Match Previews

Albion Preston Preview

Jonas Olsson, Roman Bednar and Steven Reid are all likely to be mising from the team sheet today with all three injured. Olsson limped off at half time in Albions away victory at the Liberty Stadium over Swansea with a calf injury.

Bednar is struggling with a thigh injury which kept him out on Tuesday, while loan star Reid also sat that one out with a groin strain.

Winger Jerome Thomas is still suffering with a hamstring injury too, he will likely miss his 4th game in a row, however, should be back in time for the Coventry game next week.

Andy Slory may find himself being recalled, however we will see later on today.

Preston still have ideas of a play off place and held Albion to a goaless draw earlier in the season so what will we suggest as a good bet today?

Our bet of the day has to be West Brom to win outright at a tight 1.53 with Ladbrokes and we would also suggest Dorrans as the last scorer at 6-1 with William Hills.

Swansea West Brom preview.

The Albion will be missing Bednar and Reid for tonights trip to Swansea and may also be missing Ishmael Miller in what is one of the most important games of the Championship run in for both the Albion and Swansea.

This clash between 2nd and 4th in the table is an all important game for both as it represents a possible last chance for Swansea to make the guaranteed promotion spot as well as representing the chance to allow Albion to make the gap quite daunting for both Swansea and Forest.

Swansea City have captain Garry Monk returning to the squad to give them a boost, when the top scoring team of the championship vitit the lowest scoring team. Returning from a calf injury, the captain joins Nathan Dyer as a returnee to the team after he too has recovered from an ankle injury.

Albion may be hoping for a return to the team for Shefki Kuqi as otherwise ex Albion striker Craig Beattie will be starting and he has already scored against his old club once this season.

Roman Bednar who only recovered a few days ago now has a thigh injury picked up in training and Steven Reid suffered a groin injury in the home win over Blackpool. Winger Jerome Thomas has failed to recover from his hamstring injury so he too will be missing once again.

Gianni Zuiverloon could be making a return tonight after being missing for a few weeks after 2 or 3 bad mistakes in previous back to back games. He will likely joined by another player who was missing recently, Luke Moore has now recovered from last weeks bout of flu. Di Matteo is hoping that the break has given Zuiverloon the rest he needed to regain his form.

“Yes, Gianni’s in contention for tonight,” said the head coach.

“I haven’t made my mind up yet but there is a possibility for Gianni to be back in the team.

“He wasn’t going through a good patch of form and it was affecting the team a little bit as well, so that’s why I left him out for a short while.

“Usually, a little break helps with some training.

“You can pick yourself up and we’ve also spoken to him.

“We’ll see how he goes.”

Although this clash is the top v bottom scoring teams, Swansea have one of the most water tight defences in the Championship having conceded only 9 goals at home. When you look at how many of the Albions goal scorers are missing tonight you could easily expect the possibility of Swansea being the first to do the double over the Albion this season.

Will Albion be the third team to win at Swansea this season? The stats are against this and are shown in the odds. Swansea are 6-4 with Sky and Albion slight outsiders at 7-4, the draw being 12-5 which West Brom Blog feel is good value. After offering the winning bet for Saturdays game where we suggested over 2.5 goals you may fancy following us tonight where we expext a goaless draw or possibly a single goal victory either way. This in mind it may be worth placing sensible money on under 2.5 goals which is 5-7 with Betfair or no goals at half time which is 7-4 with Betfair.

If you want to place your bet at Betfair we have a special free £25 bet on offer there so head down to Betfair now.

Albion Blackpool preview and betting advice

Albion are considering giving Ishmail Miller his first start for over 14 months, he has made appearances but not started a game since his 13 month long injury lay off with a knee ligament injury. Miller has played in 5 games since recovering and suffered an injured ankle in between too, however, Roberto Di Matteo is considering giving him a start, although he has confirmed it will not be for the full 90 minutes.

“He just needs to work hard in training and get some minutes in the games,” said the Baggies boss.

“I don’t think he’s ready yet to last 90 minutes but at some point I’d like to throw him into the cold water and start him.

“It’s down to him.

“It depends how his attitude is and how much he wants to get that start.”

James Morrison has played 222 minutes in four games after his return from nearly a year out with a heel problem and has shown excellent promise along with being the difference between winning and sharing the points.

“I am a little surprised by how many minutes Mozza has played since returning,” he added.

“He’s not 100 per cent match fit or on top of his form yet but just the fact he’s in the team is important.

“With him the team always has a player who wants the ball and can create a chance for us or has the final pass.

“I think he will get better game after game.

“But we also have to monitor him because playing too many games in a short period of time might increase the risk of getting an injury.”

The return fixture was a 5 goal affair with Graham Dorrans scoring an 83rd minute winner at the Tangerines by way of a penalty. Blackpool are now 7th in the table, aiming for the play offs and play a very attacking game, therefore tommorows game could be quite an open affair, something Di Matteo relishes. Albion have managed a massive 84 goals this season and there is no reason why they cannot complete yet another double of the season, beating Blackpool would be 5th double of the season.

“For the neutral the last game with Blackpool was a good game to watch because there was action and goalscoring opportunities,” said the Albion boss.

“I like the way they play.

“They try to play football and play the right way.

“They create a lot of chances and have a lot of attempts on goal.

“They also give you chances as well and let’s hope they’re going to play like that when they come on Saturday, and it’s going to be an open game rather than one team trying to be positive and the other being destructive or defensive.

“I said earlier in the season they have been the surprise team this year because they have done extremely well, in my opinion.

“It’s nice to see the way they play as well.”

Albion join forces with all 72 Football League Clubs in a united week of action to raise awareness and vital funds for Help for Heroes – The Football League’s Official Charity Partner for the 2009/10 season.

Football for Heroes week is taking place from March 6-14 and showing The Football League’s support for the efforts of our Armed Forces.

The Baggies are holding their ‘Football for Heroes‘ game this weekend.

Captain Scott Carson said: “The Football League could not have picked a more worthwhile cause for its official charity.

“There’s always a lot of talk about footballers being heroes and role models.

“But the real heroes are those who go off to serve their country in the military and who have to deal with the consequences.

“It’s a very humbling experience to think we can do something, however small, to promote their cause so all the players will be delighted to play their part on Saturday.

“The charity does a lot of great work to rehabilitate members of the British Armed Forces injured in the line of duty.

