Sky Sports pundit makes bold playoff claim amid West Brom psychological boost
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
West Brom escaped the drop zone before Christmas, and Kevin Campbell insists the goal in the second half of the season will be to reach the playoffs.
Carlos Corberan has completely changed the feeling and excitement around the Hawthorns since his arrival. Under Steve Bruce, West Brom looked to be heading on a one-way track to relegation.
However, Corberan picked up three wins in his first four games to lift the Baggies out of the relegation zone over Christmas.
When asked how that will affect the players, Campbell insisted it will be a huge psychological boost, but that the squad will now be targeting much more ambitious targets.
Speaking exclusively to West Brom News, Campbell said: “Psychologically it’s a good thing, but they’ll now be looking further than that.
“They’ve got three-quarters of the season virtually to go and we fancy our chances.
“We’re winning games, we’re confident, and we’re not conceding goals. They’re on the up. That’s the key – they’re looking up. They’re looking at who they can rein in and how many points it is to the playoffs.
“That dressing room is experienced, they know what they’re doing and there will be a lot of confidence running through the club.“
If fans were told a few months ago that they’d be targeting playoffs after Christmas the room would erupt with laughter. But there has been a huge shift in focus since Corberan’s arrival and Campbell is right – confidence is flowing.
Plus, while it sounds overly optimistic for a team in 21st to be targeting the playoffs, West Brom sit just eight points adrift from the top six.
Furthermore, the Baggies have played one less game than most teams in the division. It’d be a remarkable story if West Brom somehow fight their way into the playoffs, but it’s certainly a possibility this season.
In other West Brom news, Brandon Thomas-Asante is wowed by Carlos Corberan after being shown video footage in training