West Bromwich Albion

It was probably the most defiant of gestures in the face of relegation. Thousands of West Brom fans giving their team a rousing send-off to their Premiership campaign, a send-off which gave one overriding message—We Will Be Back.

Their season, for the most part, has been one seemingly conducted under a cloud. From the moment it began, one poor result was followed by another, yet still there was a hope, a faint hope that relegation could be avoided.

Memories of that glorious escape under Bryan Robson three years ago were stirred, and the hope was rekindled. Last night, it was extinguished.

But for their fans, this was not a moment to look back, but a time to look forward.

Certainly, amidst the inevitable doom and gloom of relegation, there are green shoots of optimism to be had for West Brom.

Whatever you think about the positives and negatives of conducting a cautious campaign, based on contingency in case of relegation, it is at times like these that such a policy can seem fully justified.

While some may argue the Baggies would not be in this position had they truly believed they belong in the Premiership, the club are undoubtedly entering the Championship in far better health than they left it.

Indeed, this fact is not lost on those in charge at the Hawthorns. Jeremy Peace, the West Bromwich chairman, has stated that the club are financially in “good shape.”

Meanwhile Tony Mowbray, speaking to the BBC yesterday, said: “We don't have to sell players because we don't have any debt at the club. We can keep players we want. Their salaries are affected by what league they're in.”

Furthermore, he added: “We are now a better team than we have been for a lot of seasons, the team have grown into the Premier League and learned a lot of lessons along the way. Hopefully we can use those lessons next season in the Championship.”

Mowbray himself certainly deserves another opportunity at getting this team promoted once more. He is one of football's good guys.

A hero at Middlesbrough as a player, his management style is based upon attractive passing football, and his refusal to compromise style for substance should be applauded for its idealism, though ultimately it may have been one of the reasons for their relegation.

But his team is more than capableand there is quality to be found, often abundantly in specific positions. Certainly, West Brom boast an abundant supply of Premiership-quality midfielders, who the club must fight to keep next season.

Jonathan Greening, Chris Brunt, and James Morrison are three such players. Boasting neat playmaking skills and an eye for goal, they will attract some admiring glances from clubs in the Premier League's midtable.

Meanwhile, the likes of Robert Koren, Borja Valero, and Filipe Teixiera will be more than a match for Championship defences, and Dean Kiely and Scott Carson are both internationally capped goalkeepers, who have sparkled fleetingly amidst the gloom.

Gianni Zuiverloon and Paul Robinson also deserve special mention as players who did not look out of place at the highest level.

With relegation, must come change, but this is not necessarily a bad thing, and in two key areas West Brom must change to survive, and indeed thrive.

Goals decide football matches, and for all their admirable qualities, West Brom have scored too few, and conceded too many. A Premiership-class centre half, and a striker who could score 10 Premiership goals will be high on Mowbray's list.

He need only look at Tony Pulis' example at Stoke. Two of his key signings? Abdouleye Faye and James Beattie, one stopping goals and the other scoring them, and Pulis has been duly rewarded with a mid-table finish.

Perhaps with these changes, Tony Mowbray's vision of building a team who can compete with the best can become a reality. But the stark reality is that next season he must navigate his way through the stormy waters of the Championship shark pit.

But will they be back? Just ask the West Brom fans, because they seem to know the answer.

West Brom v Liverpool

Sunday 17 May 2009, The Hawthorns

Kickoff: 13:30

West Brom

West Bromwich Albion beat Wigan Athletic 3-1 in their last league match, West Brom's second win in three matches.

In their last five, West Brom have won two, drawn one, and lost two, earning seven points from the fifteen available. West Bromwich are currently last in the league, but are only three points from safety with two matches remaining.

Paul Robinson, Scott Carson, Abdoulaye Meite and Robert Koren are all fighting to be fit for West Bromwich in this crucial encounter, but the Baggies will be without James Morrison.

Liverpool

Liverpool beat West Ham United 3-0 in their last league match, the Reds' third straight league win.

In their last five, Liverpool have won four and drawn one, picking up 13 from the 15 points on offer. The Reds currently sit second in the league, trailing leaders Manchester United by six points with two matches to play.

Liverpool should welcome back Xabi Alonso from injury for this match, whilst Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano should both be fit as well.

Prediction

Liverpool beat West Brom 3-0 earlier this season at Anfield.

With league leaders Manchester United playing on Saturday and needing only a point from their remaining two fixtures to clinch the title, Liverpool may enter this match with the title race officially over.

West Brom though will likely still have everything to play for, regardless of Saturday's results.

