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'Us and Leeds...' - C'Ship rival discusses promotion race, claims being in shade is 'easier'
West Brom manager Slaven Bilic has claimed it is easier to be in the shade when discussing the recent drop of form of his side and Leeds United.
The Baggies have not won any of their last six Championship games, with Leeds not doing much better – picking up just the singular victory away at Birmingham.
Despite that, the two sides still occupy the automatic promotion spots. They also have the chance to extend their gaps to the play-offs, with games in hand over third-placed Fulham.
Bilic has claimed that the two sides are in privileged positions and that it is much easier to perform without everybody wanting you to fail every single week.
“There is a question we have to answer now,” he said, via the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“Us and Leeds. It’s much easier to be in the shade and nobody is talking about you but still, I wouldn’t swap with any of the teams that are below us.
“It’s a privilege and I said to the players that we have to embrace that challenge.”
West Brom could count themselves lucky to be in the position they are in though. Leeds, on the other hand, should once again have more of a grip on the automatic spots.
At the beginning of January, according to WyScout’s Expected Points graph, Leeds should have held an 11-point to third-placed Sheffield Wednesday. West Brom, on the other hand, should have been down in eight.
Is the Championship table reflective of each team's performances?
Using Wyscout's Expected Points database, I've compared it to each team's actual points total. Interesting to see #WBA down in 8th whilst Stoke City would be up to 7th.
RTs and thoughts appreciated. #EFL #LUFC pic.twitter.com/Qmc5Loe3qC
— Reece Chambers (@_reecechambers) January 6, 2020
So, Bilic is spot on to suggest that teams at the top of the table are privileged to be there, but there are question marks over just how much the Baggies deserve to be alongside Leeds in the top-two.
In other Leeds United news, ‘No surprise’ – Sky Sports pundit left frustrated by ‘fantastic’ senior Leeds man