West Bromwich Albion return to Premier League action this weekend looking to close the gap to the teams immediately above the bottom three.
Alan Pardew has told West Brom’s official website that the Baggies cannot afford to allow the gap between themselves and the teams directly above the bottom three in the Premier League to get any greater this weekend, but rejected the idea that their next game in a must-win.
After being knocked out of the FA Cup by Southampton last week, West Brom return to top flight action on Saturday as they host Huddersfield Town at The Hawthorns.
Pardew’s men currently find themselves seven points off safety, and it is Huddersfield who are the side currently situated just above that drop zone. So while many may feel that the game with the Terriers is a vital one for West Brom, the manager rejected the idea that the game was a must-win.
“For us, the word ‘must-win’ is bit of an irritant,” he laughed, according to the club’s official website. “We know how important the game is. Nothing’s over until it’s over. ‘The Fat Lady’ isn’t in the room yet.”
But while Pardew rejected the notion that it was a must-win game, he did contradict himself somewhat by suggesting that the Baggies cannot afford for more daylight to be put between themselves and the relegation zone.
“We can’t afford the gap to be any bigger,” he added. “The guys around us have had a decent run and have shared the points around. That’s probably a worry.”
With games running out and Huddersfield currently situated immediately above the relegation zone, it seems unlikely that the West Brom fans will react too kindly to Pardew suggesting that the game is not a must-win.
It is, of course, entirely possible for West Brom to turn their fortunes around even if they lose to David Wagner’s side, but Saturday arguably presents as golden an opportunity as the club are going to get in the remaining months of the season.
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