View: Latest Bilic update should give West Brom fans hope despite ‘scandalous’ comment from boss
West Brom know that their promotion hopes are resting on a knife’s edge right now.
The Baggies are in a strong position in the sense that their fate is very much in their own hands with two games to go, but anything less than a perfect record in those matches and suddenly things look a lot more precarious – especially given Brentford’s impressive form of late.
So it will come as huge source of comfort to Albion supporters to know that their side are going into Friday’s must-win clash against Huddersfield Town with a squad that is pretty much fully fit.
According to manager Slaven Bilic, the only player who is definitely set to miss out is Kieran Gibbs, who is still not quite ready for action after a hamstring complaint.
As quoted by the Birmingham Mail, he said: “Nobody reported anything.
“It’s still early for Gibbs.
“As of yesterday, it was all well. They’ll come now, but I don’t expect anything.
“Somebody maybe will say I don’t feel too good today, but it’s because of the games – five games in 13 days is a bit scandalous, to be fair. Otherwise, we’re good.”
And all being well, you would argue that this is a match that Albion should coast through.
But that “scandalous” comment from Bilic may hold more than a grain of truth.
This restart schedule has been brutal on everybody, but to play five matches in 13 days – two days fewer than some of their rivals – is a big, big ask.
That being said, the Baggies don’t look to be noticeably slowing down.
In their last five matches, they have surpassed their season average match tempo index of 16.75 on three occasions, as per Wyscout.
The numbers would seemingly illustrate that West Brom aren’t running out of steam just yet, and we just have to hope and pray that they can keep on grinding out that effort for the next two games.
In other West Brom news, Albion have been tipped to sign this Man United player on a £37,500-a-week loan deal.
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