Express & Star

Carlos Corberan is upbeat after sensing West Brom fight

Head coach Carlos Corberan has backed Albion not to let their heads drop for the final two games of the season.

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The Baggies and their Championship play-off aspirations have been struck successive hammer blows by Sunderland and Sheffield United this week.

Albion, two points adrift of the top six among a packed group of chasers, round off their home campaign with the visit of Norwich City, who are one point and two places further back in 11th after awful recent form.

The hosts still have mathematical hope despite recent blows and Corberan is encouraged by how his players reacted from defeat to Sunderland to perform next time out.

He said: “I don’t think the players need any type of reaction – I think we are very conscious about the attitude we need to play and the desire we need to show and the competitive levels we need to put in the pitch every time we are there.

“I don’t think this group of players are going to go down right now, the defeat to Sunderland was an important defeat, emotionally it can affect (us) a lot, but I am pleased because I saw in the first half (at Sheffield United) the players reacting to this without showing they were affected, and showing they were brave enough to go for the game. When I saw this type of reaction, I am more positive.”

Several play-off contenders, including Albion, have seen form stutter horribly but still remain in a frantic top-six picture.

Norwich’s struggles are among the worst of the lot after just a single victory in nine games.

Maximum points from their two remaining fixtures against the Canaries and Swansea can take Corberan’s side to 69 points, a tally only once good enough to make the play-offs (2012/13) in the modern Championship era.

“I think until the end we are going to fight because this is what the club deserve, not only because we can fight for the play-offs, but that is a possibility that we have,” Corberan insisted.

“We have two games left, six points still to play for, and I know that this group of players are going to give their best to add the maximum number of points.”