Kevin Phillips: Can West Brom pull off greatest escape?

I had written them off several weeks ago but they are in with a very narrow chance.

It is thanks to the fantastic job that Darren Moore has done at Albion since he has taken charge.

He has got the players playing for him and they are playing really well.

But the question that will be on the lips of Albion fans is why couldn’t Albion play like this earlier in this season?

I think Darren Moore has done a fantastic job at West Bromwich Albion turning their results around.

And what a job he and his players did to beat Tottenham at the weekend.

The scenes at The Hawthorns when Jake Livermore scored deep into injury time looked magnificent.

It kept their hopes alive that they could still survive in the Premier League, however small those odds are.

I have to apologise that I wrote Albion off four or five weeks ago.

Since Darren has taken charge it looks like Albion can play and the players are certainly playing for the manager.

I think what will be the biggest disappointment for the Albion crowd is why couldn’t the team do this throughout the season.

They could possibly go down going in midweek if Swansea or Southampton win.

But if that doesn’t happen they will have the opportunity to survive next week if they win and results go their way.

If they were able to survive, it would be one of the biggest relegation escapes in Premier League history.

It would be great to see.

It would be bigger than the last time they did that in the Premier League back in the 2004/05 season.

But Albion have still got a lot to do and will have to rely on other results in order to do that.

Wolves losing 3-0 at Sunderland was a massive surprise.

You would expect them to win being the league champions and top of the table, while Sunderland are relegated and rock-bottom.

Wolves are in a situation where they already have the league title wrapped up.

Some players probably didn’t want to run around as hard as they normally do, when they have to travel away for the last game of the season with promotion and the title under their belts.

The travelling fans would have wanted to see their team play well but unfortunately Wolves didn’t come away with a result.

However, I don’t think you can complain too much though, given the fantastic season that Wolves have had.

Hopefully Wolves got through the game without any of their players picking up any long-term injuries.

It was a disappointing result but I feel you can’t be too disappointed with the success they have enjoyed this year.

It is hard to raise your game after you have celebrated winning promotion and the league title.

I remember getting promoted while I was at Leicester City on the Saturday and we went to Brighton on the Tuesday and we lost 4-1.

It happens.

But they will be going into the summer happier for next season.

I would bring in some more players over the summer period to help strengthen Wolves.

I would probably look at another striker, another centre-half and another midfield player.

I would be looking to get those positions covered because everybody is experienced in the Premier League.

Maybe I would look at getting another goalkeeper too.

I think I would look at strengthening the spine of the team.

Their creativity and balance on the ball – I think Wolves have got that covered with Diogo Jota and Helder Costa.

They have got pace down the wings.

If Wolves can seal a deal with Benik Afobe that would be good.

In the Premier League you have got to score goals and Wolves will be coming up against a lot better quality defenders next year.

If my team Derby can beat Fulham in the Championship semi-final play-offs and meet Aston Villa in the final at Wembley, it would be a great fixture.

It will be difficult for us to overcome Fulham.

They almost got automatic promotion and they will be feeling disappointed, so we will have to take advantage of that when we meet them.

But if we can get through to the final and Villa also beat Middlesbrough in their semi-final, that will set us up for a great Midlands derby in London at the end of May.

Derby and Villa re not too far away from each other so that will be a big derby that would easily fill Wembley.