West Brom

It could be a very good night for Tottenham should they pick up three points on Tuesday night at home against West Brom, and the two Manchester Clubs fail to pick up maximum points. With both Man City and Man Utd losing over New Year’s, Tottenham missed a big opportunity to close the gap on them, after being held to a surprising 1-1 draw away at Swansea. Still, all in all boss Harry Redknapp will have been happy to at least have gained a point on the leaders, and the London club still have a game in hand over the top two. But sitting six points back, holding that game in hand, Spurs still need to find a way to close the gap and put more pressure on the top two. Spurs have been pretty strong at home and will go into the match as strong favourites. They have won six , drawn one and lost just one at home this season, and will be confident of doing the double over the Baggies this season. Tottenham looked to have had things sewn up on New Year’s Eve, leading away at Swansea, but the Swans grabbed a late euqualiser which unraveled Spurs. Still, Spurs are genuine title challengers at the moment, and they can really cement that fact if they can overturn West Brom, who have been proving to be a nuisance for other big teams in the Premier League recently. Spurs don’t always look completely prolific in front of goal, but they have kept things very tight at the back, which has allowed them to grab a hold of narrow wins to get them through matches. They have that extra bit of added grit this year, and having scored in all of their previous eight home matches, are we looking at a banker at White Hart Lane on Tuesday night in Spurs v West Brom betting? Spurs will go without Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon. Well, the Baggies will have something to say about that.

When the two sides met at the Hawthorns back in November, Spurs ran out comfortable 3-1 winners, which included a brace from Emmanuel Adebayor. The Baggies have found a little bit of form of late, losing just one of their last four, but that defeat was a disappointing home effort against Everton on New Year’s Day when the Toffees stole away with a late winner. Still, Roy Hodgson’s men have won their last two away matches, and after their big effort in keeping Manchester City to a 0-0 draw on Boxing Day, they could be confident of stealing a point. West Brom’s big problem is lack of genuine goalscoring power, so they do have to scrap for points and work very hard. They haven’t got the greatest defence in the world either, and while it can be stubborn and hard to break down, they don’t keep many clean sheets, despite conceding at the rate of just over 1 goal per game. They could be missing top scorer Shane Long, and their captain Chris Brunt is also a big doubt after picking up and injury against Everton. West Brom did earn themselves a 1-1 draw in this fixture last season and they would be more than happy with a repeat of that. The Baggies are floating around in the bottom half off the table and a win would give them a great security blanket away from the relegation zone for now. But taking on Spurs at White Hart Lane is not going to be easy. Only Chelsea have taken points away from there since Tottenham’s opening home defeat of the season.

Will Spurs cut loose and hammer the Baggies? Will the Baggies fight for all their worth and give Tottenham a close game? Well, either way, if there are five or more goals scored in this match, then online bookmaker Paddy Power will refund any losing stakes placed on the First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast markets. So there is some great Spurs v West Brom betting coverage to be had with Paddy Power. The highly popular bookie offers a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The bookie will match the value of your first bet on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50 for you.

Tottenham v West Brom Betting Odds
Spurs 4/11, Draw 7/2, West Brom 8/1 at Paddy Power

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 West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City Betting Tip & Odds: Well it really is hard to look at anything than a Manchester City win in these situations, although the Baggies can be pretty stubborn on their day and could make City have to work hard. West Brom should also be buoyed by a couple of good wins in the last week. Still the first port of call has to be with a City win, simply because of their firepower and class throughout their squad. Probably going to be worth dipping into an Asian Handicap for City -1.25 is priced very well at Bet365 in the market.

West Bromwich Albion to win: 7/1 at VC Bet
Draw: 18/5 at BetFair
Manchester City to win: 4/9 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: For all the brilliance with which they have played this season, City must be looking back over their shoulders at rivals Manchester United and wondering why they just can’t shake them off their tails. City have a two point supremacy at the top of the Premier League going into the Boxing Day fixtures and keep needing to send messages to their title rivals. They will have seen United come back into a good bit of form as well, so the pressure is still on. As for West Brom, they are simply looking to hold steady ground around the middle of the table. At the end of the day they are probably going to just be good enough to stay up, but nowhere near good enough to get much higher than tenth. But the Baggies don’t ship a lot of goals at home, and they will be happy enough to face the challenge of Manchester City because there is nothing to lose in front of their home fans an everything to gain. While a draw looks the most profitable venture from this game for the Baggies, just how will they cope against the prolific goal scoring feats of Manchester City, who have scored well more than double the amount of goals West Brom have this season?

