Albion manager Tony Mowbray has paid tribute to the club’s fans and backed them to roar the club on to another promotion challenge.

The boss believes the Hawthorns faithful will continue to back the players, even if their likely relegation from the Premier League is confirmed.

But Mowbray has admitted his players must play their part in keeping the supporters encouraged.

He said: “It works both ways. The players have to make sure the supporters are firmly behind them.

“The supporters would be, by nature, expecting us to be very competitive in the Championship if we went down.

“It is hand in hand and the players have to show the supporters how competitive we’re going to be on the field.

“The supporters have to understand we’re not going to win every game 3-0 or 4-0. The Championship is an extremely tough division for anyone and we have to stick together and be supportive.

“I don’t want to get drawn into what might happen until it has. The summer is the time when we will decide how we will approach next season and the mentality required to get the job done.

“I can only praise the supporters. They have been steadfast behind the team all year.

“I understood the disappointment of Stoke. It had been a game that I had particularly built up, along with the Bolton game, as a game we had to win.

“The disappointment was hanging heavy for everyone. I still feel they are firmly behind us.

“They have seen some performances that have been spirited and they have seen a team that is in the game and could have won the matches, rather than a side that didn’t have a shot and weren’t really in the match.

“I can’t dictate to supporters how they react to the team, all I can do is prepare the team and make sure we try to produce a brand of football that gives us a chance of winning games, creates opportunities and plays fluent, passing football.

“Then the supporters will make their choices. That’s how football is – you either support your team or you’re unhappy with what you see, and you’re well within your rights to show that.”

“What I have seen in the last two or years is Albion fans who have suffered heartache along the way but have seen it all before and seem to be resilient to the fact that they are going to have bad times.

“Every football club has bad times and you shouldn’t be a football supporter if you’re not going to accept bad times.

“Manchester United lost in the semi-final of the FA Cup and there were little boys crying and you think, ‘Christ, look at the success they’ve had’.

“If you’re a football fan you have to take the highs and lows, the ups and downs, go with the flow of your club and be supportive all the way.

“It’s not for me to preach to people, but if I was a supporter born and bred in the West Midlands supporting Albion, I would be supporting my team no in whatever division, hoping they do well and encouraging them and keeping them going.

“That is part of life. Not everyone can be top of the Premier League every week or win the FA Cup or the Champions League.

“All you can do is be as competitive as you can. All we aim to do is give our fans some entertainment and try to be as successful as we can, with the means we’ve got.”