“It’s easy to forget that the troops that do get hurt while fighting for the country have to get on with their lives once they return home, and any support that any of us can give them is extremely important.”

Albion and Blackpool will come out of the the players’ tunnel led by a Help for Heroes banner.

Albion have invited uniformed soldiers from West Bromwich to attend the game as VIP guests and they will form a guard of honour as the players emerge from the tunnel.

Baggies head coach Roberto Di Matteo and Blackpool boss Ian Holloway will wear Help for Heroes wristbands during the game.

Albion’s players have signed two Football League Help for Heroes balls, which will be auctioned off for the charity at a later date.

Lord Mawhinney, Chairman of The Football League, said: “The contribution being made by our armed forces around the world is both outstanding and humbling.

“As a nation, we seldom thank them enough for the sacrifices they make.

“The Football for Heroes week will provide an excellent opportunity for supporters to show their appreciation for the work they do.”

So all in all the game promises to be a cracker and have much to offer besides. Where will the sensible money be on this game?

Well the bet of the day has to be a toss up between over 2.5 goals and an Albion victory outright.

You can find all the best prices on every market here on our All Best WBA Match Odds

West Brom Sheffield Wednesday Preview

The Baggies need to bounce back to winning ways tonight to get the boing back in their promotion struggle. Having beaten the Owls by 4 goals to nil earlier in the season in the away fixture of this game, there is nothing that suggests this being other than a home win, however, Albion don’t to things normally or the easy way so who knows.

Roman Bednar will not be playing tonight, Simon Cox is a doubt with a back injury picked up against QPR in Saturdays defeat when he was stretchered off near the end of the game, however Ishmael Miller may just make it in to the team. Roberto Di Matteo had this to say about Miller today:

“I’ve been thinking about Ishmael,” the head coach said.

“He hasn’t got 90 minutes in his legs yet, I know that.

“So we will have to see.

“But I do think he has the attributes to play the lone striker role.

“I’ve been pleased with him but he’s had a difficult time with his knee.

“He got back in the team and was trying to find his form, then he had a knock-back.

“You add that to the previous injury and you have to pull up your sleeves and start again.

“It’s been a frustrating time for him.”

So it seems that even if Miller does play, it will not be for the full ninety minutes, so who will play in his absense?

Speaking of Scott Carsons blunder gifting an early goal to QPR on Saturday Di Matteo said:

“I remember when Buffon had a bit of a dodgy time and Buffon was one of the best keepers in the world at the time, a few years back now.

“It happens. You can have a bad game and as a keeper you are exposed.

“Scott is not green behind the ears and he just has to react, get over it, put it right and be mentally strong for the next game.”

So the keeper seems safe in his position, even though he has been involved in all manner of errors and mix ups this season, testament to his generally solid performances on the whole it seems. Scott Carson is surely one of the players that has made up this promotion chasing side what it is today.

Giles Barnes will also be chomping at the bit now and looking for his debut at long last after getting back to full fitness.

West Brom have to be the banker bet of the day and odds are best at Bet 365 at 4-9 on an Albion win. Good news really as the West Brom Blog have secured all our guests a great £200 set of free money when signing up at Bet 365 from here.

You will find all of the current odds on most of the markets updated live as you read them here on our All Best WBA Match Odds page

QPR West Brom Preview – Baggies March On

It is the first game of March for the Albion, and March could be the operative word!

West Brom stuttered a little in February, however, highly obviously down somewhat to the amount of games they had to play. 8 games were played in just 25 days, including the FA Cup double header versus Reading. In the league the Albion won 4 lost 1 drew 1, but would surely have won all had they not been so tired. Now the Albion are expected to March on in to battle, they have not to play a game every 3 days like February. A March it could well be, facing Warnock, could today be another battle? Surely not like the Battle of Bramall Lane, although when it comes to Neil Warnock who knows, anything could happen.

New Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock, the former Crystal Palace boss took over the reins on Tuesday and would likely do anything to beat the Baggies, he would like nothing better than to kick off with a win.

Roberto Di Matteo will not want to gap at the top to develop any further than 6 points, so Albion will be out to win this and spoil Warnock’s party.

Warnock will check on the fitness of Lee Cook, Matt Connolly and Kaspars Gorkss ahead of the game.

Winger Cook has been struggling with a cold this week and defender Connolly has an ankle injury.

Centre-half Gorkss has also not trained this week after picking up a knock and all three are battling to be fit to face the second-placed Baggies.

Warnock will be hoping playmaker Akos Buzsaky returns from international duty with Hungary in one piece.

Strikers Tamas Priskin (groin) and Marcus Bent (hamstring) should be fit but teenager Antonio German could keep his place after signing a new contract this week.

Midfielders Gavin Mahon and Martin Rowlands remain long-term absentees with knee injuries.

Roman Bednar will most likely be missing as his groin injury is not responding as would be liked, although the Baggies can score without him as was showed last week when they knocked 3 past Derby.

Good news on the Baggies front is of course the news that Ishmael Miller will be available and he is a likely starter. Another surprise and more likely to start than Miller is Giles Barnes, the lad has recovered much faster than expected and played a full ninety minutes in the reserve game against Walsall midweek.

Chris Brunt has recovered from the injury that kept him out of the Northern Ireland team midweek and he like all the other internationals are all available too. It remains to be seen, however, those that had international games could be rested in favour of the players who have had a full weeks rest. This becomes more apparent when you consider how many games were played in February and the drop in form that a few players and the coaching staff have blamed on tiredness.

Steven Reid returns to QPR wearing blue n white stripes as opposed to the blue and white hoops he wore when on loan there earlier in the season, he could well be another starter today.

So, all things considered, Albion should march on today and kick March of to a perfect start. They will have no excuses and should easily brush QPR aside.

You can get a great 11-10 on the Albion with Sky today and West Brom blog has secured you a free £10 matched bet if you open a new account there.

Follow this link to Sky Bet for Championship Betting, you will get a free tenner matched bet.

West Brom Reading FA Cup Replay Preview

The Baggies went out on penalty’s against Middlesbrough at this stage of the FA Cup just 3 seasons ago and Roberto Di Matteo is making sure as best as he can that this does not happen again tonight.

“We have practised penalties even though it’s not the same on the training ground as when you go into a game and you have to do it in front of 20,000 and the pressure is on,” said the Albion boss.

