Club News

Foster: Our form should see us safe

And keeper admits psychology will play big part in run-in

BEN Foster believes Albion have found their form at the right time as they scrap it out with a host of teams for Barclays Premier League survival.

The Baggies No.1 admits letting two points slip at the death in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with high-flying Tottenham was disappointing.

But he says the Hawthorns stalemate puts Pepe Mel’s men, who have won two and drawn two of their last five games, within three points of the 36-mark he reckons they need to beat the drop.

And he has urged his team-mates not to get bogged down by guessing how their rivals might fare between now and the end of the season, and focus on Albion's five remaining games.

“I think 36 will probably get you safe,” said Foster.

“Most of the teams have got four games left and a couple, like ourselves, have got five.

“Sunderland have got more. I could get bogged down in this all day long because most of the players in most of the teams are doing the same things, looking at every team’s run-in.

“Our goal difference is pretty good compared to some of the teams around us and that’s an extra point somebody needs to get to overtake us.

“You can do all the looking at the table and points, and who the run-ins are against, but the main thing to do is focus on yourself.

“Recently we’ve gone into every game genuinely believing we’re going to get something and it’s good for us that we’re playing quite well at the minute.

“It’s bad if you’re one of those teams that’s been doing well and then suddenly find yourself in the relegation dogfight at the end of the season.

“It can be difficult to get yourself out of it.

“Personally I don’t have any worries. I don’t think we’ll get dragged into it.

“It’s obviously a tough match against Manchester City on Monday but then we’ve got three out of the last four games that are very winnable for us.

“Personally I think we will be okay - but you can get bogged down looking at everybody else’s fixtures.”

The England goalkeeper also admits psychology probably played a part in letting a three-goal lead slip against Spurs – but he is refusing to be downbeat ahead of Monday’s trip to title-chasing Manchester City (ko 8pm).

“I don’t think we sat back consciously,” he added.

“We are in a bit of a scrap at the moment and any win we get is a bonus, and the fact we had three points ‘in the bag’ probably played on our minds a bit and that added to the style of play that we changed to.

“We don’t do it on purpose. It’s not like we just sit back and say ‘that’s it, we’ll grind it out’.

“It’s just sometimes how things pan out.

"I know the fans were obviously gutted but it did hurt us as well.

“Sometimes you can’t win but fair play to Tottenham; they’ve got some serious talent in that team and Eriksen has been an absolute world-beater.

“He was on fire for them on Saturday - and if someone had offered us a point before the game I don’t think we’d have been too disappointed.”