Jeff Stelling pinpoints West Brom issue live on Sky Sports as playoff hopes take major blow at Rotherham
West Brom don’t score enough goals and it may have ended their playoff hopes after defeat at Rotherham, according to Jeff Stelling.
The Baggies went ahead from the spot through John Swift on Friday (7 April), but then conceded twice to former Hawthorns loanee Jordan Hugill before Tariqe Fosu made the points safe.
The 3-1 defeat meant Carlos Corberan’s side haven’t won away from home since 14 January at Luton, and the Albion have also only scored more than once on two occasions in the league since then.
Reacting live to the third Rotherham goal on Sky Sports Soccer Special (2.42pm) Stelling said: “Rotherham are not going to drop points because this is what’s just happened at the New York Stadium.
“Rotherham have gone 3-1 to the good. It’s Tariqe Fosu who’s on loan from Brentford scoring his first Rotherham goal, and what a time that is to get your first.”
He went on: “West Bromwich Albion remaining five points off the playoffs as things stand right now… West Brom just don’t score enough goals I’m afraid do they? That is the issue.”
Lacking firepower
With all of Grady Diangana, Matt Phillips and Karlan Grant out with injury, and unlikely to feature a huge number of times before the end of the campaign, it is little surprise that West Brom a short of goals.
Daryl Dike has come up with seven since his own injury issues finally lifted but it is a lot to ask for him to do everything on his own when Brandon Thomas-Asante hasn’t found the net in 2023.
The gap to the playoffs after the defeat is still not insurmountable thanks to Blackburn so the door isn’t entirely closed on sneaking in.
It is a major improvement from the relegation battle that was shaping up under Steve Bruce, but the stunning form since Corberan’s arrival has become decidedly more uneven over the past couple of months.
Perhaps the charge is running out of steam just short of the run in, but the fans have no choice but to believe until it is mathematically impossible.
There is a great deal of uncertainty ahead if the Premier League proves out of reach, so an uptick in scoring form will be crucial in the coming weeks if anything is going to be taken from this season.
In other West Brom news, the playoff hopes have received a strong verdict live on Sky Sports.