“By now I know the character of my players and I have a good idea of which ones I would like to take penalties, if it goes that far.”

Players that may return tonight include James Morrisson and Marek Cech, both fit again although Morrisson clearly lacking in match practice after 10 months out.

Giles Barnes will still play no part as he is not quite fit yet, Ishmael Miller still has an injured ankle, Jerome Thomas has another game where he is banned, then the 2 loan players Frank Nouble and Ben Watson are cup tied.

Di Matteo has said “We have to take into consideration that Cech has been out for three weeks and Morrison for ten months.

“But it’s good to have some players back.

“Morrison’s been doing well but competitive games are completely different.

“The fact he has been out of the game for a long time means we have to be careful with him.

“Barnes is getting closer but he’s not in the frame for tomorrow.

“It’s hard for me to say when Giles and Ishmael Miller will be back.”

At the Madejski Stadium 2 weeks back the Albion came from behind twice and the late equaliser was very cruel on Reading, however, with a home tie in the quarter finals up for grabs at against Aston Villa or Crystal Palace the Baggies are surely going to be well up for this game.

Roman Bednar should keep his shirt and Abdoulaye Meite who was an unused substitute on Sunday in the defeat at Bristol City may get a recall.

Another player likely to keep his place tonight will be the in form Albion defender Jonas Olsson , he is over the moon at getting his first ever call up to the Sweden national team.

His top notch Baggies performances have seen him with just rewards, a place against Wales in Swansea next Wednesday.

Olsson won 25 caps at under-21 level but an appearance at the Liberty Stadium would be his first full cap.

The former NEC Nijmegen centre-back said: “Since I moved to England I have developed in the right direction.

“I feel that I have come to a country whose football suits me, and I have grown with the task.

“It is very nice to have a chance in the ‘big’ team. I’ve played some under-21 games before and to pull on the national team jersey is special and it makes me happy.”

Bristol City West Brom Preview

West Brom may or may not have Bednar available tomorrow dependant on a late fitness test, it remains to be seen whether his back injury has cleared up. James Morrison (heel), Jerome Thomas (suspension), Gonzalo Jara (foot) and Ishmael Miller (ankle) are all unavailable to boss Roberto Di Matteo.

Bristol City have won only one in eleven of their last Championship games and are looking quite an easy task, however, a home draw against Leicester City resulted in manager Gary Johnson praising his players along with the fans, whom he said were getting right behind the team. They are due to break this bad streak and as the games go on they get closer and closer to doing so. Every dog has their day and Albion manager Di Matteo will be warning his players to be wary.

There has been quite an atmosphere and much unrest at Ashton Gate for the last few months, with them going from near the play off’s to near the drop.

Add the bad form of Bristol City and the fact that Albion are the best travelled club in the championship, most will expect to see an away win, this is shown in the fact that Albion are odd’s on with most bookies. Albion have gained more points away from home, losing only to Barnsley this term and are the Championships form club this month too.

The only evidence against the Albion winning this with ease is the injury problems that have befallen them, oh and of course the amount of games that they have had to play this month.

A good bet would seem Albion to come from behind as this has been the way of late, added to the fact that almost all of goals scored against city have come in the last ten minutes.

On Betfair you can get 33-1 on Bristol leading at half time with the Albion winning the match. Updated prices are shown here on our live WBA odds comparison page.

If Bristol City were to win this game, it will be the first time in 15 years.

The last two games between the 2 have seen the Albion 4 to 1 victors.

David Clarkson is the only Bristol City player to have scored in the last 540 minutes of league football.

This will be the 4 double of the season if the Baggies win.

9 First team players were missing at Cardiff, however, heading down the M5 again will not see the Albion so short.

Midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu will be available after playing out his suspension, although Jerome thomas is still with 2 games left of his ban. Giles Barnes played well midweek for the reserves, however, the club report he is not yet fit enough for first team action so is unlikely to figure.

So the team sheet will be interesting tomorrow, however, there is likely to be 18 players available unlike Tuesdays game when Bednar had to sit on the bench even though he was never going to get on the pitch.

Cardiff West Brom Preview

Away to promotion rivals Cardiff and the Albion squad is as short as little is to large. No less than 7 first team regulars are missing and Di Matteo will be forced into yet more changes, having to draft in even more youth’ and be preying for 150% from his men.

He has included 17 yr old Academy starlets Sam Mantom and Kayleden Brown in the squad travelling to Sth Wales, drafting in 19 yr old midfielder Joss Labadie too, who has just returned from loan at Cheltenham.

Di Matteo says:

“We have shown lots of fighting spirit during the season and it’s our philosophy to never give up,”

“We will be competitive tonight, for sure, and I am 100 per cent certain that the players that go out onto the pitch will give everything they have.

“I am trying to be positive.

“We have some problems but we’ll try to cope with them.

“It’s not the end of the world and we could be worse off.

“We have shown real spirit during the season and we never give up.

“I am looking at tonight and thinking ‘interesting’!

Albion’s inaugural trip to Cardiff’s new stadium tonight, pairs the top and second top scorers together so could be a right firecracker of a game. Especially when you consider, Scott Carson was sent off and refuses to forgive Chopra. Chopra on the other hand has admitted that he will continue to provoce ugly scenes as it the only way he knows how.

Cardiff were mauled big style 2 games back by the toon, however, returned to winning ways when beating bottom half club Peterborough.

Making a return tonight must be Frank Nouble, who missed reading due to being cup tied.

“It’s fantastic to have Frank back,” added Di Matteo.

Cardiff will be looking to take a stronger grip on a play off place, whilst the Albion will be looking to break even further clear of Nott’s Forest whom they have points and a game in hand over.

X-rays showing the Chile defender Jara, has fractured a metatarsal in his right foot, he is no doubtful to play again this season. Defender Abdoulaye Meite is out with an ankle injury, while winger Andy Slory is to be missing with an achilles injury. Di Matteo will be also without Youssouf Mulumbu and Jerome Thomaswho are serving suspensions, Marek Cech with a hamstring injury, Ishmael Miller with another ankle injury and both long term injured players, James Morrison and Giles Barnes with heel and achilles injuries respectively.

So a great bet on tonight’s game could well be over on the goals market, bearing in mind the teams scoring more goals than anyone else in the division.

Sky Bet are offering you a £10 Free Matched Bet and have odds of 5/6 on over two and a half goals.