With only three points separating the Baggies and three other teams, West Bromwich could mathematically snatch safety and a place in next season's Premier League if they take points from their remaining matches and the other relegation-threatened teams falter.

Whether or not the title race is still on come Sunday may affect Liverpool psychologically in this match, but the Reds will undoubtedly look to put in a strong performance irregardless, with Chelsea only three points behind them and the respectable second place still up for grabs.

With the vast difference between these two teams clearly evident, Liverpool will enter the fixture as overwhelming favourites for the win. However, be sure to expect a very spirited performance from the West Bromwich side as they fight for their Premier League survival in this encounter.

Read the complete preview with the best on-line betting odds at the West Brom vs Liverpool preview page now!

Then read more football previews such as Man Utd vs Arsenal, Everton vs West Ham, Spurs vs Man City, and Newcastle vs Fulham on Saturday. And Chelsea vs Blackburn on Sunday.

West Ham v West Brom, Premier League, March 16, 2009

With just ten games remaining for the Baggies, it is starting to look a little bleak and to say they need three points from their visit to Upton Park would be an understatement.

The relegation battle has been one of the most intriguing parts of this Premier League season but Tony Mowbray’s side have slipped out the picture due to a woeful run of results.

Three Premier League home wins on the bounce against Manchester City, Spurs and Middlesbrough in December and January evoked memories of another “Great Escape”, but since the victory over Boro in mid-January they have picked up just one Premier League point.

West Brom have neither scored enough goals this season nor had a solid enough defence to keep them in the Premier League. At times they have been praised for their free-flowing football but they have scored just six goals away from home all season. A goal difference of -29, by far the worst in the division, tells its own story.

Nevertheless, a win at Upton Park and the whole picture could look a little different as they would be just four points from safety with successive home games against Bolton and Stoke to come.

All relegation threatened sides need a messiah and Marc-Antoine Fortune has impressed since arriving on loan from Nancy and the Frenchman is 8/1 to score the first goal and 20/1 to score two or more goals.

When West Ham lost 3-2 at the Hawthorns in September, Hammers fans would be excused for thinking that their side would be battling for a UEFA Cup place at the end of the season.

Gianfranco Zola has performed a mini-miracle at Upton Park since his arrival and the Hammers have a superb opportunity to cement seventh place which could well see the return of European football next season.

The former Chelsea striker has also gone about his job in a dignified manner despite a lengthy injury list which now includes Dean Ashton, Valon Behrami, and Jack Collison. Also missing from this match is the in-form Carlton Cole who is suspended following the bruising encounter at Wigan last time out.

As a result, Zola may plump for either Freddie Sears (10/1 to score two or more) or January signing Savio Nsereko (33/1 to score two or more) to play alongside David Di Michele, one of the unsung heroes of the Premier League season.

All signs point to a home win but traditionally West Ham often lose to teams they are expected to beat and West Brom’s need may just be that little bit greater to secure all three points.

101gg predicts: West Ham 1 – West Brom 2 (18/1) & Chris Brunt to score first (20/1)

Full match odds can be seen here.

No, this isn't a humor article, as much as I would like to admit that it was.

Sport.co.uk reported yesterday that Robert Earnshaw, striker for Championship side Nottingham Forest, is a target for Premier League side Portsmouth.

Er, excuse me?

I hadn't commented on this speculation earlier on, as I wrote it off as simply gutter-rag speculation, but I've started to see more and more discussion on this issue on the internet.

And it really worries me.

I remember seeing Earnshaw play for West Brom back in the 2004/2005 Premiership season, and I thought he was a sub-standard striker who had been fortunate to hit a bit of form that year.

Earnshaw scored a number of important goals in the second half of that season to help West Brom complete their escape from relegation on the last day of the season, despite being bottom of the league at Christmas.

The website claims that Portsmouth boss Tony Adams wants to bring in Earnshaw as a direct replacement for Jermain Defoe.

Yes, you read that right. According to them, Adams believes Earnshaw is a replacement for Defoe.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Needless to say, the fact that this rumor is picking up steam is really worrying me.

While Earnshaw had his strong end to the season that year with West Brom, he has since failed to prove himself in the Premier League again, managing to find the back of the net only once during Derby County's ill-fated campaign last year.

In my mind, Earnshaw is a good Championship striker, but he is absolutely not what Portsmouth need for the rest of the season, and the £3 million price tag being touted is absolutely laughable.

It would be absolutely criminal if we signed a poor striker for the same amount of money we got for the magnificent Pedro Mendes at the start of the season.

