Rival boss Neil Warnock clouded Albion’s double dream last night - and then insisted the Baggies’ FA Cup and promotion was a real possibility.
The Crystal Palace boss plotted a 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns which tempered the excitement running through the club as Albion pursue glory on two fronts.
But Tony Mowbray’s FA Cup semi-finalists are still well placed in the Championship’s top quartet with a home game against struggling Leicester to come on Saturday.
And Warnock believes they have every chance of getting past Portsmouth in next month’s Wembley showdown as well as clinching a top-two finish.
“Can they beat Port-smouth? Of course they can,” said the outspoken Warnock.
“In fact I think they might find it easier than playing some of the teams in our division.
“I think they could beat anybody in the Premiership on their day and it will also be to their advantage that they are playing a Premiership team as the underdog.”
Warnock’s comments offe-red a thawing in his prickly relationship with Albion in recent years stemming from his well-documented dislike of former Baggies boss Gary Megson and their notorious “Battle of Bramall Lane” showdown.
But last night he said: “This is a lovely stadium, a love atmosphere in which to play, a good club.
“I have always liked West Bromwich Albion apart from a period when I didn’t the the manager much. “They are the best football team in our division and if they don’t go up it will only be through their own fault.”
14 Comments
Awwww… he’s quite cuddley really.
HA HA It’s all falling into place Mr Warnock
TM so succesfull poached by his boyhood club ‘Boro
perhaps if I say nice things about the club I’ll get the job LOL
Echoing the words of so many Championship managers who have visited the Hawthorns.
But cuddly , not my type.
he says that about every team he plays against and doesn’t beat.
Michael.
It’s not just him, it’s virtually every manager we’ve played. Try to be more objective in the way you look at things, all of this bitterness will eat away at you. I’ve supported the Baggies since 61 and there have been times when we’ve been almost as poor as you are now, it won’t last forever, you just need to learn patience with your team instead of trying to find fault in others. Hope this has been some help, you sound desperate.
im not desperate and i didnt say other managers haven’t said the same i just said that he always says the same when his team doesn’t win.
i have got more important things in my life than to get stressed or desperate over football. i admit i used to but nowadays my wife and four children are all that matters football comes a distant second.
that’s why it doesn’t bother me about all the remarks your fellow Albion fans say to try to get be going.
i would love Wolves to be in the Prem or Cup Semis but at the end of the day one season follows another so another chance comes around quickly enough.
there is no denying that you are the best footballing team in this division but that doesn’t always work in this division.thats why teams like stoke are do well.
The Real Bully.
so that must mean that all the Sandwell fans that are constantly on the Wolves pages slagging off the wolves are desperate and bitter.
oh yeah you have helped me to understand now.
you must have done something seriously wrong in a previous life to have to support sandwell since 61. (only joking don’t go telling me i am a loser or to go back to school).
its all about the banter.
wow, im seeing the ‘penguin’ in a different light!!!
Iwould like Neil Warwick to explain the battle of bramall lane,he has never explained why he had the match abandoned by having only 9 men on the pitch. In my book that is cheating and he should have been fined heavily
I’ve watched Baggies since 1944, watched the family support dwindle from a dozen to just two of us and at my age, 77, it may be just one left soon enough. What have I learned in that time? Wolves and Albion were once two of the mightiest clubs in the UK but are not any more. We are ‘middle class’ compared with Man.U. and Arsenal, the new aristocrats. It doesn’t matter one scrap. NOTHING could change my allegiance to Albion and Michael, nothing will ever change yours to Wolves. But there’s no room for hate and spite from us or from yours. I was giving it big licks for Kilmarnock when my daughter lived up there..blue and white stripes, open attacking football. The Scots around were amazed. (Some ain’t keen on the English). Why, they asked? Because when Scotland or Wales or Ireland play Germany or France or…THEN I’M BRITISH! Like back in 1954 (ish) I became a Wulfie for just one night against Honved. You would have been delighted. It didn’t last of course. I wanted us to beat you at least 10-0 when we met!
He said somewhat similar if I remember after the 3.0 thrashing of Wolves by Palace.
I wouldn’t take a lot of notice, he is only trying to enahance his reputation after many many years of hypocrisy.
warnock is brilliant for football imo.
i’ll forgive him for the battle of bramall lane now
Michael.
Like you my comments are meant in good spirits and I hope taken that way. I occasionally venture on to your pages, either to make a point or a joke. I love the banter with yourself Big IQ Rich, Wolves Boo Hoo Boy, LCW and many others too numerous to mention. Keep it coming. All the best to the bloggers on here regardles of creed, ethnicity, gender or club colours. Got to go now to dry my eyes, I’ve come over all unnecessary.
PS. In addition to that, excellent point by 10 Cyril and I believe that Kent Wolf often makes the same point. Older bloggers will remember that it was common in the fifties and sixties that after your own team you would get behind the next most local team. I have to admit I was even shouting for the Vile when they won the European cup.