Promotion contenders West Bromwich Albion face a major test of their credentials this weekend when they travel to Portman Road to take on pre-season title favourites Ipswich Town. The clash arrives just days after the Baggies’ costly 2-1 defeat to Watford and could prove pivotal in shaping the early Championship promotion race.
Ryan Mason’s side have shown flashes of promise but remain inconsistent. With five wins, two draws, and four defeats from their opening 11 fixtures, West Brom sit 10th — just a point shy of the play-off spots but already seven behind the automatic promotion places. Ipswich, meanwhile, have endured an even bumpier ride. They’ve managed only three wins in the same number of games and were humiliated 3-0 at home by newly promoted Charlton. Despite boasting one of the division’s largest budgets, the Tractor Boys have struggled to shake off the same bad habits that saw them relegated after just one season back in the Premier League.
Adding intrigue to Saturday’s encounter will be the presence of referee Josh Smith, a figure who has attracted more than his share of controversy in recent months.
Josh Smith and the Marinakis controversy
Smith’s name made national headlines last October after officiating Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham in the Premier League. The match spiralled into chaos as then-Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo received a straight red card and a three-match ban for verbally abusing officials, while midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was hit with an extra suspension for his reaction to being dismissed.
Things escalated further after the final whistle when Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was banned for five matches for spitting on the ground as Smith and his officiating team walked past in the tunnel. Marinakis argued that the act was the result of a cough brought on by his cigar habit, but an independent regulatory commission dismissed the explanation, ruling that he had “deliberately spat in a disrespectful and disgusting display of contempt.”
Baggies aiming to bounce back
Despite their inconsistency, West Brom remain well positioned to mount a promotion challenge if they can find some rhythm. Their defeat to Watford — rejuvenated under returning boss Javi Gracia — was a setback, but Mason will view the trip to Ipswich as an opportunity to reset and reassert their credentials.
Ipswich, for their part, look a shadow of the side that stormed to consecutive promotions in recent years. Still, they remain a dangerous opponent packed with top-flight experience and players accustomed to high-pressure promotion battles.
Both managers share similar paths — Mason and Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna honed their coaching skills in Premier League backroom roles before stepping into management. McKenna, now in his fourth full season in charge, has already overseen two promotions and one relegation since joining Ipswich in December 2021.
With both clubs desperate to prove their promotion credentials, Saturday’s showdown at Portman Road could offer early clues about who truly has the mettle to challenge for a return to the Premier League.