West Brom striker confirms key focus for remainder of season
Home debut goal hero Andi Weimann reckons Albion’s prime focus is to retain fifth spot rather than bridge the gap above them.
Carlos Corberan’s Baggies have sat in fifth place for almost all of the last three months but the chasing pack have stayed hot on their heels.
The division’s top four have led the way for much of the campaign. Leicester and Albion’s hosts on Saturday Ipswich were the Championship’s top two until last week, when in-form duo Southampton and Leeds stormed above the Suffolk men.
Russell Martin’s Saints are currently on a club-record 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions and are second. Southampton visit The Hawthorns on Friday week. Leeds, having played a game more, are one point behind in third.
Ipswich, a point further back, slipped to fourth as Corberan’s men head to Portman Road for Saturday’s early kick-off with a gap of 11 points between the sides. The visitors can put a dent in that by making it a double over the Tractor Boys this term, but experienced loanee Weimann, 32, believes the priority is improving a four-point gap to seventh.
“You never write anything off, I guess, but those four places have been up there all season, haven’t they?” Weimann told Talksport. “They’ve done really well.
“For us it’s about staying in that fifth position, I guess. If we can look up then great, but definitely stay in the play-offs.”
The Austrian added of his side’s chances of reaching the play-offs: “I hope so, I only joined three weeks ago, but it seems a good squad, everybody’s buzzing around the training ground, we’re in fifth place at the minute, a good position.
“Obviously the Championship is crazy, with however many games there are still to play, but we’ll give it a right good go. That’s my aim, to get promoted.”
The Baggies have played one game fewer than seventh-placed Coventry and rivals immediately below.
But Hull, in sixth, the Sky Blues, Sunderland, Norwich, Preston, Valerien Ismael’s Watford and Middlesbrough are all well in the hunt and separated by just seven points. Next Tuesday night’s visitors Cardiff are just one place further back.
The Bristol City frontman netted the later winner on his Hawthorns bow against Blues on Saturday.
Weimann’s clever steered winner against Blues earned Corberan’s side a crucial three points against Tony Mowbray’s visitors in a tight contest.
The Austrian joined the Baggies on loan for the remainder of the season as a versatile forward option for the Albion head coach after it was made clear the Ashton Gate club captain would not make further appearances for the club and trigger a contract extension. He won praise for the clever finish that downed City. “I think so, yeah,” Weimann said when asked if finishing was one of his best attributes.
“It’s always come kind of natural to me, having that instinct on where to put the ball, the technique, that’s how I made a career, I guess, to score some goals.”
The former Villa youngster has 21 caps for Austria, and won seven in 2022, where he scored his first and only international goal in a 1-1 draw against France. Weimann has been on stand-by for the last couple of international squads and still holds ambitions of a call-up for this summer’s European Championship in Germany.
He added: “It’s been a year now, that I haven’t been in the squad. I’ve been on stand-by the last couple of times. Of course they have qualified for the Euros as well. I’m getting on a little bit, there’s not many tournaments left I can make.”
“I think so!” Weimann smiled when asked about feeling fit. “I still feel good, I’m 32 now but still feel really, hopefully I’ve got a few more years left.”
