HULL v WEST BROM - BAGGIES BAG A POINT AT HULL?
First placed West Brom travel to 9th placed Hull this Saturday aiming to remain top of the Championship. Tony Mowbray’s Baggies side are currently joint top with Watford and Bristol City, with only goal difference separating the sides. Phil Brown’s Tigers find themselves just one point off a Play-off place, which is a remarkable turnaround after finishing 21st in the 24-team division last season.
West Brom boast the highest scoring team in all 4 divisions of English football (56 goals) and the top scorer in the Championship in the shape of veteran striker Kevin Phillips (15 goals). Despite this, the Baggies have suffered 6 losses on the road in 13 games. This is the same amount of away defeats as 22nd placed Scunthorpe and 23rd placed Colchester. However, they have still recorded 5 away wins, which only Watford and Charlton can better in the division.
Hull have a strong record this season at the Kingston Communication Stadium and are currently unbeaten in 8 home games (5 wins). Defensively they have been very solid of late with 5 clean-sheets in the last 6 home games so Phillips and co may struggle to break the Tigers defence down.
In the week Sam Allardyce was sacked from his job at Newcastle, his former Bolton number two Phil Brown is beginning to prove himself a good manager in his own right at Hull and may soon be a Premier League manager himself. However, he will be up against a very good West Brom side so expect an evenly fought contest and the match to result in a draw.
Pundit’s Pick: Hull settle for a point (draw)
Tags: 12/01/08, Baggies, Hull, Kevin Phillips, Phil Brown, Tigers, Tony Mowbray, West Brom
