Tamas won't be using the 'P' word
Goal hero Gabriel Tamas is refusing to use the 'P' word until Albion are safely back in the Premier League.
Goal hero Gabriel Tamas is refusing to use the 'P' word until Albion are safely back in the Premier League.
The Romania international's late strike at Reading on Saturday moved his side a step nearer to promotion with 12 points now needed from six games to seal a top-two finish.
But Tamas has implemented a self-imposed ban on promotion talk, despite a nine-point lead over third-placed Nottingham Forest.
He said: "I don't want to speak about promotion yet, because we still have six games to play and football is football. I want to speak after the six games. It is difficult to speak now because nine points is only three games and Forest have seven games left.
"It's still difficult for us because we have pressure. We must win our 12 points and then we can talk about promotion, not now.
"I don't want to speak about the other teams. I just want to speak about us. Let's hope we can get many more points because there are six games left. I want more and more points and I don't want to speak about the other teams.
"The other teams are their own business, not my business."
Tamas' goal made him the 20th different Baggies player to score this season and surprised the on-loan Auxerre defender, who has never been a regular on the scoresheet during his career.
He said: "I don't know how to describe the goal but I know I'm happy. I'm happy for me, I'm happy for the team and for the fans and everyone because we didn't lose.
"It was only a draw because they played very well. They are a very good team and the team of the moment but it was good for us that we didn't lose and we got one more point.
"My last goal was last year, at Dinamo Bucharest, in the UEFA Cup. We won and I scored and I also scored for the national team last season.I like scoring, but not a lot. I am a defensive player so I prefer to not concede a goal.
"It's the forwards job to score goals. We were laughing before the game, because only four players hadn't scored a goal and I was one of them. Now I have scored and there are only three players left.
"The pressure is on them!"
Tamas also hailed the role of goalkeeper Scott Carson in Saturday's win and praised the former England international's influence as captain.
The defender said: "Scott is a very young captain but also a very good captain. He is a good because he speaks a lot on the field and helps us a lot as a defence.
"For me he is a good skipper and demonstrated that on Saturday by playing really well. His role was massive. He played very well and he is a very goalkeeper."
