Kevin Phillips: West Brom are ‘100%’ Championship playoff contenders after recent form under Carlos Corberan
Former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips believes Carlos Corberan’s side are “100 per cent” in the hunt for the playoffs, despite their torrid start to the season under Steve Bruce.
The Baggies came from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light, securing a fourth consecutive win and climbing away from the Championship relegation zone.
A stunning finish from Tom Rogic and a winner from the returning Daryl Dike were enough to claim all three points in the north-east, and the American will be hopeful of a starting position in this weekend’s fixture against Rotherham (Saturday 17 December).
When asked live on Sky Sports, and reported via Birmingham Live, if West Brom could mount a playoff charge, the ex-Abion forward replied: “100%, I think you’ve seen in the past four performances that they’ve got a mixture of everything.
“They’ve got experience in the squad. They’ve got some youth in there, they’ve got energy, they’ve got people who can score goals, they’ve got people who can create, and now they’ve got a manager that the players believe in, that they’ve bought into – and you can see that in the performances.
“To come to Sunderland, which is a tough place to come and get a result, speaks volumes. I think it’s important not to get carried away because football has a tendency to bite you in the backside pretty quick.”
Festive period key
Although West Brom suffered a dismal start to the Championship season, they now sit just eight points off the playoff spots.
Securing four wins on the bounce for the first time in three years bodes well for a potential run, but the festive period could prove crucial, with their next three games (Rotherham, Coventry, and Bristol City) against sides in the bottom half of the table.
If they can claim at least six points from these three fixtures before the new year, Corberan will certainly be looking up the table rather than down.
With the returning Dike hitting the ground running, and Rogic scoring a quite beautiful goal after coming off the bench, the Spaniard is likely to have several healthy selection dilemmas over the coming weeks.
West Brom are a side brimming with confidence and a team nobody will want to face right now. For the first time in what seems like years, Baggies fans may be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
In other West Brom news, Carlos Corberan made his squad watch Sir Alex Ferguson’s documentary during their Spain training camp.