Jeff Stelling shares West Brom and Blackburn play-off verdict after Saturday Championship developments
Jeff Stelling believes West Brom are firmly in the running to finish in the Championship’s top six this season after results went their way on Saturday.
After the 3pm kick-offs finished, Albion were in eighth place with two games in hand and two points behind Millwall in sixth.
Coventry moved up to fifth with a win over Reading but Wigan’s shock win over Millwall opens the door for the Baggies, but also for Blackburn Rovers, who face Preston later on Saturday.
Speaking on Sky Sports News on Saturday (22 April, 5:11pm), Stelling said: “Blackburn are on 64 [points]. They could gatecrash that top-six.
“Don’t rule out West Brom on 63.
“Sunderland, Norwich and Swansea, who are the in-form side, on 62 along with Preston.”
In our hands
West Brom players should know that if they win all their games between now and the end of the season, promotion to the Premier League will be won.
However, it’s rarely as as simple as that and with the Baggies, it never is.
Albion regularly bottle it in situations like this so expectations should be tempered but it’s hard to not get excited, isn’t it?
Carlos Corberan’s West Brom is a different beast from the one that Steve Bruce oversaw with it feeling as though it was a long time ago when we were in the relegation zone.
Promotion is possible but firstly, it’s Sunderland at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
Win that and West Brom will more than likely be in the top six.
And then there’s a tough run of fixtures coming, including clashes against Sheffield United, Norwich and, as Stelling mentioned, in-form Swansea.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies have sent scouts to track an in-demand defender who’s set to leave as they begin planning for the summer transfer window.