West Bromwich Albion Form: The Baggies were embroiled in a real tussle on Wednesday night at Newcastle, twice taking the lead in the match, only to be pegged back twice, before snatching a late winner with less than five minutes on the clock. That was a battling win, and to their credit, the Baggies have won both of their last Premier League matches, and even more to their credit, they were both away from home. West Brom only seem to do things by narrow margins by you, because only once in their last six matches has a result gone either way by more than one goal. So it is back to the Hawthorns on Boxing Day for West Brom, whose home record this season reads as two wins, one draw and five defeats. Yes, that is just a 25% win percentage at home this season, and therefore you can see why those two back to back victories in their last outings were so important. Their away form is actually so much better than their home stats. West Brom are on a two match losing streak at home, but have gone five games there without a draw. A draw is really the last thing on most people’s minds when Manchester City play this season. Anyway, West Brom have also conceded in each of their last four home matches. As you would expect, goals have been a little hard to come by for the Baggies this season, and they have only managed seven at the Hawthorns in the Premier League this season, that sadly is an average of less than one goal per match. Still, they have kept things pretty tight at the back, conceding just eleven, which is less than 1.5 goals per match, which is very credible. West Brom have kept just 25% of clean sheets in their home games though, and just 33% of all their points have been earned at home. The Baggies are pretty good at starting matches strongly by the looks of their goal scoring stats. Their best period of matches for scoring goals has been in the first fifteen minutes, but their worst period in terms of conceding has been between the 16th and 30th minute bracket where most of the damage to them has been done this season. West Brom have scored first in 53% of all their matches, and Shane Long is top scorer for them with 5 goals, with support coming from Peter Odemwingie who has netted four goals. Their most frequent score line at home this season has been 2-1 defeats.

Manchester City Form: Well that defeat against Chelsea, their only one in the league this season didn’t take too long to be forgotten now did it? It is like they tripped over, bounced back straight back up on their feet and continued with their prolific season. Credit to boss Roberto Mancini, who really has created a phenomenal attacking force at the Etihad Stadium. They had to work hard to earn their victory over Arsenal in the match following the Chelsea defeat, and they showed a tremendous amount of character in pulling off that win. They really answered their doubters who thought that their confidence may have been undermined and that they wouldn’t have the mental fortitude to bounce back. A David Silva goal was enough to secure victory against the Gunners, and then they had a comfortable ride against Stoke on Wednesday night, running out 3-0 winners with the damage done before half time. The really interesting thing about this match, is that although Stoke are a big side, especially at the back, Mancini threw on the smallest forward line he could, and that speed, craft and guile was more than enough. After the sanctuary of the Etihad Stadium in the last two matches, where they kept up a 100% record this season, it is time for an away trip for Manchester City as they head to the Midlands. So we need to look at Manchester City’s away form, even though they are going to be strong favourites to take the victory regardless. From their eight away matches in the league this season, City have rattled off five wins, two draws and that slip up at Stamford Bridge. So maybe there is just a little bit of wiggle room for West Brom in this fixture maybe? Manchester City are actually without a win in the last two away matches now, as the defeat at Chelsea followed a draw at Liverpool. However, unsurprisingly, Manchester City have scored in all eight of their away matches. City have in fact scored 25 away goals this season, which alone is far more than West Brom have managed all season. City are averaging a remarkable 3.13 goals per match away from home, and they are conceding 1.38 goals per match away from home. So they are susceptible to getting scored on, but it is just that phenomenal forward power which keeps them going. City have actually only managed to keep one clean sheet this season away from home in the Premier League, but it generally hasn’t mattered too much. 87% of their away matches have ended over 2.5 goals. They seem to turn on the afterburners after the half time break in matches, as they have scored 70% of their goals in the second half of matches. The fifteen minutes after the break is when they have been at their very best. City have only conceded four goals in the first half of all their matches this season. Roberto Mancini’s men have opened the scoring in 94% of their matches so far, and top scorer is Sergio Aguero on 13, with support from Edin Dzeko on 10 and Mario Balotelli on 8. City’s most frequent away score line this season has been a 3-2 win.

