05-11-2014, 10:57
Once again, after a rocky couple of matches, Albion seem more or less back on course for the season, with a highly-respectable thirteen points from ten games and neutral goal difference. However, a quick glance at the Premier League table for this time last season shows the worrying sight of Albion... on thirteen points after ten games, with a neutral goal difference. Things can go wrong very, very quickly in this league, and putting them right can prove a long uphill struggle.
After this weekend and the subsequent international break, we'll be heading into winter facing elite opposition and form teams, with a local derby thrown in and all of our usual seasonal wobbles to be expected. How much better would it feel to face all of that with an extra three points under our belt? Ask Steve Clarke.
![[Image: article_0_1_D0_DA4_D400000578_494_634x423.jpg]](http://s28.postimg.org/omms596vx/article_0_1_D0_DA4_D400000578_494_634x423.jpg)
By now we're all thoroughly sick of being told by pundits and commentators that the Premier League is a league of very fine margins, so I'll open by emphasising that the Premier League is a league of really slight differences. Can you imagine visiting St Mary's now Southampton are flying, rather than back in August when they were struggling to gel? Conversely, can you imagine playing Newcastle at home two months ago when they looked like a team of retired scarecrows rather than facing them now they've hit their usual Pardew-rescuing autumn run of form? The vagaries of the fixture list do raise a lot of questions in an increasingly competitive division, but of course, ultimately all you can do is try and beat what's put in front of you. And what's been put in front of us this Sunday is a resurgent Newcastle side.
They're still not prolific goalscorers; Papiss Cisse is top for the season with four, but these days he seems to excel at getting on the end of close-range headers and tap-ins rather than creating and putting away real beauties. Keep the Toon under control down the wings and I think we'll go a long way to containing that threat. Of course, we then have to look at breaking them down ourselves, and to that end a bright start would go a long way. Against Palace we were disappointingly sluggish in the first half, and giving them the initiative nearly proved fatal. Giving Sessegnon a chance to run at their defence and picking out Berahino's darting runs could be key to unlocking the door, but please, let's do it from the word go this time.
All to play for, and though a draw wouldn't be the end of the world, a win would really have us in a good position going into a troublesome run of fixtures. For once, Albion, can we keep the November stress to a minimum?
Nearly four years ago now, the match which ended up saddling the Geordies with Alan Pardew (and I think it's fair to say that their relationship ever since has had more than a little in common with a house on fire). One man really decided this match - he may be a Guinness-guzzling, Twitter-bothering waste of potters' wages nowadays, but when Peter Odemwingie was on form he was well worth the entrance fee - but it's equally memorable for one of those rare occasions when Somen Tchoyi suddenly transformed into Dead-Shot Keen, and Scott Carson looked alarmingly like a top-flight goalkeeper. Happy days!
After this weekend and the subsequent international break, we'll be heading into winter facing elite opposition and form teams, with a local derby thrown in and all of our usual seasonal wobbles to be expected. How much better would it feel to face all of that with an extra three points under our belt? Ask Steve Clarke.
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By now we're all thoroughly sick of being told by pundits and commentators that the Premier League is a league of very fine margins, so I'll open by emphasising that the Premier League is a league of really slight differences. Can you imagine visiting St Mary's now Southampton are flying, rather than back in August when they were struggling to gel? Conversely, can you imagine playing Newcastle at home two months ago when they looked like a team of retired scarecrows rather than facing them now they've hit their usual Pardew-rescuing autumn run of form? The vagaries of the fixture list do raise a lot of questions in an increasingly competitive division, but of course, ultimately all you can do is try and beat what's put in front of you. And what's been put in front of us this Sunday is a resurgent Newcastle side.
They're still not prolific goalscorers; Papiss Cisse is top for the season with four, but these days he seems to excel at getting on the end of close-range headers and tap-ins rather than creating and putting away real beauties. Keep the Toon under control down the wings and I think we'll go a long way to containing that threat. Of course, we then have to look at breaking them down ourselves, and to that end a bright start would go a long way. Against Palace we were disappointingly sluggish in the first half, and giving them the initiative nearly proved fatal. Giving Sessegnon a chance to run at their defence and picking out Berahino's darting runs could be key to unlocking the door, but please, let's do it from the word go this time.
All to play for, and though a draw wouldn't be the end of the world, a win would really have us in a good position going into a troublesome run of fixtures. For once, Albion, can we keep the November stress to a minimum?
Classic Match
West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Newcastle United
FA Premier League: 5th December 2010
Nearly four years ago now, the match which ended up saddling the Geordies with Alan Pardew (and I think it's fair to say that their relationship ever since has had more than a little in common with a house on fire). One man really decided this match - he may be a Guinness-guzzling, Twitter-bothering waste of potters' wages nowadays, but when Peter Odemwingie was on form he was well worth the entrance fee - but it's equally memorable for one of those rare occasions when Somen Tchoyi suddenly transformed into Dead-Shot Keen, and Scott Carson looked alarmingly like a top-flight goalkeeper. Happy days!
"I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to choose between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I should make straight for West Bromwich." - J.B. Priestley
