James Morrison can stake claim for West Brom job permanently with 28-year first vs Sheffield United
James Morrison could move one step closer to the West Brom job with a win against Sheffield United.
With 11 games to be played, West Brom find themselves just one point above Leicester City, who occupy the final relegation spot.
The Baggies are winless in their last 13 across all competitions, and are still chasing their victory of the year, despite being a week into March.
Sheffield United welcome Albion to Bramall Lane this weekend, with hopes of boosting their chances of reaching the play-offs, while West Brom are in desperate need of three points.
And if Morrison can guide his team towards that, his chances of getting the job beyond the current campaign could be increased signficantly.
West Brom can achieve something for first time since 1998
It feels like a lifetime ago that West Brom beat Sheffield United, and that is because it was 84 days ago.
The worrying thing is that it was the Baggies’ second-most recent victory, showcasing the disturbing lack of form they have encountered this year.
Aune Heggebo and Karlan Grant scored in a 2-0 win for the Baggies over the Blades back in December, a result that saw West Brom in 16th and nine points above the relegation zone.
If Albion were to replicate that result this weekend, as unlikely as it feels right now, it would be the first time since the 1997-98 season that they have completed the league double over Sheffield United.
Not only would it be a big result in the battle against relegation, but it would also demonstrate that Morrison has something about him, potentially worthy to take the job full-time.
How likely are West Brom to beat Sheffield United?
Based on current form, you’d do well to name any team that West Brom look capable of beating, especially without Mikey Johnston.
He looks set to miss the rest of the season, meaning the Baggies will need their other attacking players to step up desperately.
But the likelihood of that happening this weekend is low, with Opta’s supercomputer predicting a fairly comfortable win for the hosts.
Sheffield United have a 61 per cent chance of victory on Saturday, while West Brom have been awarded an 18.5 per cent chance of taking all three points.
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