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Albion squad has 'humility'

On a day when both Roman and Cesar got on the scoresheet, Tony Mowbray eagerly stamped on any talk of the Championship already being conquered, writes Martin Swain. West Bromwich Albion 2 Burnley 1 On a day when both Roman and Cesar got on the scoresheet, Tony Mowbray eagerly stamped on any talk of the Championship already being conquered, writes Martin Swain. His team's vibrant performance in beating Burnley took them three points – plus their massively-superior goal difference – clear at the top. And they did it with a brand of football no other team in the division can match. But Mowbray insists Albion continue on a humble course to their promotion target and believes that this season he has the characters to do it. There was much talk afterwards of the "humility" within his squad, a much under-valued commodity in modern day football, but one he believes is now giving Albion's inner core a strength that was missing a year ago. "I don't want temperamental footballers in the team," he declared. "I want footballers who know the team is more important than any other individual." By example, Mowbray singled out just a few of his stand-out players in this victory, including the goalscorers Bostjan Cesar and Roman Bednar and the excellent James Morrison; players who "look you in the eye and want to learn" and have no inclination to get above themselves. It's no surprise the manager is keen to make this point. A year ago, the Baggies peaked in February before beginning an uneven slide away from automatic promotion, a decline which gave us a glimpse of Mowbray's unease with a dressing room pulled in different directions by too many personal agendas. Now the ego has been banished and the football is flourishing. And what football.

West Bromwich Albion|Feb 4, 2008
West Bromwich Albion