The Black Country Derby: Wolves travel to West Brom in FA Cup Fourth Round

National World - LocalTV

A look ahead to the biggest game of the FA Cup Fourth Round.

Transcript

00:00 Now usually we do separate videos for Wolves and West Brom, but in this moment, in this

00:06 current climate, they are meeting in the FA Cup for Threat.

00:12 As a Wolves fan myself, I know the importance of this fixture.

00:16 It's something that isn't really naturally played anymore as it used to maybe when both

00:20 sides were in the Championship then.

00:23 But it seems that over recent times when Wolves have been promoted, West Brom have been relegated

00:28 in the same sort of season, so they've sort of missed each other.

00:31 And obviously they last met in Covid, so the fans didn't have that feeling.

00:35 But Charlie, you've come into Birmingham World and you've sort of captured the culture

00:40 of the different clubs.

00:42 You probably understand yourself now.

00:44 You're gaining an understanding of this derby and the history behind it and the importance

00:49 and excitement going into the game on Sunday.

00:51 Yeah, I knew coming into the role how massive a fixture it was, but I don't think I realised

00:57 it was gargantuan.

00:58 It's massive, isn't it?

00:59 The last few weeks have just said that when Wolves were playing Brentford in the replay,

01:03 they knew that if they won, they were playing West Brom.

01:05 That was the bigger motivation than actually getting to a further stage of the competition.

01:09 I don't think they cared that much about progressing because it's not a very likely target winning

01:13 the Cup.

01:14 But to be able to play West Brom and try and bring an end to the hoodoo at the Hawthorns

01:18 as well is such a great motivation for them.

01:21 What is it, since 1990s, 1996 I think it is, the last time that Wolves won at the Hawthorns?

01:28 It's an insane record, really.

01:30 11 or 12 meetings, I think.

01:31 I'm not sure the exact number on that, but it's near a dozen, if not a dozen.

01:35 That is bonkers, really, isn't it?

01:36 From my perspective, Wolves at the moment are a better footballing side, much better

01:41 squad, proven in the Premier League at the moment.

01:43 West Brom have been stuck in the Championship for a few years.

01:46 You'd expect Wolves to go and get it, but this is at the Hawthorns and it is the place

01:50 that you're absolutely dread to go, isn't it, Charles?

01:52 Yeah, it is, certainly.

01:54 I mean, we've just not really shown what we can do.

01:58 And obviously, so recently, and we've always made Molineux the fortress, but an away leg

02:05 against West Brom is absolutely, as you say, it's gargantuan.

02:09 And the size and historic background of this derby is incredible.

02:14 The way I'm going to go about this, I'm going to pick two figures out from each club.

02:18 We'll start with Wolves.

02:20 I'm going to pick out Mateus Cunha.

02:22 I think he's sort of grown into his role slowly.

02:25 Maybe when he first came in, he wasn't so sure about the position and how he'd play,

02:29 but he's starting to link up with players.

02:31 He's pretty much getting a goal or assist in most Premier League games.

02:35 How impressive with him have you been and how impressive have you seen the progress

02:40 of him as well?

02:41 To start with, he wasn't exactly the most clinical, was he, in front of goal, not scoring

02:45 too many, but he's started to bring that into his game.

02:48 But even when he's not scoring, he's creating chances.

02:50 He's running at defenders endlessly, whether it's just pressing to cause a bit of panic

02:55 at the back or if it's running at them with the ball.

02:58 He does both very well.

02:59 He never seems to tire too much.

03:00 He's got aggression.

03:01 We saw that at Brighton in the nil-nil, pushing players over, getting pushed himself, calling

03:06 for red cards for elbows and getting involved in confrontations at the centre circle.

03:10 He's got that passion and desire that you want from a striker.

03:13 Diego Costa had a bit of it, actually, when you had him briefly, but now you've got a

03:17 younger player who's a lot quicker, a lot more agile and has got so much more technical

03:21 ability than Diego Costa.

03:23 I think it's a very good moment for you to be honest, having that forward player who's

03:28 got that.

03:29 But you haven't got a number nine, really, have you?

03:31 He's not quite that player, but he can play pretty well in a false nine position, it seems.

03:36 Yeah, of course.

03:38 And for West Brom, I've picked out Carlos Corberán.

03:41 I mean, the transition of results and sometimes he's had some periods of inconsistency, but

03:47 overall, I think that's West Brom's shining light going into this fixture.

03:51 Maybe it's a chance for him to…

03:53 He's obviously just missed out on the Premier League before with Huddersfield.

03:56 It's a chance to show that he's going to be watched by millions, he's going to be watched

04:01 by Premier League fans and maybe clubs as well.

04:05 Show what he's about as well.

04:06 If he can take the game to Gary O'Neill and make O'Neill replicate and have to play

04:13 Corberán's way, how confident would you be if you were an Albion fan and you've got that

04:18 Corberán in your ring sort of thing?

04:22 Quite confident, really.

04:24 I know O'Neill said the exact same thing, but Corberán's been speaking about how he's

04:28 getting his players to know if they don't already, the importance of this.

04:31 And to have that on home soil, to have the home advantage is so important.

04:35 And there is a gulf in quality between the Premier League and the Championship.

04:38 Everyone knows that and it's getting bigger.

04:39 But it's not like West Brom are a mid-table side.

04:42 They're definitely pushing the playoffs.

04:44 If they're in the playoffs at the moment pretty securely, they'll be hoping to stay there

04:47 for the end of the season, which means they could quite possibly be a Premier League team

04:50 next season.

04:51 It's not that big of a gap in the general scheme of things, especially when it's a derby.

04:55 It's so much important in sports.

04:57 It's been three, four years since you've played each other.

05:00 So the bragging rights are so strong.

05:03 And I think West Brom having that home advantage, because it's all about the fans, they should

05:08 be pretty confident.

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