They go 6/5 on the draw and 15/8 on a Cardiff victory, however an Albion win is 11/5, now that is an excellent price considering the Albion’s away record this season.

Bet 365 are offering 5/6 on both teams to score at any point in the game. They are also offering a special too, Roman Bednar to score first in a 2 all draw is offered at 75 – 1.

Reading Albion preview, team news and odds detail

Reading and West Brom meet tomorrow in an all Championship FA Cup fifth round tie and Albion are not expecting anything like the easy 3 to 1 victory they had at the Hawthorns in October.

In a game where one club is struggling near the foot of the table and another club is topping the table, you would not expect the struggling club to be so expected to win. The Royals, however, have beaten top opposition including the premier giants Liverpool and also Burnley, to get thus far.

Saturday’s game at the Madejski Stadium looks likely to render the pair’s differing league fortunes irrelevant, with Reading as sure that they will get through to the quarter final as any of the other 15 teams still in the hat.

The Baggies head for the Madejski Stadium looking to book a place in the quarterers but have to get past a rejuvenated Reading team, who have only lost three times in 11 games since new head coach Brian McDermott took over and have moved within a point of Coca-Cola Championship safety.

Royals tactician is looking to mastermind another scalp en route to a place in the last eight, with Albion the team in his sight’s..

Reading will be without defender Zurab Khizanishvili, the Georgia international made his home debut in the win over Plymouth on Tuesday night but is now cup tied having played for Blackburn in the FA Cup already.

Matt Mills is available again, however, after serving a one-match ban and he should take Khizanishvili’s place in the centre of defence.

Sigurdsson, who has scored in both rounds has been out with a foot injury while Czech Republic international Matejovsky has been struggling with an abdominal injury, however, both are rumoured to be close to fitness and may play a part.

Roberto Di Matteo has to make changes again, not only because of being involved in so many games of late, however, also because of injury, cup ties and suspension issues.

Loanee Frank Nouble is ineligible for the tie having played earlier in the competition for West Ham.Then there will be others missing, striker Ishmael Miller (ankle), defender Marek Cech (hamstring), winger Jerome Thomas (suspended) and midfielders James Morrison (heel) and Giles Barnes (Achilles) all remain unavailable.

Di Matteo has also confirmed that youth team players will be on the bench for the match, with the Baggies boss possibly having his mind on Tuesday’s crunch Championship clash at Cardiff.

Young Graham Dorrans may be rested for tomorrow’s FA Cup clash at Reading, the Baggies midfielder who is on top form this season, is carrying a slight hip flex injury.

Although not serious, Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo may be tempted to give him a break, although still will be viewed in many quarters as the wrong thing to do with so many other forced changes coming.

Roberto Di Matteo said: “Graham Dorrans has been fantastic for us, also because he has been playing with a little injury in the last three weeks.

“I am aware of it and wary of it.

“You always try to think ‘maybe I can pull him off’, but it’s kind of difficult because he can be so influential for us.

“He’s got a little problem on his hip flex, which we’ll have to monitor.”

Di Matteo has some pedigree in the FA Cup, scoring in two finals for Chelsea back in 1997 and 2000.

“I’m not sure if it’s helped our league campaign but a win gives you confidence,” he added.

“Every win gives you confidence, whether it’s in the league or cup. It gives you a belief. It’s a nice habit.

“It’s a great competition the FA Cup in England. We’ve tried our best in previous games and that’s what we’ll do on Saturday – we’ll try to get through to the next round.”

Paddy Power are offering a free tenner bet for all new account’s and the odds available are 7/4 on Reading, 12/5 the draw and 7/5 on the Albion with 80 more bets available on the game.

Sky are offering 7/4 on Reading, 12/5 the draw and 6/4 on the Albion. They too are offering a free tenner bet, however, this is a tenner match bet.

Ladbrokes will give you 8/5 on either result with 12/5 the draw like elsewhere and are also offering West Brom Blog readers a free tenner too.

Bet 365 are now running a great new incentive where you can pick your own bonus and one that is far greater than before, get up to £200 as a starter with maybe more to follow. Their odds on the game are slightly different with 7/4 Reading, 6/4 Albion and 23/10 the draw.

Keep an eye out around the West Brom Blog for plenty of special offers at all the sports books and a few offers at online casinos and poker rooms.

West Brom Scunthorpe Preview

West Brom will be aiming to keep up the pressure on Newcastle the Championship leaders and fight of Notts Forest who are hot on their tails for the 2nd auto promotion spot to the Premiership.

The Iron come to the Hawthorns at a time when the Albion have found their form both at home and away at long last. Scunthorpe will still be smarting from the late Crystal Palace winner on Saturday, after making a break from the risky bottom of the table with 2 wins before that game. Nigel Adkins this morning confirmed that he will be without Marcus Williams and Garry Thompson for tonights game at the Hawthorns.

Left-back Williams is banned for 1 game after the sending off at Palace on Saturday, when he committed a professional foul on Kieron Djilali. Williams has a hamstring injury and will not be available for a few weeks.

West Brom will probably give fresh in the door loan signee Frank Nouble his debut in place of the 4 match banned Jerome Thomas. His arrival is designed to combat the loss of Ishmael Miller, however, he is equally capable of playing an attacking midfield position or as a winger on either side too. Andy Slory is also competing for his first start on the wing too, so it could be a toss up between the ex Feyenoord player and the ex West Ham player. It is doubtful that both will get a starting place, however, very likely that one will be on the bench and one on the pitch at the start.

Marek Cech is ruled out once again with the hamstring injury that will see him miss at least another week and a half. Jonas Olsson, Gonzalo Jara and Robert Koren will all be pressing for a recall and whilst missing at Plymouth will be in contention, as Di Matteo will likely ring changes due to the stack up of games this month.

The ever present Roman Bednar may well be a casualty tonight down to the same issue of fitness levels befa;
lling the whole team and the club have stressed how they do not want to burn out 22 year old Graham Dorran’s too.

Giles Barnes and James Morrison are both long term injury concerns and unlikely to be available until April at the earliest.

Tonight’s betting news is as you would expect favouring the Baggies and the only way to make a killing will be to choose a scorer or even a scorer and Albion win.

