West Brom legend Ally Robertson insists automatic promotion not out of reach this season
West Brom icon Ally Robertson is now feeling optimistic about the Baggies this season, and insists automatic promotion should still be the target.
After a dismal start to the season under Steve Bruce, West Brom will spend Christmas hovering just above the relegation zone in 21st.
The only reason the Baggies aren’t slumped in the drop zone is the impact of Carlos Corberan, with the Spaniard arriving at The Hawthorns and picking up three consecutive wins ahead of the World Cup break.
West Brom found new confidence under Corberan and ended the first half of the season as one of the most in-form teams in the Championship. If they resume in December in a similar fashion, Robertson isn’t ruling out finishing in the top two.
“There’s nobody to me that stands out in the Championship this season. If we can get on another run we can get into the play-offs or even the top two places,” Robertson wrote via his Express & Star column.
“I don’t think there is anybody that is absolutely above anybody else.
“The other thing is all the teams can beat each other, especially this season, but we look harder to beat now. It’s a little bit of a shame to have four weeks off after that, but if we can come back and do the same as against Stoke then everybody will believe we can get it.”
High expectations
Robertson’s ambitious prediction shows just how much confidence and excitement are running through everyone associated with West Brom at the moment.
After enduring such a horrible few months under Bruce, it’s freeing to watch the side return to form and put on some fantastic displays.
Of Corberan’s three wins, the victory away at QPR stands out. It showed that the Baggies truly can beat anyone on their day in the Championship, regardless of whether they’re at home or not.
It gave the club a new wave of confidence and the squad is up there among the best in the division. Is a top-two finish really possible? It’s a huge ask, but yes.
The gap between West Brom and second-placed Sheffield United sits at 15 points, with the Baggies boasting a game in hand. Having not even reached the halfway point of the season yet, there’s bound to be some huge twists or turns in store.
In other West Brom news, Sky Sports commentators Rob Hawthorne and Stephen Kelly were wowed by Jayson Molumby this week