Albion boss Tony Mowbray has told his players they must motivate themselves for the final eight games of their fight against relegation.

The Baggies chief believes he can “inspire” his squad as they battle to stay in the Premier League, but he insists desire must come from within the team.

He said: “Motivation is a strange thing. It comes from within the players. Managers don’t motivate players. The manager’s job is to inspire players and give them a cause to fight for.

“I don’t motivate players. They have to do that themselves on the pitch.”

Two dropped points at home to Bolton last Saturday left the Baggies seven points adrift of the Premier League safety line, a margin that is effectively stretched to eight points by their dismal goal difference.

Mowbray conceded the draw was a major setback and he admits he does not know how many more points would be needed to secure top-flight safety.

He said: “Who knows how many wins we need? But we’ve got to win some football matches and we know that. That’s why Saturday was disappointing and why West Ham away was disappointing.

“We could easily have had six points instead of two and been a lot closer. It’s about fine margins but ultimately you get judged on the league table and the results.”