'The Black Watch' go to the Black Country

By Chris Kirwan
April 11 2003

The solitary season that W.B.A have spent in the Premiership has followed most predictions; they've played with plenty of gusto, but have severely lacked quality.

Yet somehow the Baggies have not been on the end of any real batterings. Rather than the floodgates opening once the defence had been breached, the problem has been with the lack of an attacking threat to get them back into the game. But this was always likely to be the case after they won promotion with an incredible number of 1-0 victories.

Look through WBA's side and there simply aren't enough players of moderate Premiership ability. They would love the likes of Pembridge, Carsley, and Alexandersson on their books and while their fans think the world of Russell Hoult and Darren Moore, they're good Division 1 players playing in the Premiership. The players that Gary Megson has brought in have been of the same ilk; Division 1 players asked to do their best in the top flight (and Lee Marshall, Sean Gregan, and Lee Hughes didn't come cheap either). The one bright spark has been Jason Koumas, who has shown glimpses of the talent that has reportedly kept Moyes' interest high.

It has been a refreshing approach by West Brom in that they have by and large rewarded their players who got them up with the opportunity to play in the Premiership. They realised that they didn't have the funds available that would even give the a chance of staying up, let alone the expectation that they would do so. They are in a position whereby the squad they will possess next year is better than the Leicester one coming up, and their financial situation will be far rosier than Sunderland's.

Yet Saturday is the sort of game that Evertonians dread. When approaching Blackburn, Spurs, or Southampton you don't doubt the Blues, yet games against WBA, Birmingham and West Ham fill me with trepidation. The fear is that after doing the hard work against Newcastle they will suffer a lapse against West Brom.

But the fear is less under Moyes than it was under Smith. You know that every player will go out there knowing what their role is, and knowing what to expect from the opposition. West Brom have created plenty of chances this season, but have been totally inept in front of goal. Lee Hughes has been shocking, and Jason Roberts hasn't provided what i expected of him. Dichio went from languishing on the transfer list to being their major attacking threat, and the Blues will have to be wary of him from corners and free kicks.

It's another game that the Blues must win, and if they get the first goal it could prove to be a comfortable one. But West Brom are not going to lie down, no matter how bad their situation is. Nonetheless, i think the Blues will win by a rare two goal margin, and i fancy Big Dunc to score if he gets on the pitch. Oh, and Darren Moore will try and intimidate Rooney after the taunting at Goodison, and will only be made to look silly again.

Odds: West Brom - 5/2, Draw - 9/4, Blues 10/11 (from Blue Square)