Mowbray knows West Brom need help on precarious path

Apr 29 2009 by Robert Tanner, Birmingham Post

The victory over Sunderland at The Hawthorns may have breathed some new life into West Bromwich Albion’s ailing season but manager Tony Mowbray is not getting too carried away.

Last Saturday’s 3-0 success cut the gap to safety to six points with four games remaining but it may only be a temporary reprieve from relegation.

With a tough trek to Tottenham this weekend followed by the visit of title challengers Liverpool the week after, Mowbray knows his side are going to have to pull off some big shocks, and hope their relegation rivals slip up consistently between now and the end of the season, if they are to have a chance of staying in the division.

While Mowbray realises success at White Hart Lane could put the jitters into some of the other strugglers, he is realistic enough to know they will need some help along the way. “I believe we have deserved more out of the games than we have got,” said Mowbray, whose side ended a run of 13 games without a win. “On Saturday we had a victory. We played reasonably well but no better than the majority of the last dozen or so games where we haven’t won.

“We managed to handle their major threat at the weekend, which was their two main strikers, Jones and Cisse, and did what we normally do, that is create chances, and thankfully we took them.

“I am not sure how much of a boost it has given the club. I try to keep the players on an even keel. When I think they have played well but not got a victory it is not doom and gloom.