Robert Snodgrass: West Brom will ‘creep’ into the Championship play-offs this season

Former West Bromwich Albion winger Robert Snodgrass believes the Baggies can mount a serious Championship promotion push under James Morrison this season.

West Brom made a solid start to the campaign, winning four of their opening seven games.

However, consecutive 1-0 defeats to local rivals Wolves and Birmingham City have stalled their momentum, leaving them just outside the top eight.

Snodgrass, though, remains confident the Baggies can challenge for the play-offs, praising Morrison’s steady leadership and the additions of Matt Gill, Tony McMahon and Gavin Strachan to his coaching staff at The Hawthorns as key reasons for optimism.

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Good qualities

“I think West Brom are one of the ones that are going to sort of creep in, I think in the top six, definitely,” he told Snabbare.

“James is a very, very good manager, he’s got a great calming way about him.

“He’s added some great staff members in Matt Gill, Tony McMahon and Gavin Strachan, it’s a good solid base he’s got there now.

“He’s got the lads fighting for him and playing for him. The lad Jimmy-Jay Morgan is scoring goals, the lad Isaac Price is a really good player. 

“Yeah, I feel as if they’ve got a lot of good qualities.”

Legend

Pointing to Morrison’s long-standing connection with the club spanning almost two decades as both player and coach, Snodgrass feels the permanent appointment was thoroughly deserved after several impressive caretaker spells.

“Obviously the most important thing is the manager – I think he’ll want to try and push the club forward,” he explained.

“He’ll have a lot of admirers – he’s young and fresh, and he’s learned off a lot of the managers and been sitting in the wings waiting patiently.

“The reason why I did believe that he would do it, because every time he’s come in as caretaker, I think, he was undefeated. 

“So it’s great that he eventually made that sort of switch to give him the job. 

“He loves football – eats, sleeps and breathes football. He’s been there 18 or 20 years or something like that now. 

“He’s a legend – he’s always sort of been there through the good times and the bad.”

Massive signing

Looking across the broader Championship promotion race, the former Scotland international tipped another of his former clubs, West Ham, to be in the promotion hunt alongside West Brom and Middlesbrough

Snodgrass singled out Boro’s acquisition of striker Will Lankshear as a potential difference-maker.

“In terms of promotion, it’s two of my old clubs in West Brom, West Ham and I think Middlesbrough will be in there,” he added.

“I think from how close they came last season, the manager has sort of built on from where they went.

“They had a few close attempts last season, obviously with the stuff that went on with Southampton. 

“And then them signing the boy Will Lankshear, I think it’s a massive signing in terms of somebody who I think will maybe get 20-plus goals this season. 

“He could be the difference for them.

“The job James Morrison has done, you’re never getting too high and never too low. 

“And I think that’s what you need to do in that sort of level-playing field, getting the lads to do their jobs. 

“And he’s a terrific manager.”

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