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Terry Willis looks forward to Albion against the champions.

West Bromwich Albion HawthornsIt was a very quiet week due to international fixtures, apart of course from Roy Hodgson’s England who were victims of complete and utter negligence from the Polish authorities. To have a stadium complete with a sliding roof and not to use it was, to put it mildly, ridiculous.

But it’s back to the more important business this week with the visit of billionaire-backed, current Greed League champions Manchester City. Some say they aren’t playing to their full potential. Possibly not – but if and when they do hit top form the opposition will have to be on the top of their game to squeeze a point or three from the blue half of Manchester.

So can Steve Clarke continue his impressive start that’s seen the Baggies occupying a healthy position in the table? Much, that is, to the astonishment of most professional critics and dare I say a heck of a lot of our own supporters? It’s unlikely that all the recovering recognised first team players will be fit. But one thing IS certain, they’ll want to get back into the team as soon as possible as it’s been some time since we had players chewing at the bit to prove that they are well worth being recognised as the number one choice.

Up to now Clarke has shown no preference in selecting what he considers to be his best eleven. If that means a place in the squad rather than his starting line up so be it. The chances of maintaining our 100% home winning games (apart from the League Cup of course) is the question and there’s no easy answer. If we ARE at our best we’ll be well worth a gamble – after all Albion shocked them last season by forcing a draw and a repeat wouldn’t go amiss bearing in mind that our next match is at St James Park (I’m delighted they had the sound sense to scrap that awful new name supporters refused to recognise).

But that’s in the future. All that matters for the moment is the Manchester City game, with the hope that the strains of City supporters’ anthem Blue Moon will be countered by the Lord being our Shepherd.

Come on you Baggies!

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