please log in to view this image Saturday 5th May 3pm Premier League The Hawthorns The game against Watford saw us return to winning ways, but it was far from a convincing performance. At this stage of the season maybe the result is all that matters? Three more wins and we're guaranteed Champions League football at the new stadium. A few weeks ago this would've looked like a very easy chance to take three points. Can a resurgent West Brom maintain their Premier League status for another week at our expense? The Baggies started this campaign brightly, as Tony Pulis marked his 25th year as a manager. Opening with 1-0 wins against Bournemouth and Burnley, it looked like standard Pulisball was the order of the day. Their disastrous late season form from the previous year returned with a vengeance after that, though. The following 10 games saw them lose six and draw four, as they plummeted to 17th in the table. The fans had seen enough and it was time for the Welshman to leave. After a short caretaker stint from former coach Gary Megson, the new manager was revealed: Alan Pardew. He was not a popular choice and also wasn't a good one, as it turned out. His time at the helm lead to only one win, as the Midlanders became rooted firmly to the bottom of the division. A run of eight consecutive losses saw him shown the door too, as relegation became an almost certainty. Darren Moore became caretaker number two and has revitalised the flagging Baggies. Two draws and two wins, including a point against Liverpool and a victory at Old Trafford, have come since. They're still doomed, but there's some pride and some performances left, as they creep towards the edge. Big Dave has given them some fight. Can we put an end to it and send them down to the Championship? Tony Pulis may well replace them, as his Boro side have grabbed a play-off place already. The match at The Hawthorns last season was a frustrating and trying one. They kept us out and tried to hit us on the break and with set-pieces and it looked like it wasn't going to work. Spurs old boy Nacer Chadli scrambled home from a corner to give them the lead with less than ten minutes to go. Dele Alli prodded one home with injury time looming to level it up though and it finished 1-1: The match at Wembley earlier in the campaign was similarly frustrating and ended with the same scoreline. Salomon Rondon gave them an early lead with a fairly odd, mishit goal and it became a real grind. One-way traffic and timewasting became the orders of the day, as they shut up shop to hold their lead. Harry Kane finally put one through Foster's legs to even the score, but a winner eluded us: No updated injury news yet, but Rose is back in training, so Winks may be our only casualty this week. West Brom are without Gareth Barry and James Morrison. Neither side has any suspensions. Lineups for each side's last league game: Spurs: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Aurier, Alderweireld, Wanyama, Sissoko, Moura, Lamela. League form: WWWLDW. West Brom: Foster; Nyom, Dawson, Hegazy, Gibbs; Phillips, Livermore, Brunt, McClean; Rodriguez; Rondon. Subs: Myhill, Evans, Yacob, Krychowiak, Burke, Robson-Kanu, Sturridge. League form: LLDWDW. Referee: Mike Jones. Odd appointment. Not had many games recently and they've been lower league ones. TV: Not televised. How should Pochettino approach this one, after our last few disappointing performances? Should we try anything different to break them down or play it patiently and hope that they come out? Does anyone from our bench deserve a start or any of our starters deserve the bench?
As I said the other day, must win game for them. So starting with a pure counter-attacking game would be interesting for an innovative manager (get the job done like that then switch to the normal regime) .
This is the exact type of game we need Lucas for: he has the pace and technique to get past his man (and maybe one or two others) if they're looking to sit back and hit us on the break, yet if they're throwing everything at us he's the perfect outlet for a quick counter. So let's all feign surprise when Son starts, and after a repeat of his last few performances where he doesn't seem to do much, we bring on Lamela or Sissoko...
can not stand WBA. Their performance at Wembley was appalling. They were time wasting from the 4th minute onwards. I said to my mate that the ref would not book their keeper until the 89th minute for it but he actually booked in the 85th min! The ref allowed them to get away with murder so to be honest I hope we score 2 early goals and then waste time for the following 80 mins to piss them off... rant over
It was one of the most frustrating time wasting tactics from a goalkeeper I have seen for years. Foster took the piss out of the referee for over 80 minutes. I hope we stuff them on Saturday.
It's a shame Hugo's distribution isn't up to much, as a Robbo special would be the least they deserve...
Hugo Tripps, Dave, Jan, Davies Dier, Wanyama Lucas, Eriksen, Alli Kane Getting to relegate these ****ers should be enough motivation for us, let alone getting closer to securing CL footall for next season.
I’d have liked to have said Alli at CM but can’t see Poch doing it. Gonna have to hope Dier hits one of those Chelsea-esque passes to Dele again.
To be blunt, with Winks injured and Dembele's form nosediving, it's a genuine question why we haven't decided to have someone like TO-B, Duncan or Roles on the bench to come on and maybe find that spark which our midfield lacks.
I think Roles has had a few injuries this season, a shame as he could’ve been in with a chance otherwise.
I’m probably the only one, but I’m still not in favour of Kane starting at the moment. Personally, I still think the team isn’t at its best with him in it since the injury. Hope to be proven wrong and see him score a hat trick tomorrow, obviously!
If we do get the result that sends them down, can someone check Saido Berahino's social media pages to see if he gives the result a like?
A win effectively guarentees a top 4 spot in my view. That should be plenty of motivation to the team. Even though we did not play well on Monday they did dig in and battle and took their chances. A draw leaves us sweating as a Chelsea win tomorrow will only leave them 3 points behind us and Liverpool. So...a loss it is then!
Need to win be a hat full of goals in case manure slip up in one of their two final games, only two behind them on goal difference now. Cue 1-0 defeat.
