Paul Merson makes prediction regarding West Brom next season

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Paul Merson is confident that West Bromwich Albion will not become the latest Premier League side to face back-to-back relegations.

Paul Merson has told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (broadcast on 7th April from 12:00pm) that he cannot see West Brom being in any danger of facing another relegation battle next season, and even suggested that he expects any team who finishes above them to secure promotion to the Premier League.

It has been a miserable campaign for the Baggies and relegation appears to be a certainty at this stage, with 10 points separating them from 17th in the table and only five games to save themselves. The fact that they have won just three times in the league all season certainly suggests that a turnaround is not on the cards in the slightest.

Most Baggies fans have surely accepted their fate for this season and their attention has probably already turned to worrying about whether they could be about to follow in Sunderland’s footsteps by facing relegation battles in consecutive years. But Merson has insisted that he is confident that West Brom will be fighting up the other end of the table this time next year.

“No, definitely not,” he told Sky Sports when asked West Brom could face another battle for survival next year.

“I know it’s been a few years now, but when I was playing, this was a bounce-up, bounce back down team. I think they’ll be alright. The only problem is I have heard about financial difficulties and things like that, but I’d like to think they’ll be alright next season. I see it with Sunderland, but with West Brom, no, I don’t see it. I’d go as far as to say whoever finishes above West Brom next season will go up.”

While it is difficult to argue on this season’s evidence, there are several members of the squad at West Brom who are good top flight players and will probably have little problem finding a new home at the highest level next year. And that may leave a number of fans feeling less confident than Merson appears to be.

It seems likely that it will be a hugely frantic summer at The Hawthorns and if they do not get the replacements for the players that they lose right, it could be another humiliating season. If they manage to get their recruitment right however, then perhaps the fans may be able to reflect that the backward step of this season has probably proved beneficial in the long run.