Head to Head: What is the head to head looking like in this fixture? Well, the Baggies have held their own in this fixture quite well, it has to be said. Out of 70 matches in total between the two sides, West Brom have won 38, while City have won on just 16 of their visits there. Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a 2-0 win for City, but prior to that, the Baggies had won the last four home meetings against the northerners, three in the league and one in the Carling Cup. Out of five Premier League meetings at the Hawthorns, City have won just once. So will it be a tricky night in the West Midlands for City?

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Popular bookie Paddy Power have a great promotion, which may well come into play in West Brom v Man City betting. If five or more goals are scored in this Premier League match, then the bookie will refund lost stakes on losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets placed on the game pre match. So that is some pretty good coverage, especially with the City firepower on display. In the First Goalscorer Market for example, which is covered by the Money Back Special at Paddy Power, Aguero is 7/2 favourite, with Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko at 4/1. The highly rated Paddy Power offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum of £50.

Blackburn v West Brom betting on Saturday in the Premier League sees two out of form teams go head to head. The struggles at Blackburn continue, and it is by some miracle that boss Steve Kean is still in a job. Rovers have won just twice this season and really need a win to start trying to claw their way out of the relegation zone. They have the second worst defensive record in the Premier League though, and until they fix the problems at the back, they are going to struggle. If they could just tighten up back there, they are scoring enough goals to get themselves up around mid table somewhere. But they are leaking goals, and have just one win in their last eight matches. So there is a big three points at stake on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson’s West Brom are slipping backwards, unable to put any consistency together. The Baggies are with just one win in their last six matches, and were embarrassed by a comeback from struggling Wigan last weekend in the Premier League, throwing away three home points after being in the lead. Both sides need to find a way to start winning again, and both sides will be eyeing up a massive three points from this match.

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler offer some good coverage on Blackburn v West Brom betting and all Premier League markets with their First Goals corer promotion. The bookie runs their Double Up promotion on all English Premier League matches, giving you some great coverage against this weekend. How do you double up with Victor Chandler?

Well, when you back a winning First Goalscorer bet, if that player who has already just won you some profit, goes on to score a second goal at any time during the match, then the bookie will pay you out at double your original First Goalscorer odds. The maximum stake on this is £25 per person, per match, so it gives you a great chance to try and double your money in the First Goalscorer market on any Premier League match.

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account, up to the maximum value of £25, giving you some great free betting cash to enjoy!

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler are running a Money Back Special for this weekend’s Liverpool v Norwich Premier League betting. After securing a draw against Manchester United last weekend, Liverpool will look to build on that positive with a win over the newly promoted Norwich City. The Canaries are holding their own back in England’s top flight, sitting in ninth place in the league and just three points behind Liverpool. So there is a lot at stake here. Liverpool need to the win to keep track with the top three, so it is a big game at Anfield on Saturday. Online bookie VC Bet are running a Double Up football betting promotion for Liverpool v Norwich. Back a player in the First Goalscorer Market for this match, and if your selection ends up scoring two goals in the match, then the bookie will pay you out at double the odds. So this is a great opportunity to double your winnings here with Victor Chandler.

Liverpool at 3/10 favourites to win the match, Norwich are out at 11/1 to pick up the three points, while a draw is trading at 9/2 with VC Bet. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez is trading at 14/5 as First Goalscorer, while team mate Andy Carroll is out a little at 22/5. Captain Steven Gerrard, who netted the opener against Man Utd, is 5/1 as first Goalscorer. So imagine winning your First Goalscorer bet on any of those selections and then seeing your winnings double because that player hits a second goal in the match. Great football betting promotion from the highly popular Victor Chandler. VC Bet offers a free £25 bet as a sign up bonus for new customers. Register a new account today and the bookie will match the value of your first bet, up to the value of £25, giving you a nice bit of free betting cash to play with on your new account.

