Club News

Foster hails 'calm' Clarke

Keeper pays tribute to boss after team come through sticky patch

BEN Foster has hailed the way Steve Clarke is getting the best out of his players following Monday’s memorable 2-0 win over Liverpool.

The victory at Anfield leap-frogged the Baggies above the Reds into eighth in the table and moved them within three of their initial 40-point target.

It was their first win in seven Barclays Premier League games and, after coming through a sticky patch, Foster revealed the dressing room always remained positive due to Clarke’s calmness.

“The first game of the season against Liverpool was probably really sweet for him, getting off to a start like that in his first game as a head coach,” said the Baggies goalkeeper.

“But to go back to Anfield and set his troops out to stand up to Liverpool, get a clean sheet and score two goals as well, will probably be the icing on the cake for him so far this season.

“The gaffer is absolutely great.

“He doesn’t really fluctuate.

"He’s so calm all the time and just gets on with it and that’s the only way you can be as a head coach.

“He’s not a ranter or a raver and the lads really appreciate that.

“I don’t think anybody responds to being shouted at and berated.

“He just maintains that same persona and the lads appreciate it because we know what we’re going to get from him.”

Albion now have a 12-day break between games until they embark on their final 12 matches of the season with a home clash against Sunderland at The Hawthorns on Saturday week (ko 3pm).

“We take every game as it comes,” Foster added.

“We’ve got a couple of weeks now until our next game so we can rest a few injuries and get people back to full fitness.

“The main point is to get safe like last season, get to 40 points and crack on from there.

“Once we get to 40 points the pressure is off a bit but we don’t play with any pressure on our shoulders anyway, we just go out in every game to win.”