Albion are not going to smash their way to the Premier League.

The Championship is too competitive and tight from top to bottom for that to happen.

It will be about fine margins again, just as it was last season when ten of their 24 wins were by a 2-1 scoreline, 18 of them by a single goal margin.

Routs such as the 5-0 thrashing of Fulham during the run-in will be few and far between.

So Glenn Murray and Anthony Knockaert are going to need more help than they have received so far to keep the goals tally ticking over.

It is great to see Murray on five already on his return on loan from Bournemouth.

He is joint third in the early Championship chart with ex-Albion loanee Chris Wood and as low as 15-2 with one bookmaker to finish on top.

Knockaert, in such irresistible form at present, is just one behind.

Murray and Knockaert between them have contributed nine of Albion's 12 league goals so far.

Murray is bound to have periods without scoring. That comes with the territory. Even Sergio Aguero twice drew a blank for five games for Manchester City last season.

There is also the greater risk of injury in the Championship, with eight more matches to play than in the Premier League.

This is of heightened relevance to Knockaert now that he is being targeted by the opposition.

Tomer Hemed, leading marksman with 17 last season, will chip in again, particularly as he is such an expert penalty taker.

He has provided two league goals so far, Sam Baldock has claimed the other which was initially credited as a header into his own net by Reading's Joey van den Berg.

Albion need a few others to start contributing as well.

The side selected by Hughton for the comfortable 2-0 victory over Barnsley at the Amex was arguably his strongest X1, with the possible exception of the sidelined Liam Rosenior. Eight have yet to find the net.

David Stockdale is, of course, excused. So too are Bruno and Gaetan Bong. There are not many free-scoring full-backs around (Hughton averaged a goal every 30 games in his playing career).

Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy, Dale Stephens, Beram Kayal and Jiri Skalak are, however, all capable of making a healthy contribution.

The main job of Dunk and Duffy is to help prevent the opposition scoring. The central defenders are doing that very effectively.

They have been towering aids to the run of three straight clean sheets in the league but, with their aerial power, they should be a source of goals as well from set pieces, especially with Skalak's dead ball delivery.

Dunk, top scorer two years ago, managed three last season, Duffy four for former club Blackburn Rovers.

Now that they are a combined threat, there is no reason why they cannot improve on their joint total.

Skalak should score more in open play, as his spectacular strike against Queens Park Rangers last season demonstrated.

It was refreshing to see Kayal inside the Barnsley penalty area to set up Murray's first goal.

The influential Israeli has both the energy and technique to improve on the two goals he managed last season.

Stephens (below) scored seven. He can emulate that once he is fully back up to speed.

The Argus: Hughton made mention of the manner in which one of the fittest members of his squad tired in the closing stages against Barnsley, a consequence of his earlier injury and transfer-related inactivity.

Others can chip in too. Jamie Murphy, for example, found the net six times last season, injury-hit wide men Kazenga LuaLua and Solly March three apiece.

The team that pipped them provide the blueprint for Hughton's essentially resilient rather than expansive side.

Middlesbrough had 11 players who each scored four or more goals. Murray and Knockaert need similar assistance, they cannot carry the burden by themselves.