Drive us to safety
SHAMED skipper Jonny Evans has been told to come out fighting and show he can drive West Brom out of trouble. The 30-year-old (below) has been reinstated as captain for the visit of fellow strugglers Huddersfield tomorrow, despite his part in the ‘Taxigate’ affair. Baggies boss Alan Pardew said: “Jonny needs to prove to me, the fans, and the club that he’s the right man to lead us out of this. “We need to deliver this weekend. Whatever way it comes, we need a victory.” Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill have all been fined two
weeks’ wages after breaching a club curfew on a break in Barcelona.
Evans was stripped of the captaincy for last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Southampton.
Pardew said he felt it was time to move forward after one of the most difficult weeks of his career.
Asked if he thought he was sending out the wrong message placing his faith back in Evans, Pardew said: “He’s paid a heavy price for that.
“If you make a mistake does that mean you are going to have to pay for it for the rest of your life? “I don’t think so. “Trust me, the guys have apologised more than enough. They really have.
“Of course I’m angry about it, but we have to say, ‘OK, you made a major error, let’s get on with it’.”
West Brom are seven points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table and are now hot favourites to take the drop.
And Pardew knows nothing other than three points at Huddersfield will do. He added: “We know if we don’t win it’s going to be a difficult week again for us.
“I would say that it’s been one of my toughest weeks as a manager.
“I genuinely feel for this club and it hurts me that it’s hurt so many people.”