Blackburn Rovers vs West Bromwich Albion: Nothing to play for #3
Nothing to play for here as Sam Allardyce has sprung the relegation trap for Rovers and Tony Mowbray has failed to spring a spring surprise for the Baggies.
Blackburn start the day six points clear of the drop and this summer will expect Allardyce to make the kind of inspired purchases that he used to make up the road at Bolton. Allardyce was born fairly close to West Bromwich in Dudley and even played once for the Baggies in a short spell towards the end of his playing career, in 1989-1991. Looking at Allardyce now it is difficult to imagine that he was a professional footballer only last decade! Blackburn will finish between 12th and 15th this season - a position that seems like nirvana compared to the relegation strife that Allardyce inherited.
No great escape for the The Baggies, although the team is just a point behind Middlesbrough - a team that can still scramble safe. Hard lessons will need to be learnt and there is little mileage in Mowbray's insistence that the team is good enough and the tactics are good enough. None of the bottom five Premier League teams look good enough for the division and several of them will finish higher than West Brom. West Brom need a better defensive shield in front of the defence, even if that sacrifices attacking intent and although the team has not been embarrassed in the top flight the example of a hard working Stoke side is a better model for consolidation after promotion.
Blackburn Rovers vs West Bromwich Albion; Kick Off 4:00pm 24 May 2009
Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).
Tony Bellew : 1 - 1
Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Sue Gardener : 1 - 2
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : 0 - 0
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : TBC - TBC
Peter Lee : 1 - 0
Don McMahon : 1 - 0
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : 1 - 1
Tony Ratton : 2 - 0
Peter Rendle : 2 - 0
Dan Taylor : 2 - 1
Bill Urban (sqf) : TBC - TBC
Andy Wakeman : 0 - 2
Isaac Williams : 2 - 1
Mark Williams : 2 - 0
Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a Blackburn win.
Home: 10; Draw: 3; Away: 3; TBC: 2.
* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!
