
Phew! I was a bit worried there for a moment. I was itching to write something a couple of weeks ago after West Brom’s second 11 beat Manchester City’s second 11 in the Carling Cup, but I thought better of it. After all, we were at home, the top six clubs in the Premier League probably think more about whether they have left the fridge door open than what their game plan is for England’s ‘second cup’.
While it obviously means a lot more than that for the Baggies, it still probably only comes equal to worrying about leaving the gas on before they left home. We were willing to sacrifice the League Cup for having a rested, up-for-it team on the following Saturday to lessen the blow of having to travel to the Emirates stadium and facing an increasingly good-looking Arsenal. If we could keep it down to a two or three goal loss, that would be seen as good going…
It all paid off, of course, as the Mighty WBA strolled out to face the most unresponsive and unimaginative Arsenal anyone has seen for months – even years. Despite that – and despite the antagonistic bewailing from certain, unexpected quarters – West Brom were worthy of their win… Damn it, even a couple of Arsenal supporters I know said we deserved the win. We played well, there was flair and imagination, there was good possession and passing play – it was a thrilling performance for any Baggies (or Spurs) fan.
By the next morning, of course, I was veritably gagging to get something written on my footie blog to accompany the roars of delight from the West Midlands… Fortunately, however, I was able to restrain myself. This was far too good – and far too early – for any crowing.
As I said in the previous blog, while bemoaning the fact that West Brom seemingly never plays outside the form book, these little teams that find themselves in unbelievable positions in the league after a few weeks always slip back to eminently believable positions by the end of the season (I think I cited Hull and Burnley over the past couple of years).
Now, Hull survived (on the last day of the season) two years ago, Burnley went straight back down last season, but both are now battling it out again in the second tier. It’s a state of affairs only too familiar to faithful Baggie fans. Do we hold the record for promotions and relegations between the same two divisions in the space of a decade? (Four promotions and three relegations in eight years is how it stands at present.)
But – and it is a big but – like the Spurs fan who told me that he only starts to relax in a game if Tottenham is four up with four minutes to go and anything else is potential jeopardy, even if West Brom finish in a good, mid-table position this year, I will have the word ‘Ipswich’ bouncing around my head for the summer and for most of next season.
Does anyone remember how George Burley’s version of the Tractor Boys gained promotion to the Prem, played out their skins and won a slot in the UEFA Cup for the next season… And then crumbled to horrifying humiliation and relegation the next season. It was an even worse pickle than Hull got itself into last season.
In between the seasons, top players were snaffled by bigger clubs, an unworthy swagger entered the psyche of the team and it all proved too much for them. They haven’t returned to the top flight since.
Think about it – even if we are able to keep our egos in check (fans and club alike), if West Brom finish the season by punching above their weight, then what chance our keeping the likes of Odemwingie, Morrison, Dorrans, Brunt – even Mulumbu? And more worrying still, what are the odds that we will keep Roberto di Matteo? If he keeps this up, he will have every team in the Prem without a secure manager (and that, by my estimations is about 18 of them) giving him the wink.
No, I think it will take at least two, probably nearer four, good seasons in the top flight before I will start to relax and enjoy being a regular mid-table team…
So, thanks Bolton, for one of the dullest first halves of the season so far and a good solid second half that saw the honours shared – at The Hawthorns. That’s more like it. The fans are struggling to breath the thin air of sixth position – had we won, we would have gone third behind Man U on goal difference. I think we would probably have suffocated.