Mowbray ponders changes

Tony Mowbray has revealed he is musing over using Albion's squad players as he hopes to find a way to salvage the Baggies faltering season. After last week's dismal 4-0 defeat away at Sunderland the Baggies boss has revealed he may well bring in those left in the cold over the Christmas period - starting against Manchester City this Sunday (KO 1.30pm).

Mowbray stuck with the same XI which were unlucky to draw at home against Pompey the week before the Sunderland tie but hopes to see a reaction to the heavy defeat when City visit The Hawthorns.

"It's important not to have a knee-jerk reaction after one bad defeat," the Albion chief admitted.

"I know it's not one result - it's now ten without a win.

"But why would you change the team that played well at Wigan and battled for 87 minutes at Stoke?

"Why would you change the team that got a point against Portsmouth and maybe should have won it?

"Yet, after a 4-0 defeat, if I was a player on the periphery, I would be looking at the manager and asking 'what is he going to do now?'

"Sometimes you need to give people opportunities.

"But I have always said to the players that I need to see something in training.

"I need to see a hunger and desire to show that they want to be in the team and not just going through the motions."

He continued: "It's my job to talk to my players and see what their mentality is.

"Generally, they say they are fine because it's very difficult for footballers to say they need a break.

"You have to make your own judgement as a manager to know when to keep them going or give them a breather."