Online bookmaker Bodog are offering a Money Back Special on the Aston Villa v West Brom Midlands derby this week in Premier League betting. Aston Villa had gone unbeaten in the new season under Alex McCleish until they ran into the in-form Manchester City last weekend. As for West Brom, they had a bad start to the season but have just found a little bit of form, going three matches unbeaten in the league. Now the fixture list throws these two Midlands clubs together for some local bragging rights, and with a win, Aston Villa could draw themselves six points clear of their neigbours. With just one defeat on the season and with home advantage here, you would imagine that Aston Villa are going to be the stronger of the two sides, but combined, Villa and the Baggies have draw six of their last twelve matches combined, so a draw seems a likely result. But online bookmaker Bodog will be hoping that there is not a goal fest on the weekend at Villa Park, because if there are four or more goals scored in the game, then the online bookie will refund all losing bets placed on the match. Pretty decent coverage on the Midlands derby in your Premier League betting. Villa are 21/20 favourites, with West Brom at 3/1 to win the match, and a draw trading at 11/5 with Bodog. The online bookmaker offers a free £10 bet as a sign up bonus for new customers, register with Bodog and deposit at least £10 in your new account. Place your first £10 bet at odds of Evens or better and if your stake loses, the bookie will cover your loss. They will give you a free bet to the value of £10 if you don’t manage to land a winner with that first bet.

Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion Betting Tip & Odds: The stats certainly like a Chelsea win here (see below). Chelsea simply have to produce a cohesive attacking game. Andre Villas Boas has to find solutions to problems that are already there, and we have to back him to do it in this match. The Baggies will turn up and grind their way through the match, but at home, you have to back Chelsea creating enough clear cut chances to take this match comfortably. Chelsea -1.5 Asian Handicap 41/40 at Bet365

Chelsea v West Brom Odds
Chelsea to win: 1/3 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 9/2 at Bet365
West Bromwich Albion to win: 11/1 at Boylesports

Chelsea v West Brom EPL Match Preview: Both teams will be looking for their first three points of the season, after West Brom lost their opener, while Chelsea drew theirs. West Brom have a tough opening to the season, while Chelsea will be expected to put in a strong offensive performance and take the maximum points on offer. But Baggies fans will have taken a lot of heart from their defeat against Manchester United, because they dug in well, and made the Red Devils really work hard. It could be an enterprise of frustration tactically for the Baggies as they hit London, because keeping Chelsea at bay for as long as they can, will see the hosts get more and more frustrated and the home fans will get on their back. Chelsea fans expect wins, but can Hodgson turn up the heat on new Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas by snatching a backs to the wall point?

Chelsea Form:
Chelsea appear to still be getting their squad together before the close of the transfer window. They have sealed the deal for Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku. This is no great secret as it is a deal which has been worked on. The young 18 year old striker is now available to step into the squad, and maybe the side to face West Brom on Saturday. There may be a big temptation to throw him in early to see if he can add a spark to a Chelsea forward line which looked a little static and short of inspiration in their opening fixture of the season away at Stoke. Chelsea see Lukaku as a good future talent, so how much of a real impact he will make at Stamford Bridge this season will only be found out with time. Chelsea opened the season with a 0-0 at Stoke, with Fernando Torres leading the line while Didier Drogba was left on the bench. While Torres looked much sharper than he did at any time last season, the rest of the Chelsea attack was a bit limp. New boss Andre Villas Boas has a lot of work to do in a season where no silverware will probably mean an exit. Chelsea misfired up front, but again it was a lack of genuine creativity from the midfield and out wide in a 4-3-3 formation which hurt them. This was the problem last season for the Blues, and with Frank Lampard not at his marauding best, and Michael Essien missing to move transition from the back to the front quicker, Chelsea lack a punch. That is why Tottenham’s Luka Modric is seen as the perfect solution. They need a playmaker in there. Until that happens, they may blow a little hot and cold still. Chelsea have been dealt a further blow, with goalkeeper Petr Cech injuring himself in training. Cech could now miss a month of action, which could include an encounter against Manchester United. That means either Hilario or young Ross Turnbull will have to step into the void. Chelsea did sign a keeper during the summer, Thibault Courtois, but he is out on loan. The Blues will still be without David Luiz at the back, but it isn’t the defence which has the problems at the moment. It is in the midfield. Mikel doesn’t move the ball fast enough, and Lampard doesn’t carry the same amount of influence over ninety minutes, up and down the pitch. There was not too much difference from the Chelsea of last season on the opening day of Villas Boas’s reign. What happens next, how he can adjust to life in the Premier League is the big question. Yes, their opponents Stoke drew a lot of criticism for their style of play, but the truth is, a title challenging team really should have cracked them open. Chelsea however did not produce enough, even in the second half when the forward line was changed up. Chelsea need a big response, Villas Boas needs a big response from his players. They just need to be more ruthless, they need to find a playmaker in the middle of the park and they need a better holding midfielder. Will the absence of Cech make them susceptible to conceding a sloppy goal at the back? Questions. Chelsea fans need to see answers.