A Roman Bednar first goal in a 3 to nil win see’s a return of £280 for a tenner. You can get any tenner bet matched with a free tenner bet if you sign up with Sky Bet through West Brom Blog, meaning that your £10 would return £560 instead of £280, what better time than to take your free tenner bet with Sky Bet than today.

Sky are offering 2/5 for an Albion win, 10/3 on a draw and 15/2 on an unlikely Scunthorpe victory.

Plymouth West Brom preview – All Change?

Hot Striker Roman Bednar who has scored 5 goals in 5 games made his debut at Plymouth some 2 years ago scoring 2 goals. In his own words, he has stated that players seem to score goals against the same teams, quoting the 3 he scored against Sheffield as an indicator of this. He looks like the very first name on the team sheet.

Presently there are a few names that may not make it due to knocks picked up in the midweek trip to Blackpool. Ishmael Miller picked up a knock to his ankle whilst winning the penalty that gave Albion all three points and Marek Cech limped of at full time with a sore hamstring.

Other than these two, Di Matteo is able to choose an unchanged team for the sixth game on the trot. With Miller only on the bench in recent games due to lack of match practice and of course Bednar’s form Albion are likely to continue with the lately favoured 1 up front formation. This will be the fourth game Di Matteo picks an unchanged side if he does so, however, with the Cech injury and the amount of games in such a short period this is unlikely.

There will most likely be 4 or 5 changes just to make sure that players are not worn out, 3 games in 7 days is far too much for any player.

Speaking on the club website http://www.wba.co.uk Roberto Di Matteo had this to say on the subject:

“We’ve had a settled team down to the fact we haven’t picked up any injuries and have been playing well, creating chances and winning games,” said Di Matteo.

“He’s an important player for us and we don’t want to lose him to injury.”

So the changes are due to be ringed, will Slory make his full debut? Who will get to start is still up in the air and unlikely to be finalised before 2pm Saturday afternoon.

Plymouth are 2nd bottom, however, seemingly reinvigorated and Paul Mariners men are now up for the fight for survival.

Blackpool West Bromwich Albion Preview.

West Brom have the chance to get back in to the automatic promotion places tonight when making the long trip up the M6 to Blackpool.

Blackpool are looking towards the play offs and in seventh place will be no pushovers, however, Roberto Di Matteo’s Baggies have a game in hand on Nottingham Forest and a win at Bloomfield Road will see them move up above them.

Albion new boy, Andy Slory is available for the Baggies to pick, however, the Dutchman is highly unlikely to be offered more than a place on the bench. The winger signed for Albion from Feyenoord Monday, however, due to Hollands winter football break, Slory has not played competitive football since bChristmas and cannot possibly be match fit.

Roberto Di Matteo will be reluctant to make any changesanyway as Saturday’s impressive display in the 3-1 home victory over Sheffield United shows little need to do so.

Joe Mattock has been missing from training due to illness, however, Marek Cech is playing in the position very well so there is little chance he will get on the starting team sheet.

The Baggies have no other issues with injury or sickness apart from the long term Chris Brunt injury.

Albion first played Blackpool on October 26, 1901, in Old Division Two. The game at Bloomfield Road ended in a 2-2 draw with Dan Nurse and Charlie ‘Chippy’ Simmons scoring for the visitors. When the Seasiders paid a visit to The Hawthorns later that season, on February 22, they were thrashed 7-2. Jackie Kifford and Jim Stevenson bagged a goal apiece, Tommy Worton scored a brace and ‘Chippy’ Simmons notched a hat-trick.

Albion’s biggest ever win over Blackpool was a 7-1 drubbing on April 28, 1962, which came in the final game of the season. Derek Kevan scored four times, with Graham Lovett, the late Sir Bobby Robson and Don Howe (pen) also scoring. Howe was voted Midlands Footballer of the Year.

Albion’s last visit to Bloomfield Road saw them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in dramatic fashion as a double from substitute Kevin Phillips and an Ishmael Miller strike – all in the last nine minutes – overturned Ben Burgess’ 35th-minute opener.

West Brom Newcastle FA Cup preview

As Roberto Di Matteo was happy with the way his team played Monday and the fact that they could have easily come away with all three points, it seems unlikely that he will make more than the odd change if any. Even the rift between Bednar and Di Matteo over the strikers early bath which saw Bednar pulling faces and looking far from happy, they seem to have got over that episode after Roman Bednar apologised.

So, could Albion be playing just 1 up front at home? Will we be back to a weak and poor performance today? Can the Albion make progress in another FA Cup that seems to be without many of the big guns as they did when reaching Wembley a couple of years ago under the same circumstances.

Both Albion and Newcastle are flying pretty high and expecting, hoping for Premiership football next season, will this have a bearing? Who will take less risks to ensure 100% effort is available for the promotion push? Which one of the two will be thinking they can win the cup as they are on top of their form? Which set of players want to win more?

One thing is for certain, both teams will be looking for a result today, neither wants a replay, a replay that would get in the way of promotion. Certainly if it was down to the fans, a day at Wembley and taking home the FA Cup would be as good as promotion for most, however, the respective chairmen would no doubt rather have promotion and an early exit from the cup for the obvious financial implications.

The Championship title-chasers shared a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park on Monday night, the Magpies are unbeaten in 14 consecutive matches in all competitions, but have won just once in their last five, while West Brom have claimed victory in just one of their last four home matches, losing two of those.

With this in mind can anyone predict which way the game will go? Yes Albion are poor at home, especially of late, however, the fact that they came so close on Monday must mean something. Perhaps they will realise that they can beat the Toon and the home hoodoo will be cast aside. This has to be the best scenario for the players to get the home form right, playing the same team 5 days later at home after visiting them and almost winning must give them the boost they need.

The game is unlikely to be a tight affair as both are going to be fighting for the result after 90 minutes, there is likely to be goals which gives for a great chance of some easy trading on Betfair where currently you will find the Albion at 2.36, Newcastle 3.25 and the draw at 3.55. So far today there is not a lot of money available on the market, however ample to turn a good profit if you are fast.

Sky Bet are not offering such good odds with the Albion at 5-4, Newcastle and the draw both being 9-4, however, you can get a free £10 bet there as a new customer.

Bet365 are offering 13-10 on the Albion with the draw 12 – 5 and Newcastle at a very short 2-1 so if you want to back the Albion outright they are the place to go especially as they have in play betting with up to £200 in bonuses free for new West Brom Blog visitors who open an account. They have no less than 31 markets on this game including a super bet – Bednar to score first in a West Brom 2 – 1 win is on offer at 40 – 1 or 75 – 1 if you go for a 2 – 2 draw with Bednar scoring the first.

