McClean: Spurs draw sets us up for tough run
JAMES McClean hopes the spirited draw with Spurs will give West Brom confidence as they move further into a sticky sequence of matches.
Only a 89th minute equaliser from Dele Alli denied Albion a famous victory after Nacer Chadli had bagged his fourth goal for the Baggies.
While unfortunate not to come away with all three points the result did at least extend West Brom’s unbeaten run to four games ahead of tricky ties against Liverpool, Manchester City and champions Leicester.
“It’s massive to go into these three games now with an unbeaten record behind us as well as that point against Spurs,” the Irishman said.
“You want to try and get as many points on the board as possible.
“As the cliché goes, there’s no easy games in this league and that is shown every week.
“We have a healthy league position, we are playing well and we are also showing that we are difficult to beat. “Let’s keep that going.” McClean, a £1.5 million signing from Wigan Athletic in June 2015, has caught the eye with a string of excellent performances this season and impressed once more against Spurs.
The 27-year-old has already scored four goals for club and country more than he managed all last season, and is developing into a key player for the Baggies, both offensively and defensively.
“I’m delighted with the way I am playing at the moment and the team is also doing well so I am happy.
“Saturday was a tough game against a quality side and we were outplayed by Spurs in the first half.
“But in the second 45 we gave it a right good go and we were unfortunate not to hold on to the lead.
“We are four unbeaten now so all good signs.” it’s
The signs were promising for Chris Brunt too as he negotiated his first senior level match in eight months without
Brunt had been sidelined since suffering a knee ligament damage in the win over Crystal Palace in February.
And despite having made over 300 appearances for Albion, the Northern Irishman admitted there was an element of stage fright before he came on as a substitute.
“When the gaffer told me to get sorted and get ready to go on I was a little bit nervous,” the 31-year-old said. “It was great to get on.
“I wasn’t too sure what it would be like. There were 21 players in the squad and I wasn’t sure if I’d make the bench or not. “I felt good and I was pleased. “It’s a step in the right direction.”
Brunt returned to training in September and has started three Under 23 matches over the last month to build up his fitness.
Yet despite all the groundwork, he knew the real test lay in wait.
“I’ve been training the last five or six weeks and it’s been going okay,” he said. “But nothing really prepares you for the Premier League.
“That’s 25 minutes. Maybe I’ll get a little bit longer (next time) and try to get back in the team.”
Chadli, against his former side, looked to have earned Brunt a triumphant homecoming until Alli popped up with an equally assured finish a minute from the end. Alli flicked the ball into the far corner, past the previously impregnable Ben Foster as well as Jonny Evans and McClean who had formed an extra shield. Was it a lack of concentration? “Probably,” Brunt added. “It certainly wasn’t a lack of bodies being in there.
“We had pretty much everybody who could be there, there and I think the place he put it was probably the only place he could have scored.
“Second half we were a bit better, just unfortunate we couldn’t hold on.”