[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Signs of improvement at the Ricoh last week - though still some way from perfection, or even credible promotion quality - have slightly raised hopes that Albion may yet turn a corner before Christmas and the bi-annual ride on the managerial merry-go-round. Alas, the fresh news from the Hawthorns that at least two players (and a possible third) have tested Covid positive and will miss Saturday's match puts a dampener on that particular renaissance, before we even get onto the ever-expanding injury list. But if there are enough wheelchairs and zimmerframes available, tomorrow afternoon we'll be scraping together a team to face relegation-threatened Reading in a vital festive clash.

It's the first time we've squared up against Berkshire's finest since the bat soup connoisseurs of Wuhan gifted the world the city's most enduring export, and despite the flood of water under the bridge since February 2020, we have the opportunity to build on our 2-1 win back then by notching up our first consecutive victories against the Royals since the mid-1990s. For their part, despite an imperious record against us down in the Thames Valley, Reading have enjoyed about as much success in B71 as a Mick McCarthy blow-up sex doll, collecting just two points on their travels here - and a solitary FA Cup triumph in 2010 - since their last league win back in February 1988. The bad news is that they arrive in decent away nick, having won their last two on the road, but Albion remain unbeaten at home this season, and in spite of injuries and coronavirus cases, you'd have to back the Baggies to have the better of this encounter too.

[Baggievicar]

I'm alive.

[Baggiebob(BBB)]

We really need this as a win game despite having covid and injury probs.
Backing us to win by the odd goal !!

[talkSAFT]

I'll go for 1-1 (Hugill both ends)

[Baggie_One]

Guessing the defence has the flu, interesting line up

[Salopbaggie]

We are looking a bit thin on the ground, Matt Phillips out for at least another week more likely 2. Snodgrass still out with his back, Ken Zohore out, Dara O’Shea, and Kean Bryan our two long terms still a long way off. Now Cedric Kipré, Matt Clarke, Conor Townsend and Semi Ajayi all self isolating and Diang ill. I think Mozza better get his boots shined.

Have we even got a team? This is going to be disastrous or amazing.
Our Bench says it all Button; Tulloch, Taylor, Ingram, Ashworth, Fellows, Cleary

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Our Bench says it all Button; Tulloch, Taylor, Ingram, Ashworth, Fellows, Cleary

Super Bob on the bench? We really *are* running out of players. (Not sure Dan Ashworth and Julian Clary are better options either, to be honest.)

[Baggie_One]

Winning though
Robinson

[Baggievicar]

75 minutes and Val hasn't made the regular 60th minute subs. That'll fill the kids on the bench with confidence in themselves.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Job done again, which is all you can really ask for in the current cirumstances.