Newcastle West Brom preview

This evening see’s the Baggies travelling the long road to the home of the Toon, the team topping the table and everyone’s favourite to return to the premiership at the first attempt. Table topping NUFC have slipped in recent weeks, however, still remain 2 points clear at the top with 2 games in hand over second placed Forest, with a 6 point buffer over third placed Albion but no games in hand.

Newcastle’s last league win was a few weeks back against arch rivals Middlesboro when they won two nil, however, they have won only one of their last 4 championship games. In all games they have won just 2 out of 6 and drawn the remainder. Albion on the other hand have won three of the last 6 drawn 1 and lost 2, the wins all coming away from home and both losses at the Hawthorns. The two lost games were very bad displays and they were not just losses, however, the Albion seemed to have stayed at home on both occasions.

The opening day of the season saw a goalless draw between the two teams who seemed to cancel each other out, although it was a very emotional day due to to the game being the first since the death of Sir Bobby Robson who was of course connected to both teams.

The Albion go in to tonight’s game with what must be a massive amount of good Karma after pledging support to the DEC appeal for the Haiti earthquake disaster, we were the 2nd behind only the official site to report on this. With any luck and a modicum of current trends the Albion should be heading home later tonight with all 3 points.

Sky Bet are offering 11/4 on an Albion victory, excellent odds when you consider that fortress Hawthorns has been exchanged for the travelling version. Albion are very capable of winning at any ground, much more so than at home so this needs to be taken in to account. You can get a £10 Free Matched Bet if you open a new account with Sky. They are also offering evens on a Toon win, with the draw at 12/5. Albion to win one nil with a single Bednar goal offers odds of 40 – 1 with Sky or you could choose Newcastle at 5-2 with a one goal handicap.

Betfair are offering a free £25 to new customers and at the time of writing there is £17528 available for Newcastle at 2.1 and £1879 available at 4.0 for an Albion win. The game will be “in Play” on Betfair too allowing you to have a dabble at trading on the game if you wish to.

Bet365 are offering 11/8 Newcastle, 9/4 the draw and 7/4 an Albion victory, however, they have up to £200 in free bets on offer so maybe a better option for a first time account holder.

Although the Albion are the championships top scorers Newcastle have the best defensive record, this will make for an interesting game, a game that can be watched live on Sky TV. Albion will be determined to put last Fridays defeat to Forest behind them and get back on track and in second spot again.

Albion will no doubt be fresher having a 10 day break, Newcastle played the FA Cup replay midweek after a Weekend game. Albion will likely be more up for this game and Newcastle will no doubt get complacent after the Albion’s previous game, with Albion’s away form added to this, there can easily be an away win, although the odds say differently.

Derby Albion preview

West Brom travel to Derby looking to build a massive gap between promotion and third spot in the Championship. Albion are likely to still be sore from the Wembley defeat against Derby in the play offs final back in 2007.

Midfielder Robert Koren will be missing, starting his recovery from a hernia operation but he is expected back in training in no more than three weeks. The Slovenian international is unlikely to feature in any action this side of or during the festive season.

Left-back Joe Mattock is now back in training after missing last Saturdays win at Sheffield Wednesday with a foot injury and will now be challenging Marek Cech to regain his place in Roberto Di Matteo’s first eleven, although Cech must be feeling relaxed that his place is safe after playing such a good game.

Jerome Thomas and Filipe Teixeira are both available although the latter will need to regain a place where Thomas may well keep his place having recovered from a tight hamstring in the Yorkshire game last Saturday.

Bednar and Martis are likely to stay on the bench as they have no ill effects from the suspected flu virus they had.

Derby manager Nigel Clough expects to name an unchanged squad for the visit of second placed Albion.

DERBY COUNTY’S Rob Hulse has warned former club West Brom: We don’t fear anyone at home.

The in-form striker, 30, today faces the promotion-chasing Baggies at Pride Park, where Derby have won their last two matches.

Hulse, who has been linked with a January move to Wolves, scored the winner in both games as Derby came from behind to beat Coventry and Reading.

He said: “We are a lot better at home and, on our day, have no one to be scared of in this division.

“We’re under no illusions because it’s a tough game but we will have a good go at them.”

Read more

4-4-1-1 sees a return for Meite and Koren too

Robbie has changed formation and recalled both Koren and Meite in an attempt to turn the tide at the Ricoh this afternoon.

The surprise is Cech dropping to the bench, however, with Meite replacing him.

Lone striker Luke Moore will be supported by Dorrans sitting just off him!

Bednar misses a second game, still unfit from his back injury.

COVENTRY (4-4-2): Westwood, Wright, Cranie, Turner, Aanholt, Clarke, Cork, Osbourne, McIndoe, Eastwood, Morrison. Subs: Dimi, Bell, Hussey, Ward, Madine, Grandison, Cain.

ALBION (4-4-1-1): Carson, Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Mattock, Thomas, Mulumbu, Jara, Koren, Dorrans, Moore. Subs: Kiely, Reid, Teixeira, Cox, Martis, Cech, Wood.

Ref: K Stroud (Hants).

Team Sheet for tonights game.

Albion make just 1 forced change for tonights visit of Swansea, thats Chris Woods in for the injured Roman Bednar.

Scott Carson, Gianni Zuiverloon, Joe Mattock, Jonas Olsson, Gonzalo Jara, Marek Cech, Graham Dorrans, Youssouf Mulumbu, Jerome Thomas, Chris Woods, Luke Moore.

Substitutes: Dean Kiely (GK), Simon Cox, Abdoulaye Meite, Filipe Teixeira, Shelton Martis, Robert Koren, Reuben Reid.

Dorus de Vries; Angel Rangel, Ashley Williams, Alan Tate (C), Marcos Painter; Leon Britton, Darren Pratley, Mark Gower, Cedric van der Gun, Nathan Dyer; Craig Beattie.

Substitutes: David Cornell (GK), Jordi Lopez, Lee Trundle, Joe Allen, Tom Butler, Jazz Richards, Besian Idrizaj.

Ref A D’Urso Essex

Tough night ahead in Italy V Portugal championship fight.

