't there myself).

"I think Conor Townsend needs a bit of competition. Last season especially, he was one of the first names on the team sheet and that hindered his performances in some ways, which I think it can do. So Pieters coming in is good competition, he has good versatility and he certainly has done well so far."

The Verdict

Pieters is an experienced head, who knows the Championship but is even more familiar with the Premier League.

His know-how should come in useful for a team that has struggled at both ends in recent months. He can still produce the goods himself - as 56 top-flight games in the last three seasons shows - but he can also lead by example both on and off the field too if needed.

He is the kind of character then that could really help West Brom this season if they want to push in the right direction and think about a potential promotion again. Bruce will know the defender from his own time managing in the Premier League and must feel he can offer something to bring him in on a free transfer.

He might be at the back end of his career but even Baggies fans seem to be happy to see Pieters arrive at the Hawthorns.