Alan Pardew: I owe West Brom

The Baggies are now 10 points from safety with seven games remaining, and based on the current survival line, will probably need six wins out of those last seven games to stay up.

Pardew spoke like a man almost resigned to relegation ahead of tomorrow's clash with Burnley, but did ask for the opportunity to repay the fans next season with a squad of his own.

Despite losing eight in a row, he is expected to keep his job until the end of the season when chief executive Mark Jenkins is likely to swing the axe.

Pardew would like a crack at next season, regardless of which division the club are in, but he says the creative deficiencies in the squad need to be addressed.

“The realisation of how many games we’ve won this year and what we need to do until the end of the year suggests it’s going to be really difficult, if not impossible," he admitted.

"Since I've come here I feel a bit like I owe this football club. We should have had better results, there are games we should have squeezed victories out of.

"Without putting too much blame at my own door I certainly feel I'd like to come back next year and repay the club with a team that has a bit more attacking prowess.

"If you put (Nacer) Chadli and (James) Morrison in this group, it's a different team. They're two big creative forces we've not had all season.

"A club of this size was understrength to cover them if they were missing, and that's been a problem.

"Whatever happens this summer, if I'm the manager or not, we've got to look at the offensive side of this team and strengthen it."

Despite Albion's highly likely fall into the Championship, and Pardew's realisation that relegation is looming, he's vowed to keep fighting.

“I’ve made it pretty clear to the boys and everybody here I’m fighting for this club because I believe this is a good club," he said.

"Okay the balance of the squad this season is not right. We’ve only scored two goals on five occasions all season.

“I keep seeing this stat that we can’t keep leads and we’re throwing points away from winning positions.

"But you’ve got to be able to score that second goal because otherwise you’re always vulnerable.

"That’s been a massive problem and that’s what we need to address in the summer.

“We tried to address it in the summer with Daniel (Sturridge) but obviously he got injured.

"So we’re still back to that situation where, really and truly, if we are going to beat Burnley it’s probably going to be 1-0, 2-1 at best and that makes it difficult.”

Sturridge isn't the only player set to miss tomorrow's clash with Burnley.

Sam Field picked up a groin strain playing for England under-20s during the international break, while James Morrison remains sidelined.

Gareth Barry (knee) and Nacer Chadli (hip) are also missing tomorrow's match with Burnley but are expected to be back for the following weekend's game with Swansea.