James Morrison says his Albion side have to play with no fear when they take on high-flying Millwall at The Hawthorns on Friday night (ko 8pm).
The Lions are the fourth promotion-chasing outfit to visit The Hawthorns in-a-row. Recent draws with Southampton and Wrexham, as well as a dominant win over Hull City, will provide plenty of confidence for the clash with Alex Neil’s Londoners.
Millwall sit fourth in the table, tied on 72 points with second-placed Ipswich and third-placed Middlesbrough. Having picked up four points against those two sides either side of the international break, Friday's guests fell to defeat last time out against Norwich City.
Albion, who earned an important draw at Blackburn on Easter Monday, are four points clear of the relegation zone and head into this game six unbeaten. However, they will want to extend the gap between themselves and the bottom three as quickly as possible.
Mozza explained: “Fear can be a big part in these situations, but we have to play with no fear. I wanted to make our home form good again because we can match anyone at The Hawthorns, particularly the better clubs. The performances show that and we need to take that into this game.
“I felt we played with a bit of pressure against Blackburn; we were a bit nervous in certain situations, particularly in the final third. But this time we’re at home and we’ll have a home crowd with us.
“They’ve got a different type of pressure and they’re coming off a bad result against Norwich, so they could be like a wounded animal, which we’ve got to be ready for.
“I’ve got the utmost respect for their manager. He’s experienced and has a clear identity for his team. They give everyone a tough game and I expect that, so we’ve got to stand tall, be brave and play our game.”
Morrison was nominated for March’s Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award on Thursday morning after going unbeaten last month.
He faces competition from Southampton’s Tonda Eckert, Frank Lampard of Coventry City and Matt Bloomfield of Oxford United.
“It’s a nice feeling for everyone and a credit to the coaching staff and the players,” Mozza said.
“But, it’s also a reflection of the hard work we’ve been putting in.
“It’s just about us keeping going with that belief and determination I keep talking about.
“I think the togetherness and the reaction from Oxford pleased me the most. The belief and determination from everyone to improve the performances and get out of this position.
“Sometimes you learn more from your failures and I think that’s the sign of a good team when you have that disappointment and you come back from it. We can control some disappointment, but it’s how you control the big disappointments and how you react to those.”
Mozza also provided an injury update ahead of Friday night's fixture.
He added: “Karlan Grant had his first day back training, so hopefully he’ll be available for Preston, all being well.
“Tammer Bany is back on the grass and training, so we’re aiming to have him back for Ipswich.
“Chris Mepham will be a little bit longer, so hopefully he’s back for Preston too.”
