SIMON Grayson is expecting a tough game at Bloomfield Road tonight when promotion chasing West Brom visit.

The Blackpool manager feels Albion are 'the best team in the division for the way that they play' and is fully expecting an attacking game against the side currently fifth in the Championship.

A win tonight would take the Baggies into the automatic promotion places, while the Seasiders could virtually seal survival in the division with victory.

Given the importance of the game to both teams, Grayson doesn't expect an easy ride but will, as always, be looking for all three points.

"We fully expect it to be a really difficult game but we'll treat it like we treat all our home games, go out to win it and implement our own ideas, and make sure that we've got a good tempo to the game and that we cause West Brom a few problems," he said.

On paper, the visitors have probably the best attacking options in the Championship, backed up by the fact that they are the divisions' top goalscorers with 78. The competition for places, especially up-front, is why the manager feels West Brom are the best side in the division.

"I think when you look throughout what they've got and what they've got in backup, they can rotate their squad at any time," he said. "I think recently they've been playing Ishmael Miller, Bednar and Phillips and I think Luke Moore will be back for our game so they've got a lot of strikers who they can rotate.

"It's no coincidence that they are the best team in the division for the way that they play. But we gave them a decent game at the Hawthorns earlier in the season and I think on another day we could have quite easily won that game. We lost to an absolute cracking goal from Morrison but times have moved on from then.

"We're in a position where we need to kick-on and they're in a position where they need to win the game to try and get into the automatic promotion spot so it has all the ingredients of being a good game.

"You look at all their results this year and they are a very attack-minded team. They get people forward, they get crosses into the box, they get runners from midfield and sometimes they leave themselves exposed at the back, but that's the way Tony plays. He wants to play entertaining football, he wants to score goals, and it's a little bit with my philosophy that that's how I want us to play.

"Hopefully, from my point of view, there is not too many goals being conceded at our end but there are at the West Brom end," he added.

Opposite manager Tony Mowbray also highlighted the importance of the fixture and was quick to praise the Seasiders.

Speaking to West Brom's official site, Mowbray said: "We'll go there to play effective football because the three points are there to be had.

"In Blackpool's mind, I'm sure it is just as important because another win would see them out of any relegation threat.

"This will be our third game since they last played so they will be ready for it and physically in the right shape.

"It's a big test for us. Blackpool are always top of the distance-covered stats. They're the team that run further than anyone else in this league. They work extremely hard."

He went on to add: "Bloomfield Road is going to be a big, big test for us and we've got every respect for the team that play there.

"Blackpool earn respect from their results this season. Three defeats out of 20 at home is a pretty impressive set of results.

"But we're looking forward to the challenge," he said.

The Baggies are set to welcome back on-loan Aston Villa striker Luke Moore for the game after he was cup-tied at the weekend. Felipe Teixeira will definitely miss out after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage last month.

Meanwhile, Simon Grayson has quite a selection headache to contend with as both Keith Southern and Michael Jackson are now fit again. John Hills and Joe Martin are likely to be missing through injury.  

YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE THOUGHTS OF THE MANAGER AHEAD OF THE GAME ON TANGERINE WORLD.