Express & Star

West Brom v QPR: Glory awaits – now it’s down to the Baggies to go and grab it

It’s time for Albion’s players to go and grab the promotion they deserve.

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West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic

The past few days have been an emotional rollercoaster for everyone of a Baggies persuasion.

The defeat at Huddersfield – Albion’s worst performance this season – ensured that for the very first time automatic promotion was no longer in their hands.

But while the pendulum swung in favour of Brentford, Thomas Frank’s side also failed to cope with the weight of expectation and were beaten at Stoke less than 24 hours later.

It means Albion entertain QPR tonight knowing a win will give them what they have been striving for since August – promotion to the Premier League.

And to get it all they need to do is go out, believe in themselves and play at the level that has seen them enjoy a place in the top two since September.

Of course, QPR are dangerous opposition. They showed in their 4-3 win over Millwall on Saturday that they can score goals.

And in Ryan Manning and Eberechi Eze they have two players who will start tonight, yet are highly likely to move to the Premier League in the next few weeks.

This game – more than any other though – is simply about Albion.

There will be debates when it comes to team selection.

There will also be debates as to what system Slaven Bilic will play with many fans eager for the head coach to ditch his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation for the 4-3-3 used in the months before lockdown.

Whatever tactics and personnel Bilic goes for however, Albion will have enough talent to win the game.

It’s just a question of can they showcase it – something they completely failed to do at Huddersfield.

As Bilic put it, his team “crumbled” in Yorkshire. It was bad enough losing the game. But losing with such a whimper is what really hurt the head coach, his players and Albion’s fans.

That simply cannot happen again tonight. As Bilic put it as his press conference on Monday, “they do not want to feel like that again.”

The performance at Huddersfield has to be a lesson for Albion’s players.

Surely, it will be.

But there are other factors to ensure they should be better prepared for tonight’s game.

For starters, the Baggies have had five days to prepare for the visit of Mark Warburton’s men.

Bilic was furious with broadcast giant Sky when they moved Albion’s game at Huddersfield.

It meant the Baggies had to play five games in 13 days while the vast majority of teams played the same amount of matches over 15 days.

Now, though, the Baggies are on the other side of that scheduling, meaning they’ve had an extra 24 hours to prepare over QPR.

While, Bilic is also happy his team is playing at home this evening.

“I wasn’t happy with our schedule when we played five games in 13 days,” the Croatian said.

“Now we’ve had five days. We even managed to get a day off, which we haven’t had in a long time. We needed the rest, we needed the freshness – psychologically and physically.

“QPR are a good team. Young, energetic, they play football. There is no big pressure on them, apart from the positive of representing their club.

“But there is one game to go. At home. On our turf.

“Now everything goes into this 90 minutes, into this one game and we have to be prepared for everything, everything.

“Physically, mentally, tactically, technically, everything.”

Albion are almost at full strength for tonight’s game with Kieran Gibbs the only absentee with a calf problem.

His absence means Bilic does have a decision to make at left-back.

Conor Townsend has filled in well for Gibbs for the majority of the campaign.

But he has struggled in recent outings and was substituted off in the defeat at Huddersfield with Dara O’Shea shifting to the left-hand side. And with Darnell Furlong itching to play against his former side, the 24-year-old may get the nod here.