Big Ron backs Baggies

The ex-Albion manager, who put together one of the most exciting teams ever to grace The Hawthorns, is tipping his old club's extra goal power to carry the edge against Wolves.

And Atkinson says Wolves could find the gap too wide to bridge in the summer were they to emerge triumphant.

Big Ron reckons promotion would leave Albion hunting for five quality signings to withstand the challenge of Premiership football.

Atkinson believes Wolves still have time on their side – but a promotion now could see the club scurrying around for TWICE as many new players to try to stay in the Premiership.

At the same time, the gaffer believes failure could rebound on Albion more painfully – with Diomansy Kamara, Curtis Davies and Paul Robinson all likely to leave.

"I think in a funny old way it will suit West Brom possibly more than Wolves to go up," says Atkinson. "I think Wolves still have time on their side.

"At the start of the season, I had both West Brom and Blues to go up automatically. They kept their big players, their main players if you like, and I thought that would see them both through to the top two positions.

"I guess Albion have had a bit of a topsy-turvy season, although I was struck by the fact that only Manchester United had scored more goals – and that's without too much of an input from John Hartson, who would have been recruited with a view to his being a major figure for them this season.

"Their slide since the Middlesbrough cup game has cost them. But they are still probably better equipped for the next level. That may seem harsh on Wolves where Mick McCarthy has done a phenomenal job. But it's as I see it.

"Going back to the start of the season, they were not among the favourites to be in the pot at the finish and it's been a long old while since that was the case. For Mick to get them to the play-offs is a remarkable achievement.

"He's brought this kid (Andy) Keogh in who has really impressed me and he's backed his judgement on (Michael) Kightly – and what a return that has been. Those are the kind of signings managers dream of.

"But without being cruel to them, Wolves would need major improvements if they went into the Premiership with any sort of hope of staying there.

"They were unlucky last time around when they never got a game out of Matt Murray and Joleon Lescott who were their two best players.

"If Albion went up, they would need five quality players to add to their squad. But you could almost double that if Wolves got promoted – and the type of player they would be looking for everyone else at their level is looking to buy as well. Now there's no way in the world Wolves won't want to go up and in a two leg KO affair they've got a chance.

"But Albion have been the better team in the games between them so far – in fact, they probably had their least impressive performance in the first game at The Hawthorns which they won 3-0. Wolves had probably a bigger share of the game."

It is the evidence of those derbies which Ron offers to support his view that the Baggies will just edge the forthcoming "greatest ever" derby clash.

"I expect Albion with their extra quality to come through this," he declares. "When you look at the goalpower they bring to the table through Kamara and Phillips, it is difficult to back against them.

"On the other side of the equation, they are not totally convincing defensively, especially without Curtis Davies in the side.

"That will certainly give Wolves encouragement. But from the outset I have backed Albion to go up and I'm not going to change my mind now.

"It looks as if Gera has had an up and down season but I would expect him to perform in games of this magnitude.

"But I keep coming back to the goalscorers; that is the factor which gives Albion the edge. They are the hardest players to get in football and Albion have got one or two of them."

Atkinson also gives a nod of approval to the signals coming from Tony Mowbray's office which, he feels, fits perfectly with the Baggies long-held view that The Hawthorns should always be a home for an attacking, stylish team.

As a friend of former boss Bryan Robson, you might expect Atkinson to begrudge Mowbray any success in the manager's seat. But that's not his style.

"Hey, listen – when Bryan was sacked, I felt the timing was wrong," says Ron. "It was 'fits and starts' at the beginning of the season and Robbo was missing some fairly big players. But having said that, I don't think Tony Mowbray has done a bad job at all.

"He is talking the kind of game the Albion fans traditionally want to see. I can remember that being the case back in Vic Buckingham's day.

"It's an Albion thing although, as I say, I didn't realise this team had scored quite so many goals.

"The Albion fans have been brought up on the kind of philosophy Tony is preaching – and they are in the play-offs with a good chance of getting promoted. He's doing fine."

But what happens if it all goes wrong? "I think there would be makeover of sorts," says Atkinson.

"There's a lot of talk about Kamara and I think it would be inevitable that he would move on.

"In fact, the most likely to move up would be Kamara and Davies. You can see Premiership clubs such as Birmingham, having just come up, wanting both of those; maybe Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth too. Clubs of that ilk.

"And I think the full back Paul Robinson would be another possibility for a Premiership move – one or two may fancy taking a dart on him.

"Albion's problem might be in off-loading the senior players on big money who they want to move on now, such as Hartson, Watson and Perry.

"They might not find it quite so easy to move those lads on. You can assume Albion have got their plans set for whichever way it goes. If they go up, the extra revenue is going to help bring more quality players in and Tony's first task will be to get five players in better than what he's got.

"The problem is the market. Albion will not be alone in the market place – all the other clubs of their size will be looking for the same players but won't have top wait until the end of May before knowing that they want to do.

"That's the downside of a play-offs promotion.

"As I say, I'm sure they have contingency plans for both scenarios – that's what management is all about."

By Martin Swain.