West Bromwich Albion Form:
West Brom will have been relatively happy in their opening day defeat to Manchester United. For long periods of the game they made the Red Devils look ordinary, and if Stephen Reid had not put through his own net right at the depth to give United a 2-1 win, people would have been commending them for their hard work and a well earned draw. Over all, the West Brom performance on the opening day was pretty solid. Naturally it is hard against Manchester United anyway, but West Brom gave a decent account of themselves, even if they generally looked as if they lacked a bit of punch up front themselves. They found it hard to get their foot on the ball, being heavily outweighed in possession. That being said, their hard work in keeping their shape, meant that Manchester United ended up looking a bit clueless as to what to do with all the possession they had. West Brom ended up having more attempts on goal that United. West Brom need a sharper edge up front and someone to put their foot on the ball in midfield. The capture of Reading forward Shane Long looks as if it could be a good coup for them. The busy striker scored on his competitive debut for the Midlands side, and now Hodgson will have to find a way to support him just a little bit more. They have managed to keep a hold of Peter Odemwingie, who just signed a new contract at the Hawthorns. Hodgson has been wheeling and dealing without spending money (until Long) and is still hopeful of getting Owen Hargreaves into the midfield on a free transfer. At this point, the injury prone player may not be too bad a punt for the club, as he’ll probably stand out in the midfield that is there. Lack of goals may be the undoing of West Bromwich Albion this season, because you can expect a decently organised, if unadventurous side from Roy Hodgson. Heading to Stamford Bridge on the back of an opener against Manchester United, is not a nice introduction to the new season for the Baggies.

Head to Head: Not too hard to forget what happened last season in this corresponding fixture. It was the opener to the new season and Chelsea ran out 6-0 winners. The Blues also won away from home 3-1 to take the double over Albion. There have been ten Premier League meetings between the two sides and Chelsea have won them all. In fact, in those ten Premier League matches, Chelsea have only conceded four, while scoring 29. So we can see where all the power lies in this fixture. Stepping outside of the Premier league,  you have to go back to the League Cup in 1983/84 to find the last West Brom victory over the Blues. So that is the current state of play at the moment in Chelsea v West Brom head to head. At Stamford Bridge, there have 62 matches played between them, with Chelsea recording a 47% win percentage in those fixtures. That’s 29 wins for Chelsea, 17 for West Brom and 16 draws. Not too surprisingly, Chelsea have a good average goals per match lead in this fixture (1.98 compared to 1.32). The overall head to head is still in Chelsea’s favour, but it is the weight of current Premier League fixtures which really should influence your betting here.

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The Club:
West Brom will be looking for security in the Premier League this season after mixed fortunes last season. A change of manager and personnel changes still leaves a question mark over the ambitions of the Midlands club. They are on the fringe of relegation betting favouritism, helped only by the fact that the Premier League new boys Swansea, Norwich and QPR are favourites to take the drop. But with a tough start to the season and scrapping around for bargain transfers, there is an air of fragility about West Brom. West Brom Premier League betting should probably see more of a focus on the relegation battle they could face, as opposed to challenging for any spot in Europe.

