Nat Phillips says the November international break has given the squad an opportunity to “reset” and “regroup” ahead of the upcoming winter months.
The Baggies return to Sky Bet Championship action on Saturday lunchtime, with Ryan Mason’s men making the short trip to the CBS Arena where they’ll take on early leaders Coventry City (ko 12.30pm).
Albion earned a hard-fought triumph over Oxford United just under a fortnight ago, but they had been on the end of some frustrating scorelines prior to the clash with the U’s.
Phillips says the team experienced a “sticky spell”, but believes the players are well-rested and raring to get their teeth stuck into the packed second-tier schedule, starting with this weekend's showdown against their West Midlands neighbours.
The defender said: “I think the international break has been a bit of a refresher for us all.
“The Oxford result was obviously a good one and a much-needed one, but before that we were in a bit of a sticky spell. It was nice to turn that around against Oxford.
“We’ve had a break and some time away. It’s been a bit of a reset button, this international break. We’ve had time for a rest because we’re about to head into one of the busiest times of the season.
“It didn’t feel like a bad time to have a little break because, like I said before, we’d had a few disappointing results. There’s been an element of resetting and regrouping over the international window, which I think has been really beneficial.
“There’s definitely belief within the squad in terms of what we’re doing and how we’re playing. I think we’ve actually been unfortunate in a lot of games where, sadly, the goals just haven’t come. We’ve had plenty of shots and chances to create opportunities and we’ve just not been able to capitalise on those.
“However, throughout the season, that normally evens itself out and you have to keep the faith in what you’re doing and believe that you’ll get your rewards.
“We’ve got a great game to look forward to when we return to action this weekend. Everyone knows how well Coventry have been doing this season and they’re sat top of the table for a reason.
“We all believe we’re capable of going there and getting a positive result and we’ve put a lot of work in over the last two weeks to give us the best chance of doing that.
“They’ve built momentum, which is something in this league that can make you feel like you’re on top of the world. Momentum makes things easier for you heading into matches because you’re full of confidence, but it’s our job to try and disrupt that.”
