AS he readies West Brom for Sunday’s Premier League curtain-raiser against Manchester United, Roy Hodgson has warned his players they must be prepared for the sort of misfortune they experienced when the champions were last at The Hawthorns.
That was on New Year’s Day and Hodgson was still Liverpool manager when Roberto Di Matteo’s Albion put in a superb showing against the Old Trafford outfit only to suffer a cruel defeat after being denied a certain penalty.
Twenty-five minutes had passed and it was 1-1 when Gary Neville tripped Graham Dorrans in the box to universal consensus that referee Chris Foy should have not only awarded a spot-kick but sent off the United right-back.
However, Albion got nothing and were fuming after Javier Hernandez stole in for the winner with a quarter of an hour remaining, which left the hosts pointless and just above the relegation zone.
The decision caused controversy up and down the country and even in the midst of his troubled tenure at Anfield Hodgson could see an injustice had been done.
And while the West Brom boss rejects any notion officials favour the Premier League big boys, he is adamant they do benefit from ‘advantages’.
“I’ve never subscribed to that theory that you don’t get penalties at Manchester, or that Manchester get things. I worked for [Swedish giants] Malmo for many years,” Hodgson said.
“I don’t subscribe to the view they get different things. But I do think that the top teams do get advantages over the bottom teams by the very nature that they are the best teams.
“They probably deserve it a bit more, it is one of those things.
“In football there has always been a hierarchy, there has been a number one and there’s been a number 20.
“Now sometimes it gets cramped like it did last year and it is harder to tell, at least harder to tell who the number six and the number 14 are.
“But at the same time the hierarchy sits there there’s no doubt about that and fortunately if you happen to be one of the hierarchy you get a few more things going in your favour rather than the teams down at the bottom.
“That’s the way it is, the way it’s always been. You are better off not bleating too much about it. Get on with it.”
That will be the challenge for West Brom this weekend as United come to the Midlands on the back of an outstanding performance in the Community Shield.
Two goals from Nani and an excellent debut from former Villa attacker Ashley Young lifted United to a 3-2 victory that if anything flattered Manchester City.
However, Albion have every reason to be confident as well. Ben Foster is in line for his competitive debut against his old club and record signing Shane Long could also be set to make his bow.
The club record signing, secured from Reading on Tuesday, put in a man-of-the-match performance in Ireland’s draw with Croatia in midweek.
Hodgson must decide whether to pair the 24-year-old with Peter Odemingie, who he expects to be fit, or Long’s compatriot, Simon Cox.
