Slaven Bilic backs West Brom to secure playoff place, says club have everything for promotion
Slaven Bilic has backed West Brom in the race for the top six, insisting his old club “have everything” to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Hawthorns promotion-winner Bilic locked horns with the Baggies for the first time since his 2020 axing this week, where he got the better of Carlos Corberan’s visitors to Vicarage Road in a thrilling 3-2 win.
The result left the Baggies five points from the playoff places in 10th place, ahead of their huge and difficult clash with high-flying Middlesbrough on Saturday.
And Bilic, asked if his old club are a top-six contender [via Express & Star, 23 February] said: “Definitely. Look, West Brom – when I was in Croatia at the beginning of the season, before I got the Watford job, West Brom weren’t… maybe I am connected to those players because some of them I trained, but on paper, they were extremely underachieving. Under Steve Bruce, they were also unlucky.
“You have everything there. You have a British core of the players. You have that mentality.
“You have a good defence, you have a good midfield. You are great on the flanks, you are good up front.
“They were underachieving and Carlos brought them back, which was not easy – no matter how good you are on paper if it’s not happening.”
Slipping away
While the Croatian will be hoping his old club secure a playoff place at the end of the campaign, he’ll certainly be praying it isn’t at the expense of his current club Watford, especially after their crucial result on Monday.
The Hornets now sit five points ahead of Corberan’s men which may seem small to some but considering the number of clubs in the race for those coveted four positions, it is a telling gap.
The Baggies’ home encounter with Michael Carrick’s rampant Boro side couldn’t be any more crucial and another defeat for the Spaniard and his team could well leave their chances of securing a place in the top six slip away.
If the Albion are to keep their hopes alive, they have to secure a result against Middlesbrough, no matter how difficult it may be. The gloves are off.
In other West Brom news, Bilic has shared his verdict on Corberan after Watford’s win over the Albion.