Source: SKY_Sports
Mowbray blasts Baggies backline
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray recognises his defence was to blame for Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Premier League relegation rivals Newcastle.[LNB] The rock-bottom Baggies - who could have climbed above Newcastle with victory - slumped at The Hawthorns as a blunder from Leon Barnett allowed Damien Duff to open the scoring in the second minute.[LNB]Marc-Antoine Fortune equalised almost immediately, but then Abdoulaye Meite failed to clear in the ninth minute and Peter Lovenkrands restored Newcastle's lead.[LNB]Steven Taylor extended the advantage before the break after losing Meite at a corner and Mowbray - who only saw Fortune net a consolation in the second half - admits his backline needs to improve. [LNB]"To basically shoot ourselves in the foot twice in the opening 10 minutes was always going to make it a difficult day," Mowbray told Sky Sports.[LNB]Mountain"And conceding a very basic goal from a set play before half-time gave us a mountain to climb that we could not overcome."[LNB]And Mowbray - who is now planning to focus upon defensive training with his side before travelling to Fulham on 22nd February - fears Barnett and Meite were struggling with a lack of match fitness.[LNB]"In defence of the players who made the mistakes, neither of them have done much training in the past month," added Mowbray.[LNB]"Both Leon and Abdoulaye have been injured in the last month and have not done much training.[LNB]"We have got a fortnight now until the next game and we have got to get lots of defensive work into the team. [LNB]"We have got to improve in that department if we are going to give ourselves a chance of staying up."[LNB]
