Albion boss Tony Mowbray admitted he went through agonies as the Baggies made their way to the Premiership last night.
Despite dominating the game and setting up a string of goalscoring openings, Albion had to come from behind to secure the point which makes their promotion-winning position unassailable if not mathematically confirmed.
Mowbray said: “You sit in the dug-out and fight the demons. It’s very difficult when you’re so close not to think about the negatives.
“You try to put them out of your mind and trust in the team. They came good and we’re looking at positives rather than negatives.
“You tend to run both scenarios through your mind before the game and think of the words to get them up again for Sunday if you have to.
“You also try and imagine the euphoria of a winning dressing room and knowing you’re up. I suppose a point in my mind is somewhere in between that. It’s going to have to be a strange set of results at the weekend for us not to enjoy the Premier League next season.”
And he was again baffled how Albion were left to claw their way to the result they needed after an electric second-half performance.
“I thought the team functioned very well under the expectation, pressure and occasion. We played against a team who have some very good technical players, players who we’d like at this club like Safri, who was pretty close to joining us once-upon-at-time.
“They came with a game plan and were very solid. We weren’t direct enough in the first-half to actually ask enough questions of their defence.
“We tried to change that and in the second half we came out with a real purpose and desire. How we didn’t get our noses in front in a 20-minite spell then was baffling.
“The longer it went without us scoring you felt ‘could it be one those nights?’ Then they scored on the break. But the positive outcome was seeing what came off the bench.
“Chris Brunt came off the bench when James Morrison got injured and sometimes that the difference in this league.
“Quality replaced quality and ultimately that’s what got us out of jail with a great strike that went through the keeper’s legs.”
He sensed a determination from the players to keep the lid on the excitement until the task is complete – and that means heading for QPR to win the title on Sunday.
He added: “While the players are enjoying the moment, they are talking about winning the league. That’s a very strong feeling they’ve got.
“They want to finish off the season at the weekend with a very positive performance. It’s been a long hard slog of a season, especially on the back of the play-off defeat last year and the changes we had to make in the summer.
“For some strange reason, on the back of that expectation, we have been labelled the ‘best team’ in the league. It’s baffled me all year because there were three teams coming down from the Premier League and it can be a burden sometimes.
“But great credit to the players for overcoming that and we’re there.”
19 Comments
yh it (the ball) finally went in. start with Brunty at Sheperds Bush on Sunday
BUFFY MOWBRAY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Better than McCarthy fighting the substitutes in your dug out !!!
were you watchin wanderers
Surely some sort of priest and the performance of an exorcism would be more suitable than sending your manager in to fight them?
Anyhow, well done, he didn’t need his superpowers to get you promoted, you’re a good team and I think strong enough to be staying up aswell.
Now that was a hard thing to admit to…
4. thanks no4 but there shouldnt be no complaints really coming from any dingles this season that we have gone up… bookies aint allways right thou
wolves to be champions 08 .. they were havin a laugh
I bet Safri is looking back with regret!!!
fair play to the Tescos points make prizes & urt prize is the Premiership……
Let’s see if u can stay there……?
If we get a few 4 leaf clovers lots of Lepracauns we might join ya lol
6. wbabomber
i think Safri will be relieved he didnt join and he doesnt have to come face to face with Robbo every day in training.
Did you SEE that challenge!! Phwoar! Nearly took his legs off him!
PREMIER LEAGUE.
How any wolves fans can come on here and say anything negative about the albion is beyond me.
BECAUSE ENVY IS HARD TO TAKE COME ON YOU SUPER BAGGIES!
Talking about demons,Sky Sports had a Dingle Demon on last night.That Don Goodman is a sure fire dingle. To think the number of times I was in the Brummie Road end watching him miss chances from inside the six yard box.We stuck by him and eventually he came good.NOW HE AS NOT A GOOD WORD TO SAY ABOUT US.
Don Goodman is a sure fire dingle. Last night it seened not to have a good word to say about west brom.on the other hand Peter Beagrie had nothing but praise for us
9) A baggie with a Wolves legends name!
Two things :-
in terms of bookies favourites. I said it yesterday, not totally true. Ladbrokes had us, Betsquare I think you and another bookies had Charlton plus there were joint favourites. Watford were certainly in there.
As for the best football team comment. Definitely up front and midfield but most definitely not in goal or at the back!
It is refreshing to hear positive comments from Wolves fans on here.I cannot imagine how hard that can be after the way results have gone over the past few years.The fact is that ‘real’football fans do not have to sink to petty and laborious comments.I salute you and hope that your team can give you a season like we have had this year. Keep the faith and the glory days will be back…and come on you baggies this is one Cup I have not seen you lift yet.. and next year the Premiership Trophy (well you have to have a dream)
It is done and dusted. Now, the baggies MUST press on and win the title, because we are the best team in the division by a square mile. The philosophy of the enigmatic mowbray was not compromised all season, and we played free, fast flowing, attacking football. It will be a refreshing change to witness us having a veritable crack at the big four.
I would say, the ‘mowbray revolution’ is poised to establish us in the elite set in the premiership. All the hallmarks are there, mowbrays inbred beliefs shine out every time the team takes the field.THE TITLE please, a season capped in rich achievement.
As a dingle season ticket holder congrats to you baggies as much it may pains me to say it ! Pleased that a Manager who plays football the right way does the business for yer. Hope you go on and clich the title Sunday even to try and shut up the “you won’t get out of the Championship playing good football” brigade.As for our lot nowt will change till moxley slings his hook !!
Brummie Rob Wolves, Are you saying the league lies then? The best teams always finish at the top. The cream always rises to the the top!!!!
Boing Boing
Swindon Baggie, don’t know what you’ve been watching mate but Don Goodman has been praising us to the hilt all season. What planet you on?