Jonas Olsson is hoping Albion can continue their impressive defensive record at Pride Park tomorrow (KO 3pm). Only Newcastle boast a better rearguard than the Baggies after Roberto Di Matteo’s Italian influence has seen Albion concede just 15 league goals in 18 games and keep eight clean-sheets.
Olsson is now hoping Albion’s impressive defensive displays can continue until the end of the season after conceding twice in the last five games.
"Football nowadays is more a total game," the giant Swede said.
"As a defender you don't only have to defend, you have to be part of the attack as well.
"But as a defender your first priority is to defend and keep clean-sheets.
"We have been defending well for the last month. I think we have let in two goals in the last five games.
"Those two goals came from free-kicks so I think we're doing well in that part of our game and at the moment we keep scoring.
"You look at the statistics in the table and you want to be the team that concedes fewest goals and the team that scores the most goals.
"That's definitely something for the back-four and Scott to have as a goal.
"You can't close your eyes to the facts because the statistics are there and it's something that we're aiming for."
The Baggies recent rearguard shut-outs have coincided with the return to the first team of Abdoulaye Meite. The former Bolton man is expected to be absent from Albion’s promotion push throughout January with the African Cup of Nations being held in Angola.
"I am happy to play alongside Abou and I think we have had a great partnership over the games we have played," Olsson continued.
"I will definitely miss him if he goes to the African Nations Cup, but if he gets selected that is a reward that he will have earned from playing good football, so I will be happy for him.
"But for us as a team it will be a loss.
"Then again, we have shown this season when we had injuries up front and in midfield that there are guys knocking on the door to play.
"I started off the season with Shelly and, apart from one or two games, I think we had a good partnership as well.
"So let's just focus on these games and if Abou goes someone else has to come in and fill his shoes."