[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

In 2012-2013, Albion enjoyed their most successful Premier League campaign to date, finishing the season in 8th place with 49 points. Yet something about that year seemed a little hollow, a little anti-climactic. Some of that had to do with the bridge-burning of former hero Peter Odemwingie, who would eventually depart in the summer. Some of it was related to the team's general late-season form, which saw us accrue just fifteen points from nineteen matches, and most of those thanks solely to Romelu Lukaku. But there was another factor to the dismay of the fans: despite enjoying our best season for over thirty years, we crashed out of the FA Cup at the very first hurdle, and with barely a whimper.





Four years on, and we find ourselves in 8th place again, just four points short of our tally at the same point in that record-breaking season. Barring some serious disaster befalling us between now and May, our safety is pretty much assured. We've taken the cup a bit more seriously in the last two years, reaching the quarter-finals in 2015 and the fifth round in 2016; however, on both occasions our relatively weak squad didn't have it in them to progress further. This time, however, having strengthened key positions and with many players enjoying a good run of form, we have the potential to do even better.





The draw could have been kinder to us, but then, it could also have been worse. Steve McLaren's Derby are currently chasing a Championship play-off place, which has slipped away from them a little during a New Year wobble. However, with nothing to lose, the chance of a scalp and what will doubtless be an enthusiastic following on Saturday, they could very well give us a proper old-fashioned cup tie. We can't really afford to be slow out of the blocks, and I hope that the team will be keen to give us a performance that shows some real intent to reach Wembley.





Albion vs Derby is a great fixture with a ton of history behind it, as these pictures demonstrate, so here's hoping for a classic. For those of you so inclined, feel free to have a go at naming the players and the year of each of the matches above, and for everyone else, let's hear your thoughts about our chances of a 2017 cup run.