With Swansea boasting one of the meanest defences in the Championship and also the highest scoring up front partnership with 24 goals so far this season, 16th place is camouflaging a decent team. Unbeaten in 5, Swansea will be no pushovers and Albion will need to be on top of their form to get all three points in this game.

Former Italy international Di Matteo will be pitting his wits against his former Portugal counterpart Paulo Sousa and both will be hoping to win the spoils, even though they have no bad blood between them.

Former Albion striker Craig Beattie will no doubt be out to prove a point, he never really made an impact at the Albion, however, will be looking to show what was missed after his £800,000 switch to the liberty stadium recently.

Chris Wood is a likely starter and like Luke Moore will be looking to stake a claim for a regular place and keep the injured Bednar of the team sheet.

Albion v Doncaster team news

Robert Koren returns to the starting eleven in what is an otherwise unchanged side from the three one victory over Plymouth Argyle.

The Slovenia skipper replaces Simon Cox who falls back to the bench.

This game see the return of the kids for a quid offer and seems likely to be a very large crowd.

Albion (4-4-2): Carson, Zuiverloon, Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Brunt, Koren, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Cech, Bednar. Subs: Kiely, Cox, Thomas, Reid, Barnett, Teixeira, Wood.

Doncaster (4-5-1): Sullivan; Chambers, Shackell, Lockwood, Roberts, Spicer, Stock, Oster, Woods, Sharp, Fairhurst. Subs: Smith, Wilson, Shiels, Fortune, Hird, O’Connor, Webster.

Ref: K Wright (Cambridgeshire).

Albion v Plymouth team news

Simon Cox replaces the injured Luke Moore in attack seeing him get his full debut against Argyle. Ex Swindon striker will partner Roman Bednar up front after Like Moore fails to recover from his ankle injury.

Other injury Brunt also returns to the fray after  he has recovered from a niggling calf injury, this see Jerome Thomas relegated to the bench. Zuiverloon also recovers to return on place of the newly departed Cummings who was just deputising for him anyway.

Robert Koren, back from midweek international duty with Slovenia finds himself on the bench, Graham Dorrans gets his shirt in the central midfield role.

Albion (4-4-2): Carson, Zuiverloon, Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Brunt, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Cech, Bednar, Cox. Subs: Kiely, Koren, Barnett, Wood, Reid, Thomas, Teixeira.

Plymouth (5-3-2): Larrieu, Duguid, Arnason, Fletcher, Johnson, Sawyer, Mackie, Paterson, Summerfield, MacLean, Gow. Subs: Letheren, Timar, Clark, Fallon, Judge, Sheridan, Wright-Phillips.

Ref: G Salisbury (Lancs).

Sheffield United Albion team news

Bednar makes his first league appearance of the season with 1 other forced change to last weeks winning Championship team, he replaces the injured Chris Wood.

Jerome Thomas is given his full debut, in at right midfield he replaces Chris Brunt, who sits the game out with a calf strain.

Sheff Utd (4-4-2): Bunn, Montgomery, Morgan, Kilgallon, Walker, Taylor, Quinn, Treacy, Ward, Evans, Henderson. Subs: Bennett, France, K Reid, Cotterill, Howard, Bromby, Sharp.

Albion (4-4-2): Carson, Cummings, Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Thomas, Mulumbu, Koren, Cech, Moore, Bednar. Subs: Kiely, Barnett, Dorrans, R Reid, Meite, Valero, Cox.

Ref: P Crossley (Kent).

Albion Rotherham team news

Bednar makes his first appearance of the season after completing his three-month FA ban and Albion welcoming him back to the squad with a clean start.

The only two survivors from the Tractor Boys clash are the full-backs Shaun Cummings and Marek Cech.

Other first timers this season are Abdoulaye Meite and Borja Valero, with Reuben Reid also making a start. Returning to the team sheet are Graham Dorrans,Craig Beattie, Leon Barnett and Dean Kiely, who captains the team.

Albion (4-4-2): Kiely, Cummings, Meite, Barnett, Cech; Reid, Valero, Dorrans, Beattie, Bednar, Cox. Subs: Carson, Mattock, Olsson, Wood, Moore, Mulumbu, Martis.

Rotherham (4-4-2): Warrington, Fenton, Mills, Joseph, Green, Harrison, Tonge, Cummins, Law; Liddell, Pope. Subs: Annerson, J Taylor, Brogan, Lynch, Ellison, R Taylor, Nicholas.

Ref: G Hegley (Herts).

Ipswich Albion team news.

Di Matteo is forced in to 1 change for the home tie with Ipswich Town, with Koren recalled to replace the suspended Dorrans. Cummings and Mattock are poised to make their home debuts to face Roy Keanes Portman Road outfit in what looks like an easy game for the Baggies.

Albion (4-4-2): Carson, Cummings, Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Brunt, Koren, Mulumbu, Cech, Moore, Wood. Subs: Kiely, Beattie, Barnett, Cox, Reid, Thomas, Valero.

Ipswich (4-4-2): R Wright; Bruce, D Wright, Balkestein, Garvan, Walters, Smith, Trotter, Martin, Stead, Wickham. Subs: Lee-Barrett, Upson, McAuley, Counago, Priskin, Colback, Quinn.

Ref: S Tanner (Somerset).

Peterborough Albion team news

Loan signing Shaun Cummings is handed his Albion debut as he comes straight in for the injured Gianni Zuiverloon at right-back who has an injured hamstring. There are 2 further changes to the team that beat Forest, these see Marek Cech and Chris Wood returning to replace Koren and Greening. Koren drops to the bench, however, Greening is off the team sheet altogether fuelling speculation of an imminent move.

Scott Carson gets the captains armband for the night, although this could prove permanent if rumours are to be believed.

Peterborough (4-4-2): Lewis, Lee, Morgan, Zakuani, Williams, Batt, Diagouraga, Coutts, Boyd; Mclean, Mackail-Smith. Subs: McKeown, Martin, Frecklington, Keates, Rowe, Pearce, Green.

Albion (4-4-2): Carson, Cummings, Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Brunt, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Cech, Moore, Wood. Subs: Kiely, Barnett, Koren, Beattie, Thomas, Reid, Cox.

Ref: G Horwood (Beds).

Forest Albion team news

Graham Dorrans gets his first start of the championship season as Di Matteo makes two changes to the side that produced a 1-1 draw with Newcastle on opening day. A change in formation sees Chris Wood drop to the bench after Tuesdays Carling Cup victory, with Joe Mattock making his league debut for the Baggies as he comes in at left-back for Cech, after his late return from international duty.

