Club News

Olsson wants to keep up top-six pace!

And big Swede insists Baggies will keep gunning for victories

JONAS Olsson insists Albion will continue to strive for victory in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash with Southampton at The Hawthorns (ko 8pm).

The Baggies conceded stoppage-time goals in defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle United in their last two games.

But the Sweden international defender believes his ninth-placed team-mates should be proud of the style of football they are playing, with three points against the Saints guaranteed to lift them up to at least sixth.

“Monday is a very important game, as all games are when you start to dip a bit," said Olsson.

“You need to re-group as quickly as possible and get back to picking up points. 

“It’s very important, but it’s only the tenth game out of 38 so it won’t define our season. 

“But we really want to get back on track and try to keep up with the top six or seven."

He added: “In terms of performances, the last two games have been as good as the first couple of games, Liverpool and Everton. 

“We didn’t manage to get a result against Newcastle or Manchester City which was very disappointing considering how well I thought we played. 

“Two results like that on the bounce is hard, but like I‘ve said before you can always take positives from a loss as well. 

“Of course the only thing that really matters is the result but losing these two games by playing well, we still feel like we’re doing 99 per cent of what we are supposed to do. 

“Hopefully we can get those little pieces right for tomorrow.

“I saw in the paper and from friends who watched the Newcastle game in Sweden that we went for it in the end. 

“It was in a positive way, we went to win it and we got punished for that but that’s a team I want to be a part of. 

“Against Newcastle we had the shape and I thought we were just unlucky by that deflection in the end. 

“Normally I don’t like to speak about bad luck but I felt that was just one of those that you can’t really prevent from happening. 

“Unfortunately Sammy Ameobi hits a shot, it takes a bounce and in off Cisse’s back and past Ben. 

“That was disappointing but we have still had a good start. 

“Hopefully we can keep going well at home, starting with tomorrow, and still be in the top seven or eight going into Christmas.

“I don’t think people in the club are surprised by our performances.

“And I think the perception of the club, in the public or media, is different now than it was two or three years ago. 

“We’ve come a long way and people have seen in the last few seasons what we’re capable of doing."