West Brom: Adam Reach shares what squad have said about play-offs at The Hawthorns
West Brom midfielder Adam Reach has admitted that you don’t win anything for finishing fifth as the Baggies look to consolidate their place in the Championship play-offs.
Speaking with BBC Radio WM in the lead-up to their match against Sunderland on April 13, Reach said that he wants Carlos Corberan’s side to wrap up a place in the top six as soon as possible.
Reach admitted that the West Brom squad have been talking about that play-off spot all week now, as they look to hit top form over the next month.
On improving their results leading into the final regular matches of the season, Reach said: “We want to take maximum points and sometimes when you’ve guaranteed a play-off spot you can stumble over the line a little – you want to get into the semi-finals at your maximum level or as near to it as you can.
“We’ve spoken about it all week. For being fifth now, you don’t get anything – that only gets you into the semi-finals and there’s certain steps you’ve got to take from there.”
Response against Rotherham sets up crucial run-in for West Brom
Playing against a side who have looked destined for the drop since very early on this season, West Brom’s 2-0 win over Rotherham looked like a routine three points for a promotion-chasing side.
Having been forced into a late comeback and then surrendering a two-goal advantage to record 2-2 draws in their last two games against Watford and Stoke respectively, facing an already relegated Rotherham presented another potential banana skin which the Baggies have been likely to trip on in recent weeks.
However, two first-half goals, had the game effectively won before the break, and after three draws in a row allowed Norwich to make plenty of ground on fifth place, a return to form for Corberan’s side presents them with the chance to finish the regular season on their own terms.
Their next game, against a Sunderland side who held Leeds to a 0-0 draw in midweek poses its own challenges, before matches against leaders Leicester, relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday, and mid-table Preston to close out the season.
West Brom’s run-in, if they can make good on Reach’s promise, allows them to enter the play-offs with momentum behind them, and once there, as the old saying goes – anything can happen.
In other West Brom news, Reach was awarded a 9/10 for his outstanding performance against Rotherham on Wednesday night.
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