Many of the signings we have been linked with this window have been positive, but if this is true, I worry for the direction of our club over the next few months. Hopefully this ends up being no more than simple speculation, as Earnshaw just doesn't have what it takes.

I wrote this about West Brom's current plight in the EPL, it's a parody of Craig David's song "Rise and Fall."

Sometimes in life you feel the season's over, 
When your propping up the table on your own, 
Promoted you finally made it, 
But once your picture becomes tainted, 
It's what they call, 
The rise and fall (x2) 

We beat the richest club on the planet, 
Now it's plain for everyone to see, 
The reality just is, we beat a poor Man City team,
But this game we’re in don't take no prisoners, 
Just shatters dreams, 
I know that everything is gonna change, 
At least we can’t slip down the league,
A few more points on the table and respectability,
Don’t want to down myself with negativity,
But might as well start preparing for the fizzy League,
Started believing that we was the greatest, 
My life was never gonna be the same, 
Cause with the Premiership came a different status, 
That's when things change, 
Now I'm too concerned with our away form and lack of goals, 
Blinded by all the doom and gloom headlines, 
I'm beginning to lose my belief 

Sometimes in life you feel the seasons over, 
When your propping up the table on your own, 
Promoted you finally made it, 
But once your picture becomes tainted, 
It's what they call, 
The rise and fall (x2) 

I never used to be a troublemaker, 
Now I don't even wanna rile rival fans, 
No clashes or altercations, 
And less demands, 
Given advice that was clearly wrong, 
The type that seems to make me feel so right, 
But some things you may find can take over your life, 
Been to every game this season, 
And there's nowhere left for me to turn, 
Seeing the baggies get turned over makes my stomach churn, 
In this relegation dogfight,
We have a lot to learn, 
From all those defeats im glad Mowbray didn't walk away, 
We‘ll reap the rewards in the long run, 
He just has to stay, 

Sometimes in life you feel the seasons over, 
When your propping up the table on your own, 
Promoted you finally made it, 
But once your picture becomes tainted, 
It's what they call, 
The rise and fall (x2)

The relegation dogfight took another turn at the Hawthornes today, as West Brom beat Spurs in a real six pointer.

Heading into this afternoon's game, West Brom were five points behind Spurs. A defeat would have seen them cut adrift, as we head into the second half of the season.

Tony Mowbray gambled everything he had on this match; he dropped his entire forward line in their last match against Chelsea, knowing and hoping they would be firing fit and ready for the Spurs encounter, and right he was.

West Brom started the match as if their entire season hinged on this match, their ferocity in the tackle and the way they closed Spurs down caused all kinds of problems for the North London outfit.

And just as Spurs started to make headway into the match and gain control of midfield, Benoit Assou-Ekotto was sent off for the second time this season. The Tottenham left full was sent off for what can only be described as a "cowards tackle".

Roman Bednar slid in to tackle the ball, and Assou-Ekotto came in from the side with his back turned and his foot raised over the ball. He made contact with the ball, but came down on Zuiverloon's calf, leaving the West Brom man to receive attention.

The angle that Assou-Ekotto attacked the ball left the referee with the only decision he could make, and the Spurs man left the field for the second time after receiving red.

From there, Spurs packed midfield and tried to catch The Baggies on the break. Harry Redknapp brought his team in at half time at 0-0 knowing a professional performance was needed in the second half.

Professional performances haven't been Spurs strong point in over 25 years and today wasn't any different.

The second half kicked off and with West Brom sensing blood, they tore into Tottenham. Heurelho Gomes pulled off two fantastic saves as the Baggies went in search of the opener.

One thing to note about Gomes is that according to statistics he is now Tottenham's best player so far this season. A strong testament to a player who had a nightmare first 10 games for his new club.

With Luka Modric now operating in a defensive role, Spurs lacked any creativity and Darren Bent looked a lonely figure up front, as he struggled to make any impact on the game.

Redknapp is on the lookout for a striker to compliment his striking options, as he seems to have come to some agreement with his predecessor that Bent and Pavyluchenko can't play together.

As the half wore on, Spurs began to fade and every West Brom attack was followed by another, as they went looking for a goal.

In the 83rd minute, they received the reward their play warranted, even if it was by foul means.

Brom's right full Cech found himself in acres of space as he moved into the Tottenham half. Looking up, he picked out Roman Bednar with a long lofted cross. But Michael Dawson had read the ball and as he moved to head clear, Bednar pushed him in the back.

With Bednar now having a free header, he tucked the ball away into the top corner giving Gomes no chance.

Spurs and Redknapp in particular were furious with the decision to allow the goal, and they were still arguing with the fourth official as West Brom scored a late second to wrap the game up.

