Big drop of reality suits Al
® ALAN PARDEW claims falling into the drop zone could save West Brom’s season.
The Baggies boss reckons his side’s descent into the bottom three could actually help kick-start his new club’s survival bid.
Albion are second from bottom after last Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United and will head to Stoke today just two points above managerless basement boys Swansea
“It’s a strange thing to say, but going in the bottom three, when you’ve been hovering around it, is not such a bad thing,” said Pardew, who is without a win in his first four games in charge.
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“It gives a little bit of a reality check to everybody and I’ve encouraged the players this week not to hide from it.
“It’s not like we have tried to bury our heads in the sand.
“You look at the bottom 10 teams and they are all reachable for us in my opinion.”
Pardew faces a manager under pressure in Stoke’s Mark Hughes, whose frustration led to a rant at former Potters star Marko Arnautovic during last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to West Ham.
But the former Newcastle chief says he cannot afford sympathy for his opposite number this afternoon.
He added: “I’ve got great respect for Mark and his record speaks for itself, but he knows that he’s going to try to find every margin to win the game and so am I.”