Club News

Foster: 2012 already a distant memory

Keeper says there's no way Clarke will allow men to rest on laurels

BEN Foster insists there’s not a cat in hell’s chance Steve Clarke will allow the players to rest on their 2012 laurels – starting with their New Year opener against Fulham (ko 12.45pm).

Albion brought down the curtain on a terrific calendar year with a valiant 2-0 defeat at league leaders Manchester United on Saturday.

With 33 points already on the board, the players can reflect on 2012 on this New Year’s Eve with some satisfaction.

However, Foster reckons that Clarke will ensure that what has already been achieved will be the furthest thing from Albion minds as they kick off 2013 against Martin Jol’s men at The Hawthorns in front of a sell-out home crowd

“The gaffer is very big on not resting on our laurels,” said the Baggies No.1.

“I know we’ve got 33 points and probably look safe for the season, but that’s not what we’re aiming to do.

“We’re trying to replicate the first half of the season and if we can do something like that, you never know what can happen.

“We will just keep going and doing what we’re doing.

“The gaffer is very good at not letting us get carried away or looking at this or that. We will just go about our business and see what’s what.”

Albion halted a three-game losing streak with a three-game unbeaten run before the Old Trafford trip and Foster claims the players will be heading into tomorrow’s game in buoyant mood.

A run of one win in 12 has seen Fulham slip to 14th – four points above the drop-zone.

And they will face a Baggies team eager to make amends for their 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage in September – one of the rare times Clarke’s men have been soundly beaten this term.

“I think we will go into this game looking for the three points,” added Foster.

“It has been a very good Christmas for us and it would have been fantastic if we could have got something at Old Trafford.

“But that was also a good chance for the gaffer to rest a few injured players, because we did have a few injuries and illness in the camp.

“Hopefully, we will have a better bill of health for this game.”
 
Foster added: “I don’t think our defeat at Fulham will affect us at all because there were strange circumstances in that game, including Peter’s sending-off.

“I just think we played rubbish that day.

“We were so bad that 3-0 was a good scoreline – because they absolutely hammered us!

“But it’s a good few months down the line now and we’ve adjusted a lot more.”