Express & Star

Albion's Ben Foster urges: silence critics

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Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster today sent out a derby-day battle-cry and challenged the high-flying Baggies to silence their doubters by beating Villa.

moreSteve Clarke's side are due to host their neighbours at The Hawthorns at 5.30pm looking to end a five-match winless run.

And, despite a drop in form since they climbed to third in the table in November, Foster has assured Albion fans the players are determined to end the season in style.

"We started off so well and got so many points on the board early-doors that everyone in the league has probably written us off as pushovers for the rest of the season," admitted Foster.

"They think we're probably safe so we won't give 110 per cent like we have been.

"But I assure everyone that's not the case. We're doing exactly the same things on the training field as we had been doing, and even in the games recently we've been so unlucky.

"We should have had a lot more points than we've got.

"We've had a lot of injuries but the players who have come in have done a good job so I don't think there is any worry about dropping standards.

"We've proven people wrong all season. Everybody has been saying we can't keep it up and we just keep going.

"Even when we got to third in the league after the Sunderland game, nobody was getting excited or shouting about how well we were doing. Even now, when we've lost three or four on the bounce, we will do exactly the same thing."

Albion have 33 points and sit seventh in the table ahead of today's matches, leaving them within touching distance of Premier League safety for another season.

But Foster insisted the experienced figures in the Baggies squad will drive the team on.

"I don't think we need any extra motivation," he said.

"We are not the sort of players just to make sure we are safe.

"When they recruit players here, they do it not just on footballing ability, but how you are as a person.

"I go into every training session wanting to win the five-a-sides! If you are happy to lose you are not right for West Brom."