BEN Foster says the togetherness of his Albion team-mates gives him reason to be positive at the season’s halfway point.
Alan Pardew’s men suffered a frustrating 3-1 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday - despite dominating large parts of the bet365 Stadium clash.
The result means the Baggies will go into Christmas three points shy of 17th-place West Ham United in the Premier League.
But Albion’s No.1 is certain the squad has the team spirit and camaraderie required to turn the campaign around in the remaining 19 fixtures.
“I’m a very optimistic, positive person and I think this will turn,” said Foster.
“We’ve got a good group of lads.
“If we had players who were having a negative impact in the dressing room you might have to dig a few out but nobody’s like that.
“Everybody works hard and puts a shift in so we’re not questioning each other. It’s just at times we lack that bit of quality and we’re making sloppy mistakes.
“We want to win every game now and realistically we need to win seven or eight games before the end of the season.
“Today is the halfway point and we need to win a third of our remaining games.”
Reflecting on Albion’s loss at Stoke, Foster added: “It’s hard to take.
“I thought we were the better side for huge sections of the game but the score at the end of the game is the only one that matters. They’ve scored three to our one and that’s how it is.
“I thought even in the first-half we were the better side. We were more on the front foot than they were.
“The gaffer said at the end that we’re letting in sloppy goals at the minute and we need to cut them out.
“It’s the best 3-1, in terms of performance, that I’ve played in.
“We were really unlucky, we had chances, and I just don’t think we’re getting the rub of the green.
“I definitely think we’re on the turn.”