'Top ten is realistic': West Brom season prediction as Albion set for Blackburn Championship opener

Express & Star

Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox bring you their West Brom prediction ahead of the new Championship season. Albion's season kicks off on Saturday as they welcome former boss Valerien Ismael and his Blackburn side to The Hawthorns. On the latest Baggies Broadcast, Jonny and Lewis discuss why expectations should be slightly lower than this season. And they discuss where they think Albion will finish under Ryan Mason.

Transcript

00:00We've got a few of our predictions to bring you.

00:04We've been having a bit of a think.

00:06I think the major one is, and I haven't seen an awful lot of this,

00:08is what are Alvin's expectations?

00:10What is the realistic prediction?

00:16And I think I kind of wrote a piece a few weeks back

00:19about when we went into the QPR game last season,

00:23you know, the transfer business was far from done.

00:24I think a lot of people were kind of underwhelmed

00:26but knew it was going to be a bit of a transition of a summer

00:30and the expectation was low.

00:33That expectation went absolutely through the roof

00:35when Alvin won five games out of six at the start of last season.

00:38For me, the expectation should probably be a little bit lower

00:43going into this season.

00:45New manager, rookie manager, you know,

00:49now with a potential sale of a big player.

00:51Alvin have invested, invested in January.

00:53I think the expectation, I think the hope at the club

00:59will obviously be playoffs and the hope among every Albion fan

01:02will obviously be playoffs.

01:04But for me,

01:08a top 10 finish,

01:12as maybe negative as that might sound to a lot of our listeners,

01:17I don't think it sounds negative.

01:19It is a realistic expectation.

01:23I think if Ryan Mason gets Alvin in the top 10

01:26or between, you know, eighth and sixth,

01:29challenging for the playoffs,

01:30that's what he'll be hoping for.

01:32But if it's a top 10 finish,

01:33Alvin finished ninth,

01:35for me, that might represent

01:37an okay season,

01:40a good season,

01:41a step in the right direction.

01:42And, you know,

01:44if we come out of a season

01:45with Alvin finishing eighth or ninth,

01:47you know,

01:48they've had a little bit of a jab

01:49towards the bottom end of the playoffs,

01:50but we've come out of it

01:52with a really good settled side

01:55that's played some good stuff

01:56and had good spells

01:57and Mason's done relatively well

01:59in his first season.

02:00For me,

02:01that represents

02:02a good campaign.

02:04So for me,

02:04I think Alvin will finish

02:05anywhere between sixth

02:06and tenth.

02:09It's not beyond the realms of possibility

02:10that they get in the playoffs

02:11because Ryan Mason

02:12is an unknown manager.

02:13He might get something

02:15out of these players

02:15that Carlos Corbran

02:16and Tony Mowbray

02:17didn't before him.

02:19We don't know that

02:20until the season kicks off.

02:21But for me,

02:23sixth to tenth

02:24is about where Alvin

02:24will be this season.

02:26Good into my head

02:27if you're asking me

02:28to pick a number,

02:29which I think

02:30we should both do

02:31and jot it down

02:32and revisit it

02:33in many months' time.

02:34I'll say

02:34the number I've got in my head

02:37is I think

02:37Alvin will finish eighth.

02:39And there's no science to that,

02:41but on top of

02:43what you've said really,

02:44Johnny,

02:44I think that's how I see it

02:46here and now.

02:47That's around about

02:48where I see where they are.

02:51Yes,

02:51I mean,

02:52come September the 2nd,

02:54maybe we can revisit this

02:56because it is quite tricky,

02:57isn't it,

02:57to do when

02:59business is not finished

03:00and obviously things

03:01drastically could change.

03:03But, you know,

03:06it is,

03:07it's more transition,

03:08absolutely.

03:08and the case

03:10I sort of hinted

03:11at the top

03:12about expectations

03:13each season

03:13kind of just

03:14lowering that step

03:15further down

03:16because it comes

03:16that bit harder

03:17the more you're

03:18sort of marooned

03:19or trenched.

03:22But,

03:23on the flip side,

03:24it's still

03:24West Bromwich Albion

03:25and there's still

03:27quality in the building.

03:29You know?

03:30And yes,

03:31you know,

03:31Hagen,

03:31we know that's up

03:32in the air

03:32and whatever comes

03:35to follow it,

03:36but there's still

03:36talent,

03:38extreme talent

03:39for this level

03:40in the building.

03:41So,

03:42there will still be

03:43that internal

03:44target

03:45of the top six,

03:47but I think

03:48that sort of

03:48how you balance

03:51and weigh up

03:51potential disappointment

03:53if it doesn't happen.

03:55You know,

03:55I don't think

03:56it's not

03:57a pitchfork

03:58and torch his job

04:00if it's

04:00seventh,

04:01eighth,

04:01ninth visit.

04:02It's,

04:03you know,

04:04and again,

04:05fans pay their money

04:05and absolutely

04:06make up their own

04:07mind on that,

04:08but that's how I see it.

04:09And I think,

04:10I think,

04:11you know,

04:12baggage fans out

04:12less certainly

04:13the like-minded

04:15sort of ones

04:17would agree with that,

04:18I would expect.

04:19But,

04:19but most will carry

04:21that hope and optimism,

04:22won't they?

04:22And yeah,

04:24it's just,

04:24you look at the other

04:25side of it,

04:26the squad out

04:27is now a lack of depth

04:28in some areas,

04:29fitness question marks.

04:31It's,

04:31it's,

04:31it's really,

04:32it looks like a tough

04:33championship,

04:33doesn't it?

04:34A really strong championship.

04:35You only got the sides

04:36coming up

04:36and the ones that keep

04:38going up to the top flight

04:39and back down

04:39get stronger

04:40with the finances

04:41and it,

04:41it's really tricky

04:43to make a case.

04:44I think it's,

04:45I think it's tricky

04:46to make a case

04:46for a top six finish.

04:47I do,

04:48a strong case.

04:49But,

04:49you know,

04:50clearly not,

04:50not impossible,

04:51not totally

04:52but,

04:52well,

04:52thank you.

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