Express & Star

West Brom take criticism on the chin

Slaven Bilic says Albion’s dressing room remains a positive place – but the head coach believes it was important to be ‘loud and critical’ about the team’s recent mistakes.

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Slaven Bilic (AMA)

The Baggies sit top of the Championship, but they are without a win in five games – something they will aim to put right when they host Stoke tonight.

One reason why they haven’t tasted victory during that spell is the vulnerability they have shown when defending set-plays.

The Baggies have conceded four goals from set-pieces in their last five Championship outings.

But after addressing the issue with his players, Bilic is expecting his team to be much tighter at the back for the rest of the campaign. “It’s now in the past,” the head coach said when asked about his team’s defending at set-pieces.

“We’ve moved on, we’ve had a really good week of training.

“This situation that we play on Monday, its given us nine days between the games so we’re in good shape.

“Always you have to keep being optimistic. But you have to be loud and critical about the mistakes.

“You can’t always praise the players if you’ve conceded goals like we have conceded.

“The best way is to be a little bit critical when you are winning. Then it gets into their heads, but because you are winning it doesn’t affect their confidence. But Charlton was not good at all.

“We have to point out the mistakes we have made, defensively and offensively.

“But to be fair, overall, there is no reason for us to be negative.

“I think you have to be positive, if you are not positive you don’t have a chance. But if we make mistakes we have to make sure we don’t do it again.”