West Brom: Don Goodman predicts play-offs as worry emerges at The Hawthorns
Don Goodman accepts West Brom will be one of the underdogs if they reach the play-offs, but insists promotion cannot be ruled out for the Baggies.
Carlos Corberan’s side have spent the vast majority of the campaign in fifth place and tightened their grip on that position with a 2-1 win over Coventry City on Friday (1 March).
There is then a big gap on the top four sides – Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Leeds United and Southampton – two of whom will have to settle for a place in the play-offs.
Asked if Albion will therefore be underdogs when coming up against one of those sides, Goodman told West Brom News: “Logic will tell you yes, but reality tells you that several teams that have finished fifth and sixth in the table have managed to win the play-offs, so it’s not a given.
“Of those top four sides, Ipswich shouldn’t have any right to be where they are given the quality and money available to the other three. And I don’t think they’re going anywhere given their fixtures.
“I said when they were struggling for wins against some of the better sides, including West Brom, that once they got through that period 10 of their final 14 games against bottom-half sides, and they haven’t been beaten by a side in the bottom half yet.
“As for Leicester, they’ve had a bad run and that’s raised eyebrows, but to be honest with you, you need lady luck on your side to beat Leicester. So I also don’t worry for Leicester.
“I still think they’ll win the league; Leeds United are flying; Southampton are probably the ones you worry the most about. So will West Brom be the underdogs? Probably. Does it mean they can’t win the play-offs? Absolutely not.”
West Brom on course to claim play-off spot
West Brom have yet to win back-to-back league games this calendar year, but they have done enough to keep hold of fifth place.
That is very much the best of the rest this season, with the top four in a league of their own as they battle for two automatic promotion spots.
Ultimately, two of Leicester, Ipswich, Leeds and Southampton will be no better off than West Brom in May when the play-offs begin.
Everything that has happened prior to that point is forgotten about, so it is very much an even playing surface in the semi-finals and final.
If the Championship season was to conclude today, West Brom would play Southampton in the semi-finals.
That would of course be a very tough game, and Albion would not be the favourites among many, but it is certainly a winnable match.
That is the beauty of the play-offs, with a team in sixth going up at the expense of a team in third, and Albion must ensure they are part of it.
In other West Brom news, Shilen Patel’s thoughts on Corberan have been shared amid recent speculation regarding the manager’s future.
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