Fri 04 May 2018, 12:30
Tottenham HotspurWe preview our trip to West Brom with legendary midfielder Ossie Ardiles, who also had a spell in charge of West Brom and Matt Wilson, who follows the Baggies week in, week out for the Express & Star.
The Legend - Ossie Ardiles
Famously signed alongside fellow Argentine World Cup winner Ricky Villa in 1978, Ossie lifted the FA Cup in 1981 and UEFA Cup in 1984 in 311 appearances for us between 1978-88. He had a spell in charge of West Brom in 1992-93 before taking over as Spurs manager in 1993. As popular as ever, Ossie is now a Club Ambassador.
"First, of course I had a spell in charge of both teams and I feel very sad seeing West Brom at the bottom of the table. For them, I would say it's a time of renewal and I hope next season, assuming they do now go down, they recover, have a very good season in the Championship and come back up to where they belong in the Premier League, and come back stronger. From our point of view, we need the three points. We have to finish the season in style. I think it will be a tough game and hopefully we'll win.
"West Brom certainly look to be playing with a little bit of freedom since Darren Moore has taken over. They have been going into matches enjoying their football and that makes them particularly dangerous. The midfield could be the key area. It could be a big battle in there and that could define the game. From the Spurs point of view, I think it will be a very tough game. People say 'they are already relegated' and sometimes that can work in a team's favour."
The Pundit - Matt Wilson
Matt is West Bromwich Albion reporter at the Express & Star.
"Tottenham will be the obvious favourites considering the league positions of the two clubs, but all bets are off regarding this Albion team under Darren Moore. The caretaker boss is unbeaten in his first four games, and has masterminded 1-0 away wins at two Champions League winning managers plus a late comeback against Liverpool in the last home game.
"There is a new-found resilience under Moore, and the team is much better organised, so far better equipped to deal with the barrage that will inevitably come from Spurs.
"The Baggies will be unchanged again barring any late injuries picked up in training. Moore has named the same team in every game so far and it’s a balanced line-up that has put square pegs in square holes."
Matt Wilson on Spurs v West Brom
"Big names like Jonny Evans, Daniel Sturridge and Grzegorz Krychowiak have been left on the bench, while former Tottenham man Nacer Chadli can’t even get into the squad, despite now being fit again. Based on recent meetings, a 1-1 draw is probably a likely outcome, but I wouldn’t be surprised if either team walked away with all three points."
