Goalkeeper Ben Cisse is intent on helping Albion’s young hopefuls push up the PL2 table ahead of their next game against Derby County on Monday afternoon (ko 2pm).
The young Baggies bowed out of the Premier League Cup in their last outing - losing 3-0 to Reading on home soil - and as Richard Beale’s men prepare for their return to league action at the West Bromwich Albion Training Ground, focus now turns to breaking into the top PL2 places.
More specifically, the top 16 spots, with all sides finishing in that bracket qualifying for the play-off games come the end of the campaign, while the first 12 in the Premier League 2 standings will earn an invitation to compete in the PL International Cup next season.
Plenty of incentives, but for young shot-stopper Cisse, development is the main item on the agenda heading into Albion’s clash with the Rams, and the West Bromwich-born shot-stopper hopes his vocalness on the pitch can help his team to three points at the club's Walsall HQ.
Cisse said: “We go into every game wanting to win but we understand we can’t win all of them.
“The games we don’t get three points from, we take as a learning curve and a chance to improve. From those lessons, we’ve got to bounce back and then, try and ensure we continue winning more games.
“It’s about getting back to winning ways now, though. We know we need to play to our strengths and not focus on our opponents too much and how Bealey and Deon want us to go about the game will determine how we approach things on Monday.
“As a team, we want to try and finish in those top 16 places, with the chance of play-offs and the PL International Cup there too.
“We put in so much hard work week in, week out and sometimes it goes unnoticed.
“On one side, I’m fighting for my pro deal and I feel like if I keep on doing the right things in games and off the pitch, then I’ll get closer to that target. That’s my main focus at the moment.
“Since coming up to the 21s, the area of my game which has come on the most has been my communication.
“I feel I’ve been louder, more vocal and demanding of my team-mates because at the end of the day, we’re trying to get into those top PL2 spots to be in with a chance of some success at the end of the year.”
How to follow the match
Tickets will be unavailable for Monday's match against Derby at the West Bromwich Albion Training Ground.
A live stream will not be provided for the match. Fans can follow updates on the game across the club's social media channels.
