17-12-2015, 16:32
The last time Albion played Bournemouth at home in the league, we had a small Argentinian in the dugout, no roof on the Smethwick End, and had recently attempted to remove the previous managerial incumbent from his position in a coffin. It's pretty unlikely that any of those things will again be the case when we face Bournemouth this Saturday, but then, forty-eight hours is a long time in football.
It's fair to say that both clubs have significantly improved their fortunes since August 1992, though Bournemouth's rising star is of course a more recent and meteoric celestial body than Albion's. Where we took the slow, steady and somewhat frustrating route to established Premier League status, the Cherries are hoping for success first time, and despite suffering a bit of a Tony Mowbray autumn, huge back to back wins against Chelsea and Manchester United have lifted them back out of the relegation zone; a position they'll no doubt look to consolidate this weekend.
We're on an impressive unbeaten run of our own, though we do run the risk of becoming draw specialists. At some point over Christmas we should be looking for at least one more win on the board to keep us on course for mid-table, but I feel that getting it against Bournemouth in their current form could be trickier than many think. One way or another, I hope it'll be another entertaining game to add to our recent collection and take us into a merrier Christmas than usual.
"I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to choose between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I should make straight for West Bromwich." - J.B. Priestley