TONY Mowbray has vowed not to compromise his footballing beliefs even though West Brom are favourites to be relegated from the Barclays Premier League.
The Albion manager has continued to ask his side to play the passing game which brought them more than 100 goals in winning the Coca Cola Championship last season.
The Baggies have lacked a cutting edge and defended poorly during the current campaign to find themselves occupying bottom spot and six points adrift of safety with only 10 matches remaining.
But, although recognising the importance of tightening up at the back, Mowbray wants his players to still try to perform with style.
The former Hibernian boss, whose side visit West Ham on Monday, said: "You'll never see a fighting, scrapping, muscular football team from me.
"You'll see a playing, passing, moving team. What's right and what is wrong? I know what I think is right. If we get relegated, we'll take it on the chin.
"If we have to go back down, the team will be exactly the same next year and, as we did last season, we would hopefully do okay in a league where you've got to do what you believe in."
Albion have conceded 17 goals in their last six league games and Mowbray knows they have to stop gifting goals to the opposition.
He said: "We expected to be fighting for our lives so it is not like we are shell-shocked that we are down there struggling.
"But, if you concede the type of goals we did against Newcastle and Arsenal at home, it knocks the stuffing out of your team.
"Before games, the dressing room is good and ready for the games. Their belief is good but how can you win matches if you defend like we have done sometimes? The defending has got to improve.
"It is frustrating. We work on things. It is not just as if we wash it over and hope it doesn't happen and then we go and concede the same sort of goals again.
"As soon as the silly goals stop going in, we can give ourselves a chance to win some games."
On-loan Arsenal striker Jay Simpson will be available to face the Hammers are being ineligible to face his parent club in the Baggies' 3-1 home reversal in their last outing.
Fellow forward and seven-goal leading scorer Roman Bednar and central defender Jonas Olsson could also come into contention after recent back and knee problems respectively.
The Baggies have lacked a cutting edge and defended poorly during the current campaign to find themselves occupying bottom spot and six points adrift of safety with only 10 matches remaining.
But, although recognising the importance of tightening up at the back, Mowbray wants his players to still try to perform with style.
The former Hibernian boss, whose side visit West Ham on Monday, said: "You'll never see a fighting, scrapping, muscular football team from me.
"You'll see a playing, passing, moving team. What's right and what is wrong? I know what I think is right. If we get relegated, we'll take it on the chin.
"If we have to go back down, the team will be exactly the same next year and, as we did last season, we would hopefully do okay in a league where you've got to do what you believe in."
Albion have conceded 17 goals in their last six league games and Mowbray knows they have to stop gifting goals to the opposition.
He said: "We expected to be fighting for our lives so it is not like we are shell-shocked that we are down there struggling.
"But, if you concede the type of goals we did against Newcastle and Arsenal at home, it knocks the stuffing out of your team.
"Before games, the dressing room is good and ready for the games. Their belief is good but how can you win matches if you defend like we have done sometimes? The defending has got to improve.
"It is frustrating. We work on things. It is not just as if we wash it over and hope it doesn't happen and then we go and concede the same sort of goals again.
"As soon as the silly goals stop going in, we can give ourselves a chance to win some games."
On-loan Arsenal striker Jay Simpson will be available to face the Hammers are being ineligible to face his parent club in the Baggies' 3-1 home reversal in their last outing.
Fellow forward and seven-goal leading scorer Roman Bednar and central defender Jonas Olsson could also come into contention after recent back and knee problems respectively.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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