By Jemma Tappenden
April 7 2008
It’s an old cliché, but I’m sure that there is at least some satisfaction for Baggies fans that the end of the FA Cup run at least lends more time to concentrating on the league. Especially as it is still very much in their own hands. West Brom have two games in hand over current leaders Bristol City, and sit just three points behind them. A win tomorrow sees that gap disappear.
In fact, so superior is Albion’s goal difference to Bristol City’s, and indeed everyone else’s, that a win at Blackpool tomorrow night would see the Baggies go top. That is providing of course that Stoke City, who have one game in hand on the leaders which they will play tonight against Crystal Palace, only lose or draw.
In a bizarre twist of fate West Brom and their normal bitter Black Country rivals Wolves will be hoping they can do each other a favour at the weekend. Wolves will travel to Bristol City, with nothing but a win being of any particular use to Mick McCarthy’s men if they look to cement a place in the playoffs.
Albion on the other hand will entertain Watford at the Hawthorns. With both of these sides aiming for top two places there is still the possibility that one, if not both of them could end up battling it out in the playoffs. Wolves currently occupy 6th spot, a place which they amazingly kept over the weekend despite not having played. But with both Crystal Palace and Ipswich playing midweek it is likely that the Molineux men will slip out of the top six without even having kicked a ball.
The two black country sides will of course come face to face a week tomorrow at Molineux, a fixture which was rescheduled due to Albion’s FA Cup run. But with a lot of football to come before then, it is likely to be all change in the table before that game.
