Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown and Robbie Dennison will share the airwaves on Sunday as Albion host Wolves in the Premier League’s first ever Black Country derby.

The duo are ever-present radio pundits at their former clubs’ matches, making them uniquely-placed to assess the weekend clash.

So the Express & Star caught up with Hawthorns legend ‘Bomber’ and Molineux favourite Dennison to get their thoughts ahead of the high noon showdown.

WHERE WILL THE GAME BE WON?

TB: I’m pretty sure it will be won and lost at the back, with how the teams do defensively. Neither side has been great at the back and both have given away too many goals — we have definitely leaked far too many soft ones.
Both sides are capable of creating chances so for me it will be about who can get the defensive side of the game right.
And that is not just about the defenders. It is about defending well as a unit and giving the lads in the back four some good protection in front of them.
It is about both organisation and concentration. Sometimes during a season, if you’re conceding a lot of goals as these teams have been, it can become a bit of a mental problem..

RD: The midfield area is the key — if you can get a grip of that then you’ve got the best chance of winning.
Albion are half decent going forward and they are capable of scoring as well as conceding a few. Jerome Thomas can make things happen for them on the left and if they can supply Peter Odemwingie up front, that could spell danger for Wolves.
Likewise, if Wolves can get Karl Henry and Nenad Milijas on the ball and people like Adam Hammill can get a service to Kevin Doyle, that could be the difference.

WHO NEEDS IT MORE?

TB: I think it’s the same for both clubs because we’re both in the same boat.
Points are like gold dust for both teams at the moment so if either could pick up three points on Saturday it would be massive steps towards the total they need to stay up.
And the fact that it’s a derby game makes it really crucial for both clubs as well.
Whatever players tell you, there is a different atmosphere in the dressing room for a local derby because the players sense what it means to the fans.

RD: With 12 games still to go, people might say this one isn’t all that crucial, but I think it is — for both teams.
Two or three wins can change everything for both sides and the sooner Wolves get them, they can get to where they want to be.
I want to see Wolves win but I also want to see all the West Midlands teams stay up.
If one team has to survive at the expense of the other, then of course I want it to be Wolves.

WHO DOES THE RUN-IN FAVOUR?

TB: Albion have some tough games to play, but then all the other teams involved will have some difficult matches as well.
Week to week I think the league is going to change its complexion and it will be a very unpredictable period. It’s going to be an exciting conclusion to it all.
Spirit and drive is going to be absolutely central to the cause over the rest of the season because it’s going to be a really long, hard road to the finish with all kinds of ups and downs for all the teams.

RD: Wolves’ results against the teams in the lower half of the table show that you can’t under-estimate any opposition.
That said, I do think it’s a positive not having to play the top sides again at this stage of the season.
It’s also a positive if you can get results against the teams you’re expected to get them against, and Wolves need to start doing that now.
When they haven’t, it’s usually been down to one player’s lapse in concentration or an error.

HOW WILL THE MANAGERS APPROACH THE GAME?

TB: I think both sides will have to look to win the game because both desperately need three points.
We are the home side so the onus will naturally be on us to attack, but I suppose Wolves will also view this game as a good chance to get a win.
And, anyway, it’s a cliché but it’s true that derby games are totally different to normal matches because the atmosphere isn’t the same so home advantage doesn’t count for as much.
Both teams are stronger going forward than they are at the back so I would expect both to try to win.

RD: Wolves need a result from this game and I honestly believe they will get something on Sunday. But they have to play right to the final whistle as they have against the top teams, and keep playing the way they’ve been playing because they’ve generally played well this season.
For Wolves the season starts now.
I think Wolves will stick with 4-5-1 which is positive because with Matt Jarvis and Adam Hammill pushing on to support Kevin Doyle, it becomes 4-3-3.
If they are to get anything against Albion they will have to apply the same levels of concentration they managed against the bigger teams, when players recognise they must stay switched on.

WHAT IMPACT WILL FANS HAVE?

TB: I speak to Albion fans all the time and, when I bump into them around the region, the only thing they want to talk about is the football.
They are concerned about the way the season is going, definitely, but I don’t think that will have much impact on the atmosphere on Saturday.
Form does go out of the window in derbies, and not just for the players. The fans will also treat this as a different game and they will get right behind the team.

RD: The few Albion fans I know are all anxious about the game because of the run they’re on. There was a real air of doom and gloom after the draw against West Ham because it felt like a defeat for them.
They think they’re in a relegation fight whereas Wolves have been down there all season so they’re used to where they are.
Maybe for that reason the Wolves lads will be more relaxed about the game.

AND THE ‘HODGSON FACTOR’?

TB: I am pleased with the appointment of Roy Hodgson. He is experienced and his reputation is as a good organiser, which is probably what our team need at the moment.
I think his appointment will have an impact on the game, or certainly on the Albion players’ approach to it.
I played under nine different managers and, each time a new one comes in, it does have an impact on the players.
Every player wants to make a good early impression on the new boss to make sure they stay in his plans so it’s human nature that they will all give that little bit extra.

RD: When a manager comes in, it changes the atmosphere a bit. But as far as things like pattern of play goes, a week isn’t that long to change things around.
And as for motivating the team, this isn’t a game where you need to do that.
Defensively, I think Roy might look at how they’ve conceded the goals they have. But he’s still got the same personnel so it’s not always that easy to change things around with regard to formations and systems.

Brown and Dennison will be on air on Sunday from 11am on Beacon and Gold.