Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has admitted that he still believes that West Bromwich Albion will secure promotion to the Premier League this season.
It seemed as if the Baggies had turned a corner under the guidance of Valerien Ismael after securing back-to-back victories in the Championship over Coventry City and Reading.
However, West Brom have since squandered the opportunity to move into the automatic promotion places as they have only managed to pick up two points from their last three league games.
After producing an underwhelming display in their meeting with Barnsley, the Baggies succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Derby County before being held to a draw by Cardiff City last weekend.
Currently four points adrift of Blackburn Rovers who occupy second-place in the Championship standings, the Baggies will need to improve their consistency in the coming months if they are to challenge for automatic promotion.
Set to face Queens Park Rangers in the second-tier on January 15th, Valerien Ismael's side will be determined to produce a positive performance in this particular fixture following their recent blip in form.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Sky Sports EFL Podcast about the current situation that West Brom find themselves in, Hinchcliffe said: "When he came in Ismael, I knew exactly what we're going to get and I still think they can get there [the Premier League].
"Maybe not in the top-two but I still think if they can click again, there is absolutely every chance that they could win out through the play-offs."
The Verdict
It is somewhat of a surprise that West Brom have struggled to deliver the goods consistently in the Championship as they are currently able to call upon the services of some classy operators.
Having secured the services of Daryl Dike earlier this month, the Baggies will be hoping that the forward will be able to spearhead a push for promotion during the second-half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Under the guidance of Ismael at Barnsley last season, Dike scored nine goals in 21 appearances for the Yorkshire-based outfit as he illustrated that he is more than capable of competing at this level.
By picking up positive results in their upcoming clashes with QPR, Peterborough United and Millwall, West Brom will keep in touch with their promotion rivals in the Championship standings.