West Brom’s ambitious play-off goals ahead of run-in

National World - LocalTV

A look at how the Baggies want to get on…

Transcript

00:00to deal with it just fine.

00:03Charlie, let's look at West Brom at Chalby

00:05and let's just dive into the playoff race.

00:08Obviously, you know, incredibly tight

00:10in the Championship this season.

00:11We've mentioned a fair few times how difficult it is.

00:15And, you know, West Brom has been that team

00:17that's been in and around or, you know,

00:19in the playoffs for pretty much 90% of it.

00:21They suddenly drop out, you know, a few weeks ago

00:24and there's a lot of questions surrounding Mowbray's

00:27style of play, obviously, a lot of late losing goals,

00:30conceding, which is so hard to take.

00:33I mean, how do you sort of look at West Brom this season

00:36in terms of their ambitions?

00:37Because they've been so close and they really want

00:40to make sure now that they are not the side

00:42that just narrowly misses out.

00:44Yeah, it's been so frustrating for West Brom fans

00:46to watch them kind of plummet away.

00:49It's been strange that they've stayed in fifth and sixth

00:51for most of the season, considering they've not exactly

00:54been setting the world alight.

00:55They've not lost many games in the earlier stage

00:58of the season.

00:58And then when Tony Mowbray first came in,

01:00they kind of maintained that.

01:02But then when they go and lose three on the bounce,

01:03it just kind of shows how quickly the teams below you

01:06can zump you and get above you into those playoff positions.

01:10We all know how important it is to finish in that top six.

01:13They call it the £100 million game for a reason,

01:15the playoff final.

01:16It's because getting to the Premier League can completely

01:19transform a football club.

01:20Yes, when you get there, it's incredibly difficult.

01:23Promoted teams are often relegated again.

01:24But having that financial boost and be able to build

01:26for the future is so important.

01:29Now, West Brom, I mean, being down in seventh position

01:31and down to eighth and ninth and really struggling

01:34to get over the line, a few games to go,

01:37they need to step up their game.

01:39An important win that they did manage against Watford.

01:42They need to try and build momentum now.

01:43They've got some really important games coming up.

01:46And if they don't perform at their best, well,

01:47they're going to miss out and it's going to be

01:49a very disappointing season.

01:50Yeah, just touching on the running, you know,

01:53a fair few sides around them have quite a tough run in.

01:56West Brom's looks quite favourable, really,

01:58if they just get their ideas together.

02:01Obviously, the Easter weekend is very,

02:04very tough to overcome, but it's very, very doable.

02:07I mean, that could be six points in the space of a few days

02:09for West Brom.

02:12What do you see from them?

02:13Do you feel they will have enough to just make it over the line

02:16in these final few games of the season?

02:17I think it's definitely a good sign that they're playing

02:21a few teams down the bottom of the table,

02:23but maybe they would have played them a few weeks ago

02:25when it wasn't quite crunch time in the relegation battle.

02:28That might not actually help their case,

02:30playing the likes of Cardiff and Derby down the bottom

02:33and Luton as well.

02:34It's not going to be easy.

02:35I know that statistically they've been the worst teams

02:37in the division on paper,

02:39but West Brom have shown that they are kind of susceptible

02:42against those kind of teams that are really fighting

02:44and battling as hard as they can.

02:45And sometimes those aggressive and competitive games,

02:48hardly fought games, don't go their way.

02:51The Coventry game as well is absolutely massive.

02:54I mean, a six-pointer.

02:55If Coventry go and win that one,

02:57you'd expect them to go and secure their top six status.

03:00And then it's down to Bristol City,

03:02it's down to West Brom,

03:03it's down to Middlesbrough,

03:04down to Millwall.

03:05They're probably the teams left in the competition now.

03:07And yeah, as I say,

03:09they just need to really dig deep.

03:11They need to perform at their absolute best,

03:13say goodbye to what's happened in the past,

03:14just focus on game by game

03:16and see what can happen before the end of this season.

03:19And just on West Brom's summer plans,

03:22what do you feel they need this summer?

03:24Because it sort of feels like they are

03:25at a bit of a crossroads

03:27in terms of being so close to getting over the line.

03:30I mean, they've shown it with their average position

03:31in the Championship this season,

03:32just outside the top six.

03:35I mean, it seems like they haven't really had enough goals.

03:38You know, Josh Madger started the season impeccably well.

03:41I mean, the team did really.

03:42And then obviously it all sort of slowly went downhill.

03:45They lose the manager in December

03:46and then, you know,

03:47Mowbray comes in and has a big job to do.

03:49Do you feel that,

03:51what do you feel they're going to do in the summer?

03:53Do you think they're going to back him?

03:54Do you think they're going to make sure

03:55he has a big chance next season?

03:58Obviously, it all depends where they are.

04:00But, you know,

04:01saying they are a championship outfit again,

04:04they've got a big mountain to climb again

04:06because there will still be, you know,

04:07high investment from teams that come down

04:09from the Premier League.

04:11And then if you look at the likes of League One as well,

04:13you know, Rex and Birmingham,

04:15if they're there to come up,

04:16there's more competition

04:17in terms of high investment from owners this summer.

04:21And the Championship could be

04:22a very tough place to be in next year.

04:25Now, I think they'll back him to an extent.

04:27Having the loan debt kind of ruled out now

04:30by the new ownership has really helped.

04:32Sheelan Battelle making such a big impact

04:34at the football club.

04:35They can't be free spending, though.

04:36They can't just go and blow a huge budget.

04:38They might take a few more risks now

04:40that they don't have those debts.

04:41Maybe try and spend a bit more

04:43to get into the Premier League

04:44and then they can deal with the aftermath afterwards.

04:48But as I say, I think Mowbray,

04:50it hasn't been quite the start he would have wanted.

04:53Fans have been getting on his back.

04:54They've not been behind his substitutions,

04:57his team selections.

04:58But one thing he can do is in the transfer market,

05:00he's very good at taking hold of the whole situation

05:02at a football club.

05:03He showed signs of that at Birmingham

05:04before his illness, he looked like he was really

05:06going to make such a difference

05:07with their recruitment.

05:09I think maybe the board will back him.

05:11That's probably one of the reasons

05:12why they appointed him

05:13instead of someone just as a quick fix

05:14is because he is the potential

05:16to have that kind of long-term backing.

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