Albion again need to re-write history

The Baggies face the Tykes seeking an instant response to their first defeat under Roberto Di Matteo.

But they must win at Oakwell for the first time since 1947 to leapfrog Newcastle and climb back to the top of the table for at least 24 hours.

The last time Albion beat the Tykes away, Clement Attlee was Prime Minister, Harry Truman was US president, the independent India was just 15 days old and Gracie Fields was riding high in the charts with Now Is The Hour.

Dave Walsh scored one of his 100 Baggies goals to hand the side a 1-0 win on 30 August 1947, since then generations of Baggies have tried and failed 16 times to chalk up another victory.

Eight draws and eight defeats after Walsh's winner, current captain Scott Carson will lead the Baggies out in South Yorkshire conscious they must 'earn the right' to play after Saturday's setback against Crystal Palace.

He said: "It's going to be a really tough game. Mark Robins brought Rotherham to the Hawthorns and gave us a go, so he will have done his homework on us.

"We're going to have to go there and concentrate like we did for the first eight games. We have to earn the right to play and if we do that then I'm sure we will get back to winning ways.

"It's quite unpredictable in this league. I have looked at it from afar in the last few seasons and every team seems capable of beating everybody.

"Things have gone to plan for us this season and Saturday was the biggest upset but we can't dwell on it.

"You are going to lose games and have poorer performances over a 46-game season, but we have to put these kind of things behind us and look forward to the next game."

Carson will captain a side that could include the returning Chris Brunt, who was hoping to declare himself fit this afternoon after returning to training from his knee injury yesterday.

But head coach Di Matteo is likely to be without striker Luke Moore, who picked up a knee problem of his own against Palace and is awaiting the results of a scan to determine the extent of the damage.

The Hawthorns chief is also without the injured Marek Cech and the suspended Jerome Thomas, as well as his long-term absentees.

But the Italian is still demanding a response from his players while playing down talk of complacency against the Eagles.

He said: "After a defeat you always look to see what kind of reaction the team gives and that's what we're looking for. The players themselves know that we want to get back to winning ways.

"I don't think anybody thought we were going to go the whole season without a defeat, so it's important that we see a reaction tonight.

"Not only in the Championship but anywhere, you can't take anything for granted but I don't think we did take anything for granted.

"Palace closed all the spaces down, made it very difficult and it was hard. We didn't manage to create as many chances as we usually do and maybe missed a bit of creativity."

Di Matteo is unconcerned by the potential impact of new Tykes boss Robins.

He said: "Sometimes a new manager can have a positive effect and sometimes it can take time for a new manager to introduce his ideas.

"But it's about us more than about the opposition. They are looking for points for different reasons to us and we want to pick up points away from home."

Robins is also demanding his side bounce back after their 5-2 defeat at the hands of QPR on Saturday.

But the former Manchester United and Walsall striker has declared his faith in his developing team

Robins said: "We've probably got to work with them more and then arrive at a settled unit, but I've only been here a couple of weeks and I'm trying to make changes. We're only nine games into the season.

"There were times on Saturday when we could have shipped a new XI in, changed the team totally. We spoke about that at half-time.

"The players that I've brought in, I consider to be good players and I'm sure they'll prove that over the coming weeks and months.

"Football has given us a kick in the teeth, but we've got to bounce back from it. How you bounce back is what matters."