Stick by the boss urges coach

Grant hailed his friend as a 'wonderful' manager and insisted the Hawthorns chief would learn from his difficult first taste of top flight management.

He claims Mowbray's stock has risen in football circles, despite a tough season.

Grant said: "He will come out of this as a stronger manager. You learn every day. He's a wonderful manager and he has proved that, not only here, but in Scotland. He's done fantastically well.

"It's an indictment on the league if Albion aren't in it. Speak to any of the top managers and they all say the same thing, because they appreciate what Tony is trying to do and that the way we are trying to do it is probably the hardest way.

"But what you can't do is make individual errors, yet that keeps happening. I think there's no doubt Tony's stock in the game has grown, even this season, and that's great credit to him."

Mowbray stayed away from the squad yesterday to avoid spreading a sickness bug to his players, leaving Grant to help assistant manager Mark Venus take training.