NO GAYLE, NO FORCE

Smith: Dwight ban will hurt Baggies.. but they will still be DANGEROUS

they have to win without the services of their main man.

Smith certainly isn’t complaining as he tries to get the job done and clinch a Wembley date at his local rivals’ expense.

“Losing Gayle is a massive blow for them,” he said. “When he plays down the middle, he’s one of those who can score 20 to 25 goals in a Championship season.

“He’s a threat with the ball and a great outlet for them. His work ethic is good, so he’ll be a big loss for them.”

Shan (below) doesn’t need reminding that losing Gayle was the last thing he needed with his side forced to go for goals, but he said: “There is a lot at stake, but we’ve just got to crack on and get on with it.

“He is a massive player for us, but Jay Rodriguez has been very productive and hasn’t played an awful lot of minutes this season in central areas. It gives Jay the opportunity to get a more central role, and he can be a big threat from there.”

Smith has warned his players that Albion will be dangerous, as they have to ditch their ultra-defensive approach to have any chance.

“I’ll be amazed if they’re not different,” he added. “I wouldn’t expect a Hawthorns crowd to be happy with them sat behind the ball and to let us have a lot of possession. I expect a different game.

“Our mindset for the last 14 games has been to go into it and try to win. We’ve been very good at that, and we’re getting used to winning too, which is important.

“If you go and sit back, you invite a lot of pressure on your goal, and I’m not comfortable with that. We can score a lot of goals, so you’ve got to utilise that.

“Nothing is over. We’ve got to go there and put in a really good performance. If we play to our normal standards, we’ll be a right threat.”