In reviewing this match, I must say that it was one of the worst matches this season. And the referee gave out more cards than the teams had shots on goal.

Tony Mowbray couldn't hide his delight at this important result, and the Baggies have now made the relegation battle a five-way tussle.

Tottenham, Middlesbrough, and Stoke all have 20 points, while West Brom and Blackburn have 18.

Harry Redknapp was not only furious with the referee, but he was incandescent with rage at his own team, and kept them in the dressing room after the match for almost two hours. After this abysmal performance, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out what Harry said, I'd imagine he cursed more than once.

Interestingly, both managers had few good words to say about the referee, and both felt he had a poor game. Redknapp being slightly more outspoken than Mowbray.

When asked to comment on the controversial sending off and the referee's performance, Redknapp had this to say: "I thought it was a sending-off. I thought he turned his back, he put his foot in and I could see why he sent him off.

"I never walk in after game and complain about a referee but this guy today (Steve Tanner) is scary. What can you do? Someone thinks he is good enough but he is definitely not."

Mowbray was less controversial but wasn't supportive of the referee either.

"I have no comment on the referee. Some games as a coach you sit there and have thoughts but I've not been as brave as Harry and said anything.

"I think we all abide by the officials. We agree with some decisions, we don't agree with others.

"The bottom line is you hope to get the big ones right. I was very surprised when a red card was given but the referee saw it was and you have to live with that."

After this result, Spurs will not have won a game in five matches, and with Harry Redknapp in search of a new striker he'll be counting the days 'til January.

First-half goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard ensured Chelsea beat West Brom 2-0 at Stamford Bridge this afternoon to keep pace with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

The three points never really looked in doubt once Drogba headed in the opener, but the Blues failed to sparkle for the remainder of the match, wasting a number of opportunities to add to their lead.

Luiz Felipe Scolari decided to pair Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka upfront from the outset, and his decision paid off within minutes of kick off.

Joe Cole sent a ball into the box and Drogba powered a header over Scott Carson and into the far corner of the net.

Chelsea began to dominate possession, and Lampard struck a fierce free kick straight at Carson.

Kim had the visitors first effort on target, forcing Cech into a save with a left foot shot.

Alex had another Chelsea opportunity from a free kick, but he found his typically powerful shot blocked by the West Brom wall.

Abdolaye Meite was forced off for the Baggies after 26 minutes, Leon Barnett replaced him.

Finding a way through was proving difficult for the home side, and Ballack and Lampard both tried to remedy this by testing Carson with shots.

Ashley Cole came agonisingly close to adding a second goal with two efforts in quick succession.

First his shot from inside the box was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Carson, and then he just failed to make contact with a Jose Bosingwa cross as he slid across the box.

However, Lampard did add a second goal just before halftime, easing the nerves of many inside Stamford Bridge.

Joe Cole played the ball into the box and Lampard picked up the pieces after Ashley Cole had been blocked off, taking the ball around Paul Robinson and then dinking the ball over Carson.

Juliano Beletti was brought on for Bosingwa at half time, and the Brazilian had Chelsea’s first effort of the second half.

The right back found himself with space to move into but took the wrong option in opting for a chip instead of passing it to one of his team mates who was in space.

Drogba provided evidence that is starting to recapture his best form when he expertly beat two players and hammered a shot at Carson.

Chipping seemed to be the attacking method of choice for Chelsea, as Lampard was another player to try to beat Carson with a lobbed shot. The England midfielder got his angles all wrong and his shot was tame and easily gathered by Carson.

Despite having plenty of possession, the home side were finding it difficult to add to the score line.

Drogba again found his path to goal blocked by Carson, and it was to the Ivorian’s last action of the game, as he was replaced by Florent Malouda.

Alex headed wide from a corner afterwards, but Chelsea never looked like adding to the lead they had established in the first half.

The win was comfortable, but the performance by Scolari’s men was hardly spellbinding.

Pompey could only salvage a point against West Brom at the Hawthorns, following their UEFA Cup defeat only three days before.

Peter Crouch's second half goal levelled things up for Pompey as they took a disappointing point back to Fratton Park.

Tony Adams' men showed early domination, and the expected long ball up to Peter Crouch was not troubling the Baggies defence, but West Brom fought back hard as David James was called into action.

It was West Brom who took the lead after referee Mike Dean awarded the Premiership strugglers a very soft free-kick against Portsmouth's Sol Campbell.

Chris Brunt's thundering attempt hit the bar before Jonathan Greening scrambled to bury the rebound past David James.

