‘Wolves have clearly struggled’ – Mark Lawrenson predicts result in West Brom clash v Wolves
West Brom are desperately searching for points to kickstart their Premier League survival bid but they won’t find them this weekend, according to Mark Lawrenson.
Albion make the short trip to Molineux on Saturday lunchtime to face Midlands rivals Wolves in a game between two sides struggling for form.
The hosts have not won in their last five Premier League games while Sam Allardyce is yet to taste victory in his five games in charge, and West Brom’s sole league victory this season came all the way back on November 28 when they narrowly beat Sheffield United 1-0 at The Hawthorns.
BBC pundit Lawrenson took to BBC Sport to cast his weekly aspersions and he offered little optimism to Albion fans after predicting a 2-0 win for The Dingles, saying: “Wolves’ home defeat by Everton on Tuesday means they have lost five of their past eight league games, and they have won only one of them. The biggest reason for that is their lack of goals.”
He added: “Without him [injured star striker Raul Jimenez), Wolves have clearly struggled to score – they have managed more than one goal in only one of those eight matches – but I’d be surprised if they don’t create chances against West Brom.
“Baggies boss Sam Allardyce has already signed Robert Snodgrass since the transfer window opened and I am expecting more new signings to follow – but not in time for this game.”
Judgement day for Big Sam
Allardyce will surely be eyeing the BCD as a means of picking up vital points, or at the very least a point.
Albion cannot use confidence as an excuse for this game with their rivals in pretty dire straits themselves of late and so the team must take the game to their opponents.
The sides have not met since Peter Odeminwingie’s fabled hat-trick in February 2012 brought an historic 5-1 victory at Molineux for the visitors and fans will hope the defensive deficiencies of Nuno Espirito Santo’s current team will allow for a similar result.
Usually known for their miserly defence, Wolves have endured an identity crisis and are in the bottom bottom seven for goals conceded (26) while only five teams have scored fewer goals than them (19).
However, Lawrenson’s prediction that there will be chances for them in this game looks like a fair assumption given Albion have the Premier League’s worst defence so far this season, conceding a whopping 39 goals in 17 games so far.
This is Allardyce’s biggest and most important test so far and failure to pick up a positive result would be an ominous sign that he is unable to inspire his charges to mount a survival bid this season.
In other West Brom news, our view on the lessons the club must learn as Pereira’s contract talks get set to commence.
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