[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Derek Kevan and Jimmy Campbell on the attack against Burnley, 6th September 1958

Well, doesn't it feel like a long time now since we kicked off our season by making back-to-back wins against Bournemouth and Burnley? As we enter the final straight, it's entirely possible that we could make it back-to-back defeats against Bournemouth and Burnley to add to the fine string of Ls already against Pardew's name in the form book, like some demented game of alphabet Tetris. If, as the saying goes, it's the hope that kills you, then we should really take the time to thank Albion for keeping us all well and truly on this mortal coil the last couple of months.

Still, Burnley will be the first opponent in our run-in to have reached effective safety this season, and there's always the slim chance that they might take their beach holiday as early as we always used to. Easter is, after all, a time of resurrection; and if it happens that our survival chances don't spring back to life on Saturday, then at least there's always the recourse of sealing myself in a cave for three days. And then some.