West Brom captain reveals where season has gone wrong and what every player needs to do after crushing Bristol City defeat

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Defeat to Bristol City in midweek leaves West Brom’s play-off hopes hanging by a thread ahead of the game against Watford this weekend.

West Brom are still one of the play-off contenders in the frame and there is all to play for during the final five-game run-in. Tony Mowbray’s side will know that there is little room for error in their upcoming fixtures, though.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
5	Bristol CityBristol City	41	16	15	10	53	44	9	63
6	CoventryCoventry	41	18	8	15	58	53	5	62
7	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	41	17	9	15	61	50	11	60
8	West BromWest Brom	41	13	18	10	49	38	11	57
9	MillwallMillwall	41	15	12	14	40	41	-1	57
10	WatfordWatford	41	16	8	17	49	53	-4	56

Adam Armstrong has called on West Brom and the other play-off sides in the mix to not let the outside pressure get to them, but West Brom are under enormous pressure having never won the play-offs.

Jayson Molumby knows the importance of a raucous home atmosphere at The Hawthorns, which is where they head to next. They face Watford on Saturday afternoon in a must-win fixture if they are to break back into the top six.

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Jed Wallace highlights West Brom’s attacking woes amid Josh Maja and Adam Armstrong praise

Speaking via BBC Sport’s Football Daily 72+: The EFL Podcast Jed Wallace has previously outlined that this is his side’s biggest week of the season. The West Brom captain’s side have lost the last three in a row in the Championship.

He added: “It’s such fine lines in the game and I feel like that’s been the story of our season but you can’t sit here and say, ‘we should have done this, we should have done that’ — we’ve got to step up and do it.

“I don’t think any of of us — well, I know for sure and I include myself — have done enough in the final third this season when you look at the goal tally.

“One thing I will say, I think we’ve really missed Josh Maja. I’m not saying that so everyone feels sorry for West Brom, because Daryl Dike has come fit, Will Lankshear has come to the club, and so has Adam Armstrong — who are three really good strikers.

“We haven’t really realised how much we’ve missed Josh, not just the goals he brings; but for me, back to goal, he’s the best number nine in the league. The link-up play is unbelievable.

“That’s not a sob story; we’ve really really missed him and he’s been a massive miss for us. We need to get Adam Armstrong firing and that’s down to the other players, down to Adam himself, down to the manager, and everyone else at the club.

“There is no doubt that Armstrong is an absolute quality striker at this level and, in my opinion, even the level above. He’s scored in the Premier League and, when you look at his record in the Championship, it’s unbelievable.

“Without putting pressure on him, he is the key to our season. That’s down to me when I’m back fit and everyone else we need to get him firing because he is the man who can make the difference as he showed in the play-offs last year.”

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Adam Armstrong could be the difference for West Brom’s play-off hopes

He may have only scored twice in 11 games thus far, but Armstrong is a versatile forward capable of being a differential at second tier level. He has showcased it numerous times before.

West Brom have not got the most out of him but the 28-year-old has developed into an all-round threat in attack. He contributed to 92 goals in the last three seasons at this level prior to this half-season with the Baggies.

Should he impress, Mowbray and West Brom will no doubt be keen on a longer-term switch. An EFL Analysis exclusive revealed as much regarding Southampton and Adam Armstrong last month.