Adams made a half time change in the form of Nadir Belhadj, coming off for the second game running at half-time, and replaced by Glen Little.

Pompey started to fight back after Adams' stern half time ticking off, as Johnson's long ball found Jermain Defoe who crossed the ball across the 18-yard box, but couldn't find the approaching Peter Crouch.

Ismael Miller then went close again as James tipped away Miller's low shot before leaping onto the loose ball.

The Blues fought a goal back as Peter Crouch's shot struck Meite and the underside of the crossbar on the way into the net.

Crouch's sixth goal in the league this season gave Pompey the chance to fight back and get a winner, but it was the Baggies who went closest to getting the next goal.

Ismael Miller once again parted Sol Campbell and Slyvain Distin before firing it at James, who pulled off a great save.

Pompey's midfield were strong in the middle with both Papa Bouba Diop and Sean Davis having good performances, holding the ball up, picking out passes, and throwing in the tackles where needed.

Glen Johnson's frequent runs down the right wing were troubling West Brom and the England right-back was put in on goal by Defoe before firing it over from six yards out.

Portsmouth had yet another chance to go ahead as Carson fumbled Johnson's cross and the ball rolled along the line, but neither the linesman or referee seemed to think the whole ball went over—replays showed it appeared to be the correct decision.

Although a fair result from the match events, taking only a point against a struggling West Brom team is disappointing, and if Pompey are to put pressure on Aston Villa and maybe even Arsenal, then they need to stop dropping these points.

Pompey Pages Man of the Match was Sean Davis for the second game running, although Papa Bouba Diop and Glen Johnson were close contenders.

Davis ruled the midfield and gave everything: great passing, chips, crosses, and when he lost the ball he ran around to fight to regain possesion—and the majority of time he managed to. A bit more chasing up could be asked for from some of the big names in Pompey's squad, notably Jermain Defoe and Niko Kranjcar.

It’s been an entertaining start to the Premiership season, and no more so than at the bottom of the table.

Two of the newly promoted teams from the Championship, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, faced off at the weekend—two teams that have contrasting styles and fortunes on the pitch.

First of all, a focus on Stoke City. They’re direct, uncompromising, and as we know, they like to launch the ball long from the back, and play for set-pieces and Rory Delap’s now famous throw-ins.

It may not be pretty, but it’s effective, with some strong home form at the Britannia Stadium keeping the Potters' heads above water for now.

Then you have West Brom, a team who look easy on the eye with some neat, passing football, but are ultimately losing games and struggling in the relegation zone.

Now, both managers have had plenty of time at their respective clubs to make their mark and blend their team into the style of their choosing, and as a result both sides spent a fair amount of money in the summer to try and keep their sides in the Premier League, but took different approaches with the signings they made.

Tony Pulis at Stoke went for players to compliment the direct style that had served his side so well previously, with the likes of Dave Kitson and Seyi Olofinjana arriving at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke fans knew what kind of players they were getting, and you have it’s been a pretty successful policy so far, with the Potters sitting outside of the drop zone.

On the contrary, West Brom went abroad and drafted in the likes of Borja Valero and Ryan Donk to play their own more cultured style.

And with West Brom rooted to the bottom of the table, one would argue it’s a policy that hasn’t worked thus far, though their bold style of play has won them many fans across the country.

For me, this is bad management on Tony Mowbray’s part. Though their approach to the game is indeed admirable, football is first and foremost a results business, and West Brom just aren’t cutting it at the moment.

Mowbray’s reluctance to change things could prove costly for the Baggies, and may well cost them their Premiership status.

Of course, there are some exceptions. Fulham managed to stay up last season playing some attractive football, but that’s more the exception to the rule.

Generally, you need grit and discipline, something which Stoke have in abundance, and which West Brom undoubtedly lack. And in the Premiership, you need to be able to battle with the best of them.

You don’t win extra points for shots outside the area, nor do you for smart passing moves. You do win matches by scoring goals and it doesn’t matter how they go in, be it a long throw or a long ball launched from the back.

But what about the likes of Stoke and Bolton? Two sides that are perfectly capable of playing good football themselves, and a look at the weekend’s action will show you just that.

Stoke's goal came from a swift one-two and cross in the box, and Matt Taylor's goal against Middlesborough for Bolton came from a great passing move.  

Yet, these teams reputations precede them, and their good football is largely ignored.

Of course, Mowbray himself has refused to abandon his footballing principles, and West Brom will continue to play their way, no matter what the consequences. 

Some would call this honorable and applaud his decision.

I wonder if West Brom fans will feel the same come May, with Championship football to look forward to once again?