West Brom’s Mikey Johnston says play-offs ‘in our hands’, outlines six key Championship fixtures where club has big advantage

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We are heading into the crunch time of the season now, and with 11 games to go, West Brom have a very good chance of bagging a play-off spot this season.

It’s been a topsy-turvy campaign for the Baggies in many ways. They started the season with Carlos Corberan at the helm, but the Spaniard returned to his homeland in December to take over at Valencia.

In stepped Tony Mowbray, and West Brom have maintained a solid level of form despite the upheaval, with the veteran manager steadying the ship and raising spirits into the New Year.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
4	SunderlandSunderland	35	18	11	6	52	32	20	65
5	CoventryCoventry	35	15	8	12	49	44	5	53
6	West BromWest Brom	35	12	16	7	45	32	13	52
7	Bristol CityBristol City	35	13	13	9	45	38	7	52
8	BlackburnBlackburn	35	15	7	13	40	35	5	52

But, it’s an intense battle for the play-off places right now, and while the Midlands outfit are currently occupying the sixth and final spot, that could all change in a heartbeat.

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The Hawthorns could be key to West Brom’s promotion hopes

Speaking to the club’s official website as we approach the run-in, West Brom star Mikey Johnston highlighted the upcoming fixtures as a great opportunity for the Baggies to cement their spot in the top six, and he claims home advantage in more than half of those games could be key.

He said: “Our focus is completely on ourselves for the final 11 games. We don’t look at anyone else in the table and we focus on trying to win our games. That’s what we can affect. We can’t affect other results between other teams.

“We’re going to be around it, as many teams are. The stars are in our hands and I don’t think we can feel pressure in these situations. These are the moments where we have to stand up and be counted for.

“These are times as a player which make you want to be the one who’s going to be the difference-maker in what is a massive point of the season.”

Johnston has called on West Brom supporters to make The Hawthorns a fortress for those next six fixtures, adding: “We know everyone is very much behind us and with a lot of our remaining games being at home, it makes it all the more important that we do well in them.

“We definitely need the fans. They make a difference in games at home and the best example I can think of last year in this situation was the Southampton match in the play-offs. It makes it enjoyable for everyone, but it makes the game a lot tougher for the opposition if it’s a hostile atmosphere.

“I haven’t played in too many atmospheres like that and we want to soak up moments like those more often at The Hawthorns and I hope there’s a few to come before the end of the season.”

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Home atmosphere will need to be ramped up to help the Baggies succeed

West Brom need to play QPR, Hull City, Sunderland, Watford, Derby, and Luton Town at home. Sunderland aside, those are games that the Baggies could and should be winning, especially if they are serious about going up this season.

But, The Hawthorns has not always been buzzing like Johnston describes this season, and the atmosphere at the ground has certainly been cause for concern among some fans.

Over the last week in the Championship, it was revealed that the Baggies have big plans when it comes to the stadium, with the introduction of safe standing at The Hawthorns on the way next season.

That’ll be great when it comes, but the truth is, West Brom need that ground to be jumping over the next six games, whether the fans are standing or not.