West Brom automatic promotion claim made by Don Goodman after what he’s seen at The Hawthorns
Don Goodman insists this current West Brom side would have been in serious contention for automatic promotion from the Championship last season.
The Baggies have spent the vast majority of the 2023-24 campaign in fifth place and are 16 points off Leicester City in second, having played a game more.
While that gulf is clearly too much to bridge this season, in any other campaign it could easily have seen West Brom challenging for a top-two finish.
Speaking to West Brom News, former striker Goodman said: “They’re a little unlucky in that the top teams in the Championship this season, and the top four in particular, have found a level of performance and consistency that we have never seen the like of before.
“That is in terms of each of them averaging two points a game – more than two points a game, even. I wouldn’t be surprised if all four of them finish the season having averaged more than two points a game.
“It’ll take something special. If you look back to last season, this West Brom team in that league – which in terms of depth in quality was pretty average – they might have pushed Sheffield United close for automatic promotion.
“It’s about the quality around you in any given season that will define how well or not you’ll do. I do honestly think fifth is the best West Brom could ever have dreamt of this season.”
West Brom closing in on Championship play-off spot
Nobody really expected Albion to finish in the top six, especially when factoring in their financial predicament, yet here they are sitting pretty comfortably in fifth place.
This is the position Albion have occupied for 23 gamedays in a row, stretching back to late November time.
Sixty-six points from 38 games is a very strong return and is 25 short of what Sheffield United finished with last season, with eight games of this campaign still to play.
Unfortunately for Albion, Leeds United, Leicester City, Ipswich Town and, to a slightly lesser extent right now, Southampton have all been in a league of their own.
Two of those four sides will miss out on automatic promotion, and it is likely that Albion will have to then overcome both of them if they are to go up via the play-offs.
Whether it is Leeds, Leicester, Ipswich or Southampton, West Brom will still be confident of proving the doubters wrong and earning a return to the Premier League.
In other West Brom news, Goodman has raised one possible area of concern for the Baggies.
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