Baggies boss battles on

ALAN PARDEW has come out fighting in his desperate bid to keep West Brom up.

The Premier League’s bottom club look a lost cause as they go into today’s crucial game at Bournemouth eight points adrift of the relegation cut-off point.

Six successive league defeats in a run of just one win in 16 games have put Baggies chief Pardew’s neck on the line.

But the former Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace manager is still scrapping and has told his bosses he is hurting as much as anyone.

Pardew said: “I didn’t imagine I’d be in this scenario, but I am and I need to keep showing the fight I’ve got in me.

“The criticism that hurts me more than anything came from one of our fans who said I don’t care.

“Well, I do care. Trust me, I care. I want this team to win and I think my players care too – my senior players care.

“I signed a three-year contract. It’s a difficult period, but that’s not to say I’m not ingrained in this club already.

“I want to do well for this club but at the moment it’s not reflected on the pitch.

“That could cost me my job, but that won’t be my decision.”

Pardew sought clarity about his position this week, adding: “I said it was time we spoke to the upstairs. “I don’t know where all the ® speculation is coming from. Every week I’m on my last game etc, etc. Let’s clear the air.

“I told them what I think and what needs to happen going forward.

“They listened and I’m still in a job. That’s where we are.”

Pardew wants three points to give his side and the fans some belief, adding: “Where there’s hope, I’ve got to believe. If I don’t believe that, then no one else will.

“The percentage of wins over, however long a period you want to name, shows it’s probably unlikely. But a win in this league can change things dramatically.”

Energy

Pardew feels Bournemouth are safe and has told his players they will probably have to run more than against any other side.

He said: “They are an athletic team. They’re a good side, good energy, good quality and I think they’ve got enough goals to be more than safe.

“We’ll have to deal with their energy, which is probably their No.1 asset.”

Pardew has fined on-loan Paris St-Germain midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak for his touchline strop after being subbed during the 4-1 defeat to Leicester last weekend.

He said: “Grzegorz apologised to me and to my staff, which is unusual.

“I said to him, ‘Sometimes an apology is not enough’, so I have fined him. And I also said, ‘I don’t ever want to see it again’.”