Players/Manager:
As odds as this may sound, especially to Liverpool supporters, Roy Hodgson came in to save the day at the Hawthorns last season, after Roberto Di Matteo (now assistant manager at Chelsea) got the boot. Hodgson came under a lot of fire for the transfer deals which he did last summer ahead of Liverpool’s new season but that hasn’t stopped him getting busy in the summer for his new club. One of their prime targets has been Owen Hargreaves from Manchester United, which seems a huge risk to take for a side which is expected to be relegation threatened this season. West Brom need someone who can dig in week in and week out, not fragility in their squad. Hargreaves is on a free transfer, but do the Baggies want to get stuck with his wages? Even keeper Ben Foster highlighted the risk in a roundabout kind of way, saying that IF Hargreaves could turn out and play every Premier League game for West Brom, the Midlands club would have picked up a big bargain. Hargreaves of course made a good name for himself with England, before moving to Old Trafford, where his career has been limited by injury. Hargreaves has been posting YouTube videos of himself in training, to try and get clubs to notice him. On the more definite side of things, Hodgson has got captain Chris Brunt to sign a contract extension to keep him at the club, and have re-signed Zoltan Gera on a free transfer. Gera was out of contract with Fulham and returns to the club where he spent four years of his career playing. Gera won’t be available for the start of the season though, as he is nursing an ankle injury. The club also landed the services of keeper Ben Foster, who comes on a year long loan from relegation Birmingham City so that should solve a problem there. Foster has decided to retire from International duty to focus on his club career. There are strong rumours that West Brom may get a solid chance at landing impressive Reading striker Shane Long. After seeing striker Chris Wood move out on loan for a month. The Baggies may get keeper Marton Fulop and striker Ishmael Miller from Forest as well, but these transfers are just works in progress. West Brom are trying, trying to be frugal in getting solid pieces of the puzzle.

Last Season:
Could have been a lot worse for West Brom, who struggled to find form. Roberto Di Matteo go the boot and in came Roy Hodgson to save the day. That is all that happened though, saving the day, leading them up in to 11th place. Exactly what is going to transpire to make sure that the club are more than just surviving in the Premier League is a bit of a mystery. There does not seem to be a great deal of forward planning and optimism at the club right now. It all seems to be about maintaining what they have.

2011/12 West Bromwich Albion Premier League Betting Projection:
Well, can’t see West Brom getting out of the bottom half much this season. There is talk about them continuing slow progress and floating around mid table, but we don’t see it. Once again Hodgson is picking up scraps, focusing mainly on free transfers. Sadly West Brom need a little bit ore than that. The funny thing about them, is that they did show some progress under Roy Hodgson last year, but it always felt that it was happening on a very thin line of success and failure. They pulled themselves up to eleventh, when many had pencilled them in for a relegation scrap at one point, but you feel they only survived because teams beneath them were just worse. Don’t expect to see West Brom come racing out of the blocks, looking expansive and determined to progress too much on the football pitch. There is a bit of a feeling that West Brom, although they may not do too much wrong, will simply get passed because they are happy just toddling along at their own pace, doing nothing to concrete themselves as a top half of the table team, and probably doing just enough to stay clear of relegation. But there have been more positive moves which have been made by mid table teams from last season, which may ultimately leave the Baggies floundering. It is hard to see what direction they are really heading in, if one at all. Therefore we will probably be just about efficient enough to land in the upper half of the bottom half, but nothing more than that. They really need an injection of money and a bolder manager if they are going to press forward. Seeing them in a relegation scrap is more likely than seeing them challenging for a top six position, let’s put it that way. A tough opening two fixtures against Man Utd and Chelsea is unlikely to get them to a great start.

Finishing Position West Brom: Bottom Half of Table

Premier League Relegation Odds:
9/2 at William Hill

First Three Fixtures
August 14th: West Brom v Man Utd
August 20th: Chelsea v West Brom
August 27th: West Brom v Stoke

BACK TO 2011/12 PREMIER LEAGUE BETTING GUIDE
 

Four teams beginning with the letter ‘W’ and three teams beginning with the letter ‘B’ make up the seven sides that will be scrapping against relegation between now and the end of the season.

