West Brom to favour major overhaul that could see £120m jackpot open as talks begin
Shilen Patel will have ambitions of taking West Brom back to the Premier League under Ryan Mason.
Bilkul Football have implemented a slight overhaul of the hierarchy, with Andrew Nestor appointed as president at The Hawthorns.
Mason is expected to finish in the Championship play-offs spots, but back-to-back losses to Derby County and Middlesbrough have been a setback for the Baggies.
Nonetheless, the Albion still have a long way to go this season to end their exile from the English top flight, and their chances may improve further in the coming months.
This story includes exclusive comments from football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley.
Championship play-offs being extended to favour West Brom
The EFL are said to be in talks over a change that would extend the Championship play-offs to eighth spot, with widespread backing from club executives already.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Baggies being in favour of extending the number of teams with the chance of Premier League football, and speaking exclusively to West Brom News, Plumley said: “Yeah, I know people don’t like this idea, and I get that.
“I don’t think I’m a big fan of it myself, ultimately from a sporting competition point of view, but I imagine there’ll be a few clubs that would vote for this. And you would put West Brom in that mix.
“If you look at it in the kind of cold, hard light of the numbers, we know that that uplift in revenue is guaranteed to be £120million. And if you can stay there another season, then you get that same again, and you’ve got parachute payments as the buffer still if you get relegated.
“It’s a minimum of £120m to go up, and if you provide an opportunity for two more teams to go into that mix, then why are the clubs gonna turn it down? I just don’t see it.”
- The Baggies are seventh in the league table after six matches.
- Mason has won three of his seven games in charge at The Hawhtorns.
- The Albion signed nine players last summer.
Plumley added: “Whether or not some of them do think and side with the kind of fan view that it’s crazy to suggest that the team in eighth place could get promoted, but financially, if you finish sixth and go up, no one cares, certainly not the club.
“There is that counterargument of, well, what’s another two positions? And if you are the club that finishes eighth and it pays off, I’m sure there are lots of clubs that would be in favour of it.
“I’m not putting words into the mouth of West Brom, but you’d be looking at that pack of clubs that get close, or have been close in recent years, and I’m sure that they’d be welcome if they got into the play-offs in eighth position.”
Read More: West Brom fans to rage at ‘insane’ Darnell Furlong admission at Ipswich Town
Ryan Mason has squad capable of Championship promotion
Nat Phillips and Chris Mepham’s partnership at The Hawthorns is more than capable of leading the Baggies into the Premier League.
The two centre-backs have formed a solid duo at the Black Country outfit, and it’s now up to the forward line to support them.
Mason should look to find a solution for the Albion’s attacking woes, with Aune Heggebo not really living up to expectations yet.
West Brom must reinstate Josh Maja into the starting lineup against Leicester City on 26 September as the English manager needs to get back to winning ways in B71 and continue their push for promotion.
Either way, this would only help them.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Bromwich Albion news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westbromnews247