Sky Sports host makes West Brom promotion prediction after what he saw v Leeds
Tony Mowbray has had an up and down start to life since returning to West Brom.
It appeared that the 61-year-old’s ideas have begun to sink in at The Hawthorns after securing a hard-fought draw away to Leeds United.
A Darnell Furlong equaliser before the interval proved to be enough to take a point away from Elland Road in what David Prutton saw as a trademark Mowbray performance.
With just 11 games remaining of the Championship season, it will certainly be interesting to see if the former Sunderland boss can continue to have a positive impact.
Prutton impressed by West Brom showing v Leeds United
After the departure of Carlos Corberan, there was every chance that things could turn pear-shaped in B71 but that hasn’t proved to be the case.
The Baggies now sit sixth in the second-tier on 52 points but currently remain on the same points as Blackburn Rovers in seventh and one behind Coventry City in fifth.
| Position | Team | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 5. | Coventry City | 35 | +5 | 53 |
| 6. | West Brom | 35 | +13 | 52 |
| 7. | Blackburn Rovers | 35 | +5 | 52 |
This leaves the race to earn a place in the playoffs completely open and means that every single point is going to be massive between now and the end of the campaign.
This hasn’t been wasted on Prutton who has piled praise on Albion and has shared his belief for Mowbray success at The Hawthorns with Football League World (4 March).
He said: “Tony Mowbray has got pedigree with getting teams promoted. Against the current top four they are currently unbeaten, which given historically West Brom’s standing within the Premier League might sound like I’m giving them faint praise, but I’m not.
“They were very much up for the battle at Elland Road, and they do have the ability in their players to finish off teams.
“I like that ability to be stubborn in games with that creative flourish that we all know that Tony knows and loves, I think absolutely they can finish in the play-offs.”
Mowrbay must achieve playoff place with West Brom
It is fair to say that a top six finish will be expected in the Black Country given the performances of the Baggies this season.
The opening weeks of the year were spectacular and saw the likes of Tom Fellows and Josh Maja make their presence known in B71.
This level fell away somewhat as the campaign went on but there is little reason as to why Albion should be missing out on a place in the playoffs.
If this wasn’t to be the case and Valerien Ismael‘s Blackburn or Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough were to move ahead of the West Midlands outfit, this would have to go down to Mowbray.
There was so much quality already available in his squad and they were added to by winter signings like Adam Armstrong and Isaac Price who should be enough to get the Baggies over the line, you would think.