West Bromwich Albion midfielder Alex Palmer has confessed that the upcoming fixture schedule would be “tough” for the Baggies to navigate in the run-up to Christmas.
Albion have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, sitting seventh in the Championship, level on points with the top six, owing in part to Palmer’s stellar form, who has preserved a league-best seven clean sheets in the first 16 games.
After the international break in November, the Baggies have nine games before the new year, including battles with the top three sides, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, and Leicester City, and Palmer is under no illusions that it will be a “tough” period for West Brom.
“It’s a tough schedule (ahead), but that’s what football is, the tradition of it,” he stated, as quoted by the Express & Star (22 November). It’s a nice time because you get through so many games, and then after Christmas and into the New Year, you get a sense of how the season will unfold.
“We’ll just have to wait for the games to come thick and fast.” When you have a busy period coming up and a lot of games, it’s usually game, cool down, game, cool down.
“The opportunity that the gaffer gave us was greatly appreciated by the lads.” It helps a lot mentally just to be able to switch off and replenish the batteries.”
Season defining
Nothing is determined in football in November, but a lot can be decided in the Championship between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and the next four weeks might be key in the Baggies’ quest for a playoff spot.
There are 27 points to play for in the next five and a half weeks, and with West Brom facing some of the league’s finest clubs during that time, picking up as many wins as possible may significantly boost The Hawthorns’ promotion aspirations.
With a number of players scheduled to return from injury in the coming weeks, including John Swift, Daryl Dike, and Josh Maja, the Baggies could be in for a significant boost to help Palmer and the rest of Carlos Corberan’s squad get through the difficult spell.
Starting with three points against Ipswich on Saturday (25 November) would be a huge boost for the Baggies as they prepare for a grueling month of football. If they continue to perform well in 2024, fans may begin to pin the league table to their walls.
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