West Brom boss Tony Pulis tells players to retain belief after tough run
Tony Pulis has told his West Brom players to retain belief after the worst run of results during his Albion tenure.
West Brom's 1-0 defeat at struggling Swansea on Saturday made it five games without a win for the Baggies and left them three points from the Barclays Premier League drop zone.
But Pulis feels his side are not getting the rub of the green when it comes to refereeing decisions, and the Welshman insists he is still looking upwards rather than nervously over his shoulder.
"You put two or three results together and you're in the top 10," West Brom boss Pulis said ahead of Monday's home game with Newcastle, which has suddenly taken on the look of a six-pointer.
"That's how close this league is, it's close this year.
"It will ebb and flow and we haven't even reached halfway yet.
"We played really well at Swansea and we've got to keep going and keep believing."
Newcastle's visit marks the final game of Pulis' first year in charge at The Hawthorns as he was appointed on January 1.
It has been a largely progressive 12 months as survival specialist Pulis steered Albion away from relegation danger last season before guiding Albion into the top eight in October.
But three successive draws and back-to-back defeats against Bournemouth and Swansea have left West Brom too close to the relegation zone for comfort.
"If you looked at the three games before we played Bournemouth and Swansea - Tottenham at home and Liverpool and West Ham away, they're all tough games," Pulis said.
"We played Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and Liverpool - three of them away - and we got six points out of those games.
"So we were pleased with that.
"The last two games have been poor but they're such thin lines."
Saido Berahino could make his first start since October with Stephane Sessegnon and Callum McManaman also in contention as Pulis plans to rotate his squad but suspended pair Salomon Rondon and James McClean remain out.
Rob Elliot has urged Newcastle to make the Baggies pay for their Boxing Day heartache.
The Magpies came within seconds of securing a hard-fought Barclays Premier League point on Saturday when Everton midfielder Tom Cleverley snatched a last-gasp victory at St James' Park with an injury-time header, in the process leaving the home side in the relegation zone on goal difference.
Asked if it was a good thing to have another game so quickly, Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Elliot told nufctv: "In one way, but in another way, I don't agree with the turnaround in games.
"It's a strange one in such a short space of time, but this situation, it's good. We'll get out there and hopefully put it right against West Brom and maybe get a bit of luck that we deserve.
"If we can put that performance in like we did against a team like Everton, then hopefully we can go to West Brom and try to get a good result."
Head coach Steve McClaren was desperately disappointed for his players after seeing their efforts eventually count for nothing - but he was able to take positives from a battling display in the face of sustained Everton pressure.
However, it seems a long time since back-to-back victories over Liverpool and Tottenham suggested a corner had been turned, and Newcastle will hope to kick-start their season once against against the Baggies.
Asked how he would lift his players once again, McClaren said: "You have got to challenge them and they have got to challenge themselves, challenge each other.
"We just have to do our job that we normally do between games, recover, prepare them for the next one and throw them out and perform.
"It's going to be a big test, very interesting for our players on Monday. We have got to get over this disappointment mentally, pick ourselves up and go again."
McClaren will assess striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has an ankle problem, before naming his side with fellow frontman Papiss Cisse likely to be sidelined for several weeks by a groin problem.
Jamaal Lascelles is back in training after a hamstring injury and is soon to be joined by fellow central defender Steven Taylor (also hamstring), midfielder Rolando Aarons (foot) and striker Emmanuel Riviere (foot), but goalkeeper Tim Krul (knee ligaments), defenders Mike Williamson (hamstring) and Massadio Haidara (knee cartilage) and midfielder Gabriel Obertan (hamstring) are still out.
Source: PAR
