Daryl Burgess sends West Brom message after Preston North End victory seals playoffs
Daryl Burgess has called on West Brom to replicate their performance in their 3-0 victory over Preston North End in the playoffs.
The Baggies sealed their place in the top six on the final day of the Championship season by beating Preston at The Hawthorns, with Southampton their playoff semi-final opponents.
Goals from Alex Mowatt, Kyle Bartley and Darnell Furlong sealed a comfortable win and Burgess wants to see the same levels against the Saints.
He posted on his personal X account (4 May): “Now that’s the sort of performance we need repeated next week.
“Excellent energy, defensively strong and resolute. Positive play, looking to play forward and wide.
“Fantastic commitment and all in it together. We looked a team!”
West Brom must perform at their best to beat Southampton
Only one place separates West Brom and Southampton in the table, but the Saints have enjoyed a season that, in many other years, would have been good enough to secure automatic promotion.
The gap between the Baggies and Southampton is 12 points – the same as the gulf between West Brom and their beaten final-day opponents Preston.
However, both Carlos Corberan’s side and Russell Martin’s men endured similar dips in form as the season drew to a close, losing three games in a row before ending the regular campaign on a high with a win.
Southampton claimed their victory at Elland Road over fellow playoff participants Leeds United, who the Baggies could face in the final if they beat the Saints.
Against a side of such quality, West Brom cannot afford to play the way they did in the defeats against Sheffield Wednesday or Sunderland last month. A performance like the one they produced against Preston at the Hawthorns, however, would set them up well for a result against Southampton – and a step towards Premier League promotion.
In other West Brom news, Tony Brown wasn’t happy with a first-half incident in the win over Preston.
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