Jamie O’Hara, while covering the Wolves vs. Aston Villa match for Sky Sports News’ Sports Sunday show, expressed his belief that the rivalry between Aston Villa and Wolves is just as significant as the one between West Brom and Wolves.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw at Molineux. O’Hara, drawing from his own experience playing for Wolves against both West Brom and Villa, emphasized that there isn’t much that sets these two West Midlands derby matches apart.
He described the Wolves-Aston Villa match as a proper West Midlands derby and emphasized that both clubs are prominent in the region and have high hopes for their performance. He also noted that these matches tend to be physical battles.
Later in the first half, O’Hara voiced his frustration, labeling the first half of the game as a “borefest.” West Brom fans traditionally cherish their derby days, but due to their presence in the Championship, such matches have become infrequent.
Historically, West Brom has often been in the same division as either Villa or Wolves, leading to different generations of fans having varying perceptions of their primary rival.
Presently, West Brom’s only notable West Midlands derby is against Birmingham, a fixture that doesn’t excite fans much. The Stoke match is also competitive, particularly during Tony Pulis’ tenure there, but it doesn’t feature prominently on West Brom’s radar. The Coventry rivalry isn’t significant either.
West Brom’s chances of promotion in the current Championship season are slim, and the potential for a takeover by January seems unlikely.
Journalist John Percy reported that if the Chinese ownership persists until 2024, there might be a need to sell squad members due to increasing debts caused by high-interest rates.
In conclusion, it’s improbable that West Brom will face Villa or Wolves in the near future unless something unexpected occurs in cup competitions.
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