Experience is the key for Brunt

Winger Chris Brunt today pinpointed Albion's older heads as key to the upturn in fortunes they will attempt to maintain at Blackpool tonight.

Brunt believes an injection of extra experience has been a crucial factor in the Baggies' four-match unbeaten run since their dismal home defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Championship.

Head coach Roberto Di Matteo recalled promotion veterans Robert Koren and Roman Bednar and seasoned international Marek Cech to the line-up in the wake of Forest's win and his team has remained unchanged since, collecting two wins and two draws.

Another identical line-up is expected at Bloomfield Road tonight and Brunt reckons the added knowhow has proved important.

"The gaffer has changed the team and squad around a bit over the last month," said Brunt, who has kept his place wide on the right.

"After the performance against Forest maybe we needed more experience in the team.

"Roko (Koren) probably spurs on the younger players like Graham Dorrans.

"And the likes of Gonzalo Jara and Marek have played a lot of football in their careers, which is a good thing for everyone.

"Having those older heads throughout the team, with Roman up front as well, is maybe something we needed.

"I think we've responded well since that horrible night against Forest at the start of last month.

"And we built on good performances against Newcastle and Ipswich by beating Sheffield United convincingly at the weekend.

"Things are now back in our own hands after another crazy weekend in the Coca-Cola Championship.

"We go to Blackpool with the chance of going back into second place.

"There are going to be lots of highs and lows for every team in the Championship between now and May and it's important we have more highs than lows."

And Brunt believes Albion's improved output from set-pieces could also prove crucial to their promotion chances with Jonas Olsson twice on target from corners in the last four matches.

"Jonas has been pretty dangerous from them this season and he showed it again against Newcastle with goals in both games against them," said Brunt.

"We scored from a few earlier in the season and then we didn't for a while.

"We all know our jobs and we've defended set-pieces well all season.

"It's probably just down to better organisation from everyone at both ends.

"The will to get a head on the ball or to get a block just seems to be better this season.

"Gabby Tamas and Roman have come into the side recently and they have a strong physical presence.

"Roman is more of an aerial threat than the likes of Simon Cox and Luke Moore and maybe that has something to do with it.

"Hopefully it can keep working because it's a big thing.

"You could be having a bad game and then just nick a goal from a set-piece and win a game."

Albion head for Bloomfield Road knowing victory would lift them back into the Championship's top two after Nottingham Forest's slip up at Derby on Saturday.

But the Baggies head coach has warned his side not to expect a pleasant night out at the seaside.

They are a revelation team this year. I don't think many of them expected them to be challenging near the top six. I have watched them a few times and they play some good football as well.

We know the majority of their team. Yes they have three new players and we don't know if they are going to start and where they are going to come in but we know the everything about the rest.

"It will be a typical Championship midweek game I guess," said the Italian. "But conditions will be the same for both teams.

"It's a big game for us. If we win we get back into second but it won't be easy.

"We know conditions won't be easy and they are very good at home. They have a decent home record so it's going to be a big game."

Albion also know a win tonight will ensure a happy atmosphere for the next two days, which the players will spend at close quarters at a temporary training camp near the Lancashire coast.

With another away game to come on Saturday at Plymouth, the Baggies have opted to train near Blackpool for the next two days before travelling straight to Devon on Friday.

Di Matteo said: "The next game is two-and-a-half days later so it's a lot of travelling with us to go to Blackpool, come home and then go to Plymouth.

"We want to give ourselves the best possibility of preparing for the next game."

Di Matteo travelled to Lancashire last night with a fully fit squad apart from James Morrison, who is still making progress in his comeback from a heel problem.

But left-back Joe Mattock is a doubt for the substitutes' bench tonight after missing training yesterday through illness.

Blackpool have three faces available after a busy final day of the transfer window and former Birmingham striker DJ Campbell is expected to start as he begins a second loan spell at Bloomfield Road.

They have another new forward in Stephen Dobbie, on loan from Swansea, and a permanent signing in Stephen Husband, a midfielder from Hearts.

And Villa winger Barry Bannan has extended his loan spell.

But the Tangerines' biggest victory of the transfer window was keeping midfield star Charlie Adam, who was the subject of a late bid from Middlesbrough.

And colourful manager Ian Holloway joked: "Everyone who thought that Charlie Adam would be going can come down to the Admiral this week and buy me a pint.

"On a serious note I am glad the window has closed. It's been a stressful time.

"We can now finally get this fuss about where Charlie is and isn't going out of the way and concentrate on the most important thing, which is playing football.

"Charlie is a great player but I always said I wanted to add some players to help him and make it a season that could be spectacular, not sell him and risk things petering away.

"It has been a difficult month and the sooner they get rid of the January transfer window the better.

"Our secretary threw one of the funniest paddies I have ever seen on Friday, yesterday the chairman was hiding in a bunker with his phone off and we had to track him down – and as for myself, if I had any hair left it would have been completely pulled out.

"So at least now it is all over and we can get back to the pitch again and doing what we do best."