Forest (4-4-2): Camp, Gunter, Morgan, Lynch, Cohen, Anderson, Majewski, McKenna, Tyson, Garner, Adebola. Subs: Smith, McGugan, Earnshaw, McGoldrick, Davies, Blackstock, Mitchell.

Albion (4-4-1-1): Carson, Zuiverloon, Martis, Olsson, Mattock, Brunt, Greening, Mulumbu, Koren; Dorrans, Moore. Subs: Kiely, Cox, Barnett, Wood, Cech, Beattie, Reid.

Ref: K Stroud (Hampshire).

Bury V Albion team news

8 changes are penned on the team sheet for the visit to Gigg Lane in the Carling Cup first round game. Joe Mattock, Reuben Reid and Simon Cox are all handed their full Baggies debuts, with Kiely returning to the first team at his old club.

Leon Barnett, Filipe Teixeira and Craig Beattie all make their first appearances of the season and Graham Dorrans is to be promoted from the bench. Some of the changes are forced, with Chris Brunt, Robert Koren, Youssouf Mulumbu and Marek Cech all away on international duty. Other changes are by choice of the manager, which is always a better sign.

Martis is moved forward to replace a benched Greening and Olsson takes the armband.

BURY (4-4-2): Brown; Scott, Futcher, Sodje, Buchanan; Racchi, Dawson, Barry-Murphy, Jones; Carlton, Lowe. Subs: Belford (gk), Johnson, Creswell, Baker, Rouse, Patel.

ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; Zuiverloon, Barnett, Olsson, Mattock; Teixeira, Martis, Dorrans, Reid; Cox, Beattie. Subs: Carson (gk), Greening, Valero, Wood, Moore, Samuels, Knight.

REFEREE: R Shoebridge (Derbyshire).

Wood starts in opener versus Newcastle.

Young New Zealander Chris Wood has been handed his debut on the opening day of the season, reinforcing how much confidence Di Matteo has in the youngster. He will partner Luke Moore up front. £1.9 million signing  Simon Cox has to be satisfied with a place on the bench, whilst Chris Brunt has recovered enough to secure a starting place. Also starting is Robert Koren and a seat on the bench is reserved for new signing Reuben Reid.

Newcastle caretaker manager has chosen a familiar line up to last seasons premiership team so Albion will not be faced with any surprises.

West Bromwich Albion(4-4-2): Carson, Zuiverloon, Martis, Olsson, Cech, Brunt, Mulumbu, Greening, Koren, Moore, Wood. Subs: Kiely, Cox, Beattie, Teixeira, Reid, Barnett, Dorrans.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Harper, R Taylor, S Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Nolan, Smith, Duff, Carroll, Ameobi. Subs: Krul, Barton, Xisco, Geremi, Lualua, Kadar, Ranger.

REFEREE: M Dean

Newcastle team news

Chris Brunt will need a late fitness test for Saturday’s Coca-Cola Championship opener which sees Newcastle visit the Hawthorns.

Last season’s top scorer has suffered a thigh injury during pre season training and has been sat out for a few days. Robert Koren will be available after he returned home to Slovakia for the birth of his son last week.

Players that Albion will definitely be without include James Morrison who has a heel injury, Ishmael Miller and Neil Clement who are both suffering with dodgy knees and Roman Bednar who is still suspended whilst the FA probe the drugs scandal surrounding him.

More Albion Support for Sir Bobbys Foundation and 2018 World Cup support.

Albion offered to carry support for Bid 2018 back in July and will carry the Bid 2018 logo on their unsponsored shirts for the Newcastle game this Saturday. Since agreeing this, sadly Sir Bobby passed away and as an ex Albion player, Sir Bobby’s foundation approached the Albion with a view to carrying the foundations logo on their shirts for this match. Because of the agreement already in place with Bid 2018, West Brom cannot carry the logo, however, have agreed to auction all shirts off after the game, with proceeds going to the foundation.

The club have already made a large donation to Sir Bobby’s foundation and have pledged further support in the future, including very large promotion of the charity at the home game versus Newcastle this Saturday.

What could be more a more fitting tribute than the opening game being Baggies versus Newcastle on a day where the Baggies are promoting the world cup bid, when Sir Bobby was one of the most successful England managers of all time?

Things that Albion are doing in Sir Bobby’s memory include opening a condolence book which will be available from the day of the Newcastle game until KO on the day of the Ipswich game, when it will then be sent on to his family. Albion have also invited former team mates to the Hawthorns for the Newcastle game. These players include Graham Williams, Don Howe, Derek Kevan, Alec Jackson, John Lovatt, Brian Macready, Brian Whitehouse, Stuart Williams, Stan Jones, Roy Horobin, Keith Smith, David Burnside and Chuck Drury. Each one of them an ex Albion player who played a long Sir Bobby at some point or another. They will be joined on the pitch at KO, by Ray Wilson, Chairman of the West Bromwich Albion Former Players’ Association to lead a minutes applause.

Sir Bobby made over 250 appearances for the Baggies between 56 and 62, netting on no fewer than 61 occasions. He served as club captain and broke In to the England team during this era in his illustrious career.

First Albion sell out of the season?

The first leg of the Slovenia tour kicks off at 16.30 BST at the Mestni Stadium in Lendava, where West brom take on NK Nafta. As the stadium only has a miserly 2,020 capacity and it is pay on the gate,  the club are warning people to arrive early or suffer upset after travelling such a distance. Has this ever happened before? We have searched records as far back as possible and cannot find any other time that a West Brom friendly has actually been a sell out.

With tickets at only 5 or 8 Euros there will certainly be no complaints about the cost of entry to see what should be an entertaining game. Will Robbie give every fit player a game? He will most certainly be using the game as an insight into how well the players get on as a team, their fitness levels and whether or not they play the game he intends to bring to the Hawthorns. As all the transfer rumours circulate and the activity hots up, Robbie will certainly be looking for replacements from within and will no doubt be looking to see if its worth putting up a fight to keep certain players!  Whatever happens today and whoever gets to pull on the famous blue and white stripes this afternoon,  you can be sure it will be infront of a full house, you can be almost certain that a few of todays players may not actually be playing their football at the Hawthorns this coming season.