Blackpool’s 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday night means that the Tangerines are now the second favourites for the drop, with the bookies quick to slash the odds on Ian Holloway’s team. A few weeks ago, you could have got 3/1 about the seaside club and now the best price is even money (bet365).

Blackpool’s next Premier League match is a trip to Ewood Park to face another side who are firmly at the wrong end of the table and Rovers have lost four of their last five matches. Perhaps they will be made to pay for sacking Sam Allardyce midway through the season and Steve Kean has been given the dreaded vote of confidence.

Blackburn were available at 12/1 for the drop when Allardyce was relieved of his duties, although those odds have now shrunk to 10/3 with bet365 and the Lancashire side are just two points above the relegation zone.

The third ‘B’ in a pickle is Birmingham City, the Carling Cup winners who seemed drained when it came to facing West Brom last Saturday and their 3-1 defeat means that Alex McLeish’s team now occupy a berth in the dreaded drop zone.

McLeish is worried that a long season might be taking its toll, especially as they remain in the FA Cup with a quarter final match at home to Bolton taking place this weekend. Wednesday’s trip to Everton is more important and City are 5/2 (Sportingbet) to be relegated.

However, it is the four teams beginning with the letter ‘W’ that are among the first five in the Premier League relegation betting and the writing appears to be on the wall for Wigan Athletic.

Roberto Martinez’s team are now four points adrift of safety with an inferior goal difference to the teams directly above them and the Latics will need to win five of their remaining nine matches to stand any chance of survival. The best odds about them being relegated is 2/7 with bet365.

It was West Ham United that seemed doomed at the start of 2011 and the board allegedly tried to bring in Martin O’Neill to replace Avram Grant, although the latter remains in charge and has seen his team comprehensively beat Liverpool and Stoke.

The Hammers aren’t out of the woods by a long stretch and a Birmingham draw / win at Goodison Park would leave them back in the bottom three. Perhaps they are a value bet to go down at odds of 13/8 (Coral).

Then we have the two Black Country teams – West Brom and Wolves. The Baggies have made a decent start under Roy Hodgson, having collected five points from three matches and they are out to 15/8 (Skybet) for relegation. Wanderers are shorter at 5/4 (Skybet).

Even in the cutthroat environment of the Premier League, the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo at West Brom appears to have shocked many of those in the game. Di Matteo took the Baggies up from the Championship last season and it’s only four months since he won the manager of the month award back in the top flight. But the Italian was placed on gardening leave less than 24 hours after Albion had been beaten 3-0 by league leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford and his sacking was confirmed soon after. West Brom may be going through a bad patch but the Premier League is hardly a level playing field nowadays and Di Matteo’s case, alongside that of Chris Hughton at Newcastle, must rank as one of the most baffling managerial dismissals of a ridiculous season. Di Matteo was just one of three managerial casualties in England last week, following swiftly on the heels of Alan Irvine at Sheffield Wednesday and Andy Scott at Brentford, and we’re fast coming to the stage where almost half the clubs in the country will have had a change of leadership this season – no wonder so many of them are in a mess, on and off the field. 

West Brom have placed first-team coach Michael Appleton in temporary charge as the team prepare for crucial games against releagtion rivals West Ham and Wolves. The former Albion midfielder has been coaching at the Hawthorns for five years and has the respect of the players. Some bookmakers regard him as a serious candidate to get the job full time so the 28/1 on offer with bet365 is likely to be snapped up pretty quickly as he’s sure to know sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth, who will probably have a big say in the next appointment. Sam Allardyce is as short as 6/5 with William Hill to get the job but he’s available at 7/1 with Victor Chandler. Chris Hughton is the latter’s 6/4 favourite. Former Baggies player Martin Jol is a 5/1 chance with William Hill, who offer 7/2 about Hughton, while Roy Hodgson is 12/1 with Victor Chandler in a very volatile and varied market. One quote that catches the eye is Victor Chandler‘s 9/1 about St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes, who has been linked to a number of jobs south of the border in recent months and was a big favourite with Albion fans in his playing days.