Albion’s Second Tier Season Comparison – 28 games | OneFootball

If Tony Mowbray had any misconceptions about Albion’s problems this season, the 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough aptly demonstrated the current squad’s deficiencies. The Baggies looked good between both boxes for much of the match competing well against a well organised team of good footballers, but they lacked the clinical touch in front of goal and were beaten by two excellent goals.

Furthermore, the bench offered little in the way of impact which reinforces the case for significant reinforcements before the window closes. Of course, the financial situation will dictate how significant those reinforcements will be, but we have to trust Mowbray to advise well on them and to also get more out of the squad that is already there.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Albion have won game 29 in each of the last two campaigns by a single goal, but it proved pivotal in 2021/22 – the 2-0 defeat at Millwall proved to be the last game of Valérien Ismaël’s tenure although the Frenchman’s side had more points than this season’s team at the same stage.

There are eighteen games of the campaign remaining so a possible 54 points available – Gary Megson’s 2001/02 team achieved a remarkable 42 points in that period while Denis Smith’s side in 1998/99 won just 17 points including a run of just six points earned from the final ten matches of the season. Corberán and Bilić both earned 30 points in 2023/24 and 2019/20 respectively, as did both of Mowbray’s teams in 2006/07 and 2007/08. I suspect Albion will need slightly more than 30 points from the remaining games to make the play-offs this season.

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