DEAN Kiely insists Albion will not be burdened by their 'favourites' tag as they go into back-to-back matches with struggling Peterborough and Scunthorpe over the Christmas weekend.

The second-placed Baggies host second-from-bottom Posh on Boxing Day before travelling to 19th-placed Scunthorpe two days later (both ko 3pm).

But the 39-year-old goalkeeper says Roberto Di Matteo's men are taking nothing for granted as they look to cement their place in the top two at the halfway stage of the season.

"Fans expectation and media expectation and expectation among people in the pub does not filter into the dressing room," said Kiely, who will line up between the sticks against Posh as Scott Carson serves the second match of his three-game ban.

"We approach every game on its own merits.

"Peterborough showed us they cause us problems when we played them earlier in the season and I envisage the same thing on Boxing Day.

"Scunthorpe too have shown that.

"Preparation is very thorough at this football club so we don't prepare any differently whether it's Newcastle or Scunthorpe."

The former Republic of Ireland international also stated the Baggies players will not be swayed from their aim of promotion by worrying what other teams are doing around them.

"We are where we are," he added.

"If every week we have a knee jerk reaction to someone winning, or losing or you worry about someone else's results then you take your eye off the ball.

"We have to control our situation and our destiny.

"It's great for fans to look at that by talking about it down the pub but as players it just expends our energy.

"What we tend to do is put blinkers on and add points to the total.

"You see things written about players, managers and the clubs but it doesn't mean it is gospel.

"There is an insular feeling among players.

"All of this that's spoken about on the periphery is someone's opinion and no more.

"You get a feeling as a player how things are and that is the only opinion that counts to us.

"We are currently okay and doing fine.

"I look around the dressing room and we have a gifted bunch of players in the dressing room and there is fierce determination to get back into the Premier League."

After almost 20 years as a professional, Kiely is more than accustomed to football's frantic festive period and he is just as enthusiastic about it now as he ever was.

"It's a tough period," he said.

"Christmas Day you're away from your kids but it's the day before a game for us.

"It's like a Friday so you may get a Christmas dinner but it's a scaled down version really.

"It's just another day and rightly so because the most important thing is the football.

"It's a time for families and mine are a great support but they know I'm employed as a footballer.

"It is exciting but it's no different to the 20-odd before last year.

"My outlook is although I haven't been playing I still, because of my own standards, prepare thoroughly as if I'm going to play.

"My penalty save against Cardiff showed that, I'd like to think I'm primed and ready out of respect for my football club.

"I'm not there twiddling my thumbs on the bench.

"So my real preparation and outlook, whether I'm first on the team-sheet or substitute makes no difference - it's exactly the same."