West Brom boss Sam Allardyce knows it’s crunch-time
Boss Sam Allardyce admits the next few weeks will have a huge bearing as to whether Albion can stay in the Premier League.
In the next seven games, the Baggies face five of their relegation rivals with Saturday's clash against Fulham kicking off a series of season-defining fixtures.
After the clash against Scott Parker's side, Albion travel to rock-bottom Sheffield United on Tuesday.
They then take on high-flying Tottenham and Manchester United.
But after that it's back to games against teams in and around them with Burnley, Brighton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace the next four fixtures.
And Allardyce admits his team has to achieve a significant points haul from those games if they are to have any realistic chance of survival.
"I think you’re right," Allardyce said when asked if those games will define Albion's season.
"At the end of that people will say, mathematically, we are not relegated – but if we haven’t got more points than games played at that particular time we will be in serious trouble.
"We need 38 points everybody knows that. 38 points has been the safeguard for many seasons now.
"We have got 18 games to go to get 27 points. It’s quite simple that. It’s not easy to do but it is simple maths. That is what keeps you up.
"What everybody else does doesn't matter for me, that is the target.
"The players may look what is going on in and around us, but from my point of view it’s not what everyone else does – it’s what we do ourselves.
"And it’s how quickly you can pick those points up because once you do there is less pressure."
Allardyce, who have previously defied the odds to keep Blackburn, Palace and Sunderland in the Premier League, believes if Albion do survive – it's likely that survival won't be secured until very late into the season.
“If we’re to get safe it will take, historically, to the last four games of the season, maybe even to the last two or three," he added.
"At Blackburn, Crystal Palace and Sunderland we finally got safe with three or four games to go so that’s how long it will take to get out of the position we’re in.
“If we’re in a position to still be able to get out of the relegation zone with four games to go I’ll be very happy."
