17th Aug 2013 | Football
Premier League Antepost Tips: Relegation: WBA
The Baggies were worse than Wigan from New Year's Day onwards and the Latics went down.
West Brom were widely, and rightly lauded for securing a top eight finish in 2012-13 which marked a superb first season in management for Steve Clarke. It explains odds as long as 9/1 (BetVictor) on them getting relegated this time round but scratch beneath the surface and there are major causes for concern.
Firstly, WBA had a great first half to last season but in truth it was all rather different after Christmas. The Baggies would have actually finished fourth bottom if the league had begun on 1 January, accruing just 16 points from their final 18 matches.
Then you have to consider what an impact Romelu Lukaku had at the Hawthorns, and what a loss he will be. The Belgian bagged a vital 17 league goals but he has now returned to Chelsea to have a crack at the big time. Nicolas Anelka and Matej Vydra have arrived as replacements but the former is past his best while the other is unproven at this level.
I think a season of toil is easy to imagine at WBA and therefore the price on offer for relegation is all wrong.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 09:23 17th Aug, 2013 but subject to change
