#5 Mid-table teams only strive for the magic 40 points and then give up
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This has been a repetitive theme for some years now in the Premier League, personified by Tony Pulis’s West Bromwich Albion.
Every mid-table team strives for the 40 points that, historically, guarantees safety and another term in the Premier League.
However, like West Brom, who reached that magic mark in February, their motivation evades them and the supporters are left with the feeling of ‘what might have been’.
At the point of Pulis’ team reaching 40 points, they were only four points off Everton in seventh and a Europa League qualifying spot. That is something to strive for. That is what the fans want.
Yet, after reaching the 40 point mark, with 12 games remaining at the time (nearly a third of the season), West Brom ended up losing nine, drawing two and winning just one game. That is an utterly atrocious form card and one for which most managers would get sacked for if it was not for reaching 40 points.
Instead of settling for mid-table, like West Brom have done, they should be aiming for a Europa League finish. There appears not to be a big enough incentive for clubs to be maximising their season and this should be alarming for the Premier League.
Change is needed and we all want to see the likes of West Brom closing the gap on the ‘top six’ and finishing in a Europa League qualifying position.
