Keith Hackett speaks out on contentious Cardiff v West Brom footage – Exclusive
West Brom’s hopes of earning a Championship playoff spot were officially brought to an end against Cardiff City in a game that featured a controversial moment.
The two teams battled out a goalless draw at the Cardiff City Stadium in a result that hurt both teams as the Welsh outfit were relegated off the back of this.
James Morrison led West Brom out for this fixture following the firing of Tony Mowbray, but he was unable to truly change their fortunes.
The Baggies have ended the season with a whimper due to their dismal form, which has led to them slipping away from the promotion race.
Even though they only had a faint chance of securing a playoff spot heading into this fixture, the fact that they were unable to get the job done against a team in the relegation zone summed up how their season has finished.
West Brom felt they deserved more
West Brom struggled to make much of an impact in this match, but they did have the ball in the back of the net at one point.
A cross from out wide was caught by Cardiff goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, but was then headed by Ousmane Diakite and went into the back of the net.
There was contention about whether the shot stopper had dropped the ball, or if it was a foul, with the latter being the on-field decision.
| Championship standing | Games Played | Won | Lost | Points |
| 10. West Brom | 45 | 14 | 12 | 61 |
That is something that former Premier League referee Keith Hackett agreed with when he exclusively spoke to West Brom News.
He said: “The fact that the goalkeeper had two hands on the ball, which is then headed by the incoming forward, in law the referee is correct to disallow.
“This has nothing to do with overprotection. The referee was correct.”
West Brom need to prepare for next season
The Baggies were furious with the controversial incident, but after such a rollercoaster of a season, the focus for the Midlands side is now on next season.
The first task to be done is hiring a new permanent manager, who is going to be capable of carrying the team back to the Premier League.
There are various names associated with this position, with Steven Gerrard having emerged as a possible new contender for the role.