Shilen Patel issues public rallying cry to West Brom ahead of crucial Preston North End clash | OneFootball

Three defeats in a row has left Carlos Corberan’s side in danger of losing their place inside the top six.

Losses to Leicester City, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday have seen the Baggies be leapfrogged by Norwich City.

The gap to seventh place Hull City is now just two points, but their superior goal difference means just a point should be needed against the Lilywhites this weekend to secure a play-off place.

Albion have occupied a top six position in the standings for quite some time, so missing out would be a huge collapse from where they were just a month ago.

Shilen Patel’s message to West Brom ahead of Preston clash

Patel has issued a public rallying cry to his West Brom team ahead of their game with Preston on Saturday.

He has stressed that the club’s fate is in its own hands, and that everyone needs to get behind them this weekend to help Corberan’s side get over the line.

“We all wanted Saturday to be simpler,” wrote Patel, via his personal Twitter account.

“Still, after 45 mad matches in this league [West Brom] remain the keepers of our fate.”

“The path to our ultimate goal remains in our hands, through our Fortress, vs our players and backed by our fans.

“We have all we need to fulfill our dreams.”

Patel is the newest chairman at West Brom, having taken on the role following his takeover of the club at the start of 2024.

The US-based businessman will be keen to see his team fighting for promotion to the Premier League, especially as a top flight return this year would surely be ahead of schedule.

West Brom's promotion battle

The club was in a difficult financial situation prior to Patel’s arrival as owner, but Corberan still had the team punching above its weight.

The Spaniard has earned a lot of praise for his work at the Hawthorns over the last 18 or so months, guiding the club to a ninth place finish last year.

Qualifying for the play-offs this year would be a clear step forward for the 41-year-old, who previously led Huddersfield Town to the play-off final in 2022.

A draw against Preston on Saturday should be enough to seal sixth place, but a victory gives them the best chance at retaking fifth ahead of Norwich, who are only one point ahead going into the final round of fixtures.

West Brom losing all momentum going into the play-offs

Even if West Brom do still finish inside the top six, which they should, this has not been the best preparation for it.

They have lost their edge in the last few weeks, scoring just one goal in their last three games.

Corberan will have a difficult task in re-energising his squad for a huge next few weeks.

The difference between fifth and sixth is negligible as there are no easy games in the play-offs, but it is still a psychological blow to have lost their form right before a huge run of games.