Mowbray ‘uncomfortable’ at West Brom as major change hinted
West Brom could see their Championship play-off fate dictated by the events of their next 90 minutes of football when Coventry City play host to the Baggies.
Tony Mowbray takes his side on the short trip to the CBS Arena on Good Friday (18 April), in a bid to overcome the latest opponent listed among his former clubs.
Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues are three points but an inferior goal difference apart from Albion, meaning victory in Warwickshire will leapfrog Mowbray’s men above their hosts.
Mowbray hints at major change
For some, West Brom had been considered to have snatched failure from the jaws of top-six success in the Championship this season, when they suffered three defeats on the spin.
Last weekend’s vital victory over Watford at The Hawthorns, however, has put the Baggies right back in the mix with four left to play.
The Easter weekend offers an opportunity for six points to be earned, and Mowbray reflected on the risks West Brom took to acquire their win last time out.
The Baggies came out on top with just over 38 per cent possession against the Hornets, something Mowbray admitted he was “not comfortable” with according to his usual preference of playing style.
The manager has however hinted at the major tactical change becoming more commonplace among his side, confessing his previous method had not been working and that it is important to be open-minded.
“The only thing is you need a strong mentality – in my job anyway – to sit there and allow the opposition so much ball in and around your box,” Mowbray told the Express & Star (15 April).
“It’s not comfortable. Yet having so much dominance in the last three games, especially the second half at Bristol City, having not scored enough goals is something to think about.”
West Brom have plenty to win or to lose v Coventry
It will certainly be intriguing to see how Mowbray sets his team up at Coventry, whether he will aim to be more conservative and keep possession or remain direct, a la Watford.
The difference here is from an objective perspective, Albion approach Friday’s contest as underdogs – but the Championship is notorious for results against the grain – especially at this stage of the campaign.
| West Brom – final four | Date |
| Coventry (A) | 18 April |
| Derby (H) | 21 April |
| Cardiff (A) | 26 April |
| Luton (H) | 3 May |
West Brom know victory at the CBS will put them back in the driving seat, though Middlesbrough and Millwall – level on points with the Baggies – will have plenty to say about that.
Defeat in Coventry would make the top six very unlikely, and that is the risk Mowbray knows to weigh up. It could be all-or-nothing, with the remaining three games coming against sides battling for their lives in the division.