Slaven Bilic: Pain is driving West Brom promotion bid
Slaven Bilic believes last season’s play-off heartbreak is acting as a motivator as his Albion players fight for automatic promotion this season.
The Baggies lost on penalties in the play-off semi-final clash with Villa and – with nine Championship games remaining and Albion six points clear of third-placed Fulham – Bilic says his team are using last year’s disappointment as encouragement for the final push.
“Yes, definitely (it’s a motivator), they want to avoid it but it’s about balance – it’s good to have that pressure,” he said. “But it can’t be that they are afraid of everything.
“You have to be focused for tomorrow, but you have to be free tomorrow. They have to embrace the game and not think ‘oh my God if we lose we go into the play-offs’. Then it is negative.
“Then you don’t want the ball, then you don’t want to challenge, then you don’t want to be exposed one against one and then you lose your shape.
“We have got to be brave, we have got to be brave in every situation if we want to achieve what we want to achieve.
“The prize is so high so you can’t be average.
“If you are average you are going to achieve something average. You can maybe be lucky and win one game, but you can’t be lucky for the whole season.
“We and a few other clubs, whether it’s staying in the league, the play-offs or automatic promotion – exceptional achievements require exceptional performances, individually and collectively.
“And we are having that at the moment, that is why we are there. But it’s not just about us,the other clubs that are up there are having it as well.
“It’s about consistency, simple as that.”
Albion drew 0-0 with Swansea on Saturday, meaning they dropped one point behind Leeds, who took the Championship top spot.
Despite dropping out of the leading position, stalwart midfielder Jake Livermore insists the team need to focus on themselves, rather than their title challengers, as they go in search of silverware this season.
“We can only focus on ourselves,” he said. “The gap is still six points (to third) but we came away from Swansea very disappointed we didn’t win.
“Leeds, good luck to them.
“They can do whatever they need to do, but we want to win the league.
“It’s chins up and we go again next week.
“There is no doom and gloom.”
