Tough test for West Brom at Stoke as the Baggies go from strength to strength

English Football League / Andrew French / 19 December 2007 / Leave a Comment

Championship football guru Andrew French talks us through the key clashes in the division this week

With West Brom now topping the Championship table, fellow Midlands clubs Wolves and Leicester must be thinking about where their seasons are heading.

Wolves still have a very realistic chance of going up, although they'll need to be more consistent to get close to the automatic places, as well as looking at their attacking threat: six goals in their last ten games tells its own story.

For Leicester fans, this must have already been one painful season - and we're still not into the New Year. Clubs change manager, sometimes it happens twice in a season. But the Foxes must have gone through more than their fair share of those adhesive letters that adorn the front of football staff tracksuits this season. The ebullient Ian Holloway is the Foxes third manager this term, following Martin Allen and Gary Megson.

You can only guess what effect that has on the players, never mind the fans - different tactics from a different voice with a different style, approach and staff.

Small wonder Leicester are sitting perilously above the relegation zone. Holloway has always seemingly been able to get maximum effort out of the players at his disposal, even if they haven't always been the most gifted. Now he faces the task of salvaging a season for a club that not so long ago was in the top flight, and has a stadium more suited to that sphere.

The Foxes have not won in six games, although Wolves have not pulled up any trees either lately: three games without a win following six games without defeat shows perfectly why they are only on the edge of the play-off places, and not in one of them.

A glimmer of hope for Leicester? Historically, they don't do too badly at Molineux in league games: just one defeat in their last seven.

A win for Wolves is currently [1.87], with Leicester priced at [4.8]. The draw is [3.5], and with the away side having ground out six stalemates on their travels this season, that looks pretty attractive.

Elsewhere in the Championship, it was all change at the top as Watford's alarming run continued with a fourth home defeat in five games allowing West Brom to take over at the summit. The Baggies are now [2.7] to be champions with Watford out from [1.85] only a few weeks ago to a current mark of [5.4].

As a fan and former employee of Watford, it pains me to see the lead they built up amid their amazing start to the season eaten away. However, having watched them play out an insipid 0-0 draw at Stoke two weeks ago before seeing West Brom beat Charlton 4-2 on Saturday, there's little doubt which of the top two is in better form at the moment.

It will be interesting to see how Albion [2.74], probably the best footballing side in the division, handle a more direct and combative approach at Stoke [2.72] this weekend.

Currently Watford [2.52] look more able to win on the road and it would be no surprise to see them triumph at Sheffield Wednesday [2.88]. However, defeat for the Hornets could take them out of the top two if results elsewhere go against them.

Most likely to overhaul them are Bristol City, with Gary Johnson continuing to enhance his reputation as a manager by achieving further success at Ashton Gate after doing so well with Yeovil. The Robins [1.90] are at home to Barnsley [4.4], who, despite having performed better than most expectations so far, are nowhere near as good on their travels as they are at Oakwell.

One team I think could really make strides in 2008 is Ipswich. They have been virtually untouchable at Portman Road (31 points from a possible 33) but dreadful in away games (four points from 33). It's hard to believe a side that can be so good on their own turf will not eventually click on the road, and should that be the case, they could be live contenders to go up automatically - their current quotes of 6 for promotion and 27 to win the Championship are tempting.

The Tractor Boys [1.89] will be tested this weekend though - Burnley [3.8] have won their last four away games under new manager Owen Coyle.