WEST BROMWICH ALBION ARE TRYING to recover from their relegation from the Barclays Premiership last season, but they can console themselves in the knowledge that they provided what the Fink Tank considers to have been the greatest attack seen in the top division. In 1919-20, the first season after the First World War, they won the league title by scoring a phenomenal 104 goals. No other team that season managed more than 75.

Their leading forward was Fred Morris, who supplied 37 goals in his 39 appearances, which was the most in a top-flight season until Dixie Dean smashed the record by scoring 60 goals for Everton in 1927-28.

The scoring heroics were not to last, though, because West Bromwich could not even manage 60 goals in any of their next five seasons. Liverpool, whose attack as of May 1991 is judged to be the second best in history, were also to fall from prominence. Peter Beardsley, John Aldrige and Ian Rush were their main forwards at the time.

The top defences

DEFENCES OFTEN THRIVE ON familiarity and the greatest back line in top-flight history did just that. The Fink Tank says that Arsenal, as of May 1991, contained the best defence and it helped that their goalkeeper, David Seaman, and three of their four defenders were ever-present during the 1990-91 league season.

Lee Dixon, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn all made 38 appearances, while Tony Adams, the other main defender, managed 30. Organised by George Graham, whose reign played out to the soundtrack “One-nil to the Arsenal”, they conceded only 18 goals to win the title comfortably.

The second best defence was Liverpool’s, as of May 1979, when they had conceded only 16 goals in 42 games in winning the title. Ray Clemence and Phil Neal, in goal and at right back respectively, were ever-present, while Alan Hansen and Phil Thompson, the central defenders, and Alan Kennedy, the left back, were also regulars.

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