Valerien Ismael to make fortress Hawthorns even stronger
Head coach Valerien Ismael expects Albion to get even stronger at The Hawthorns – despite his side currently being unbeaten at home.
The Baggies have the second best home record in the Championship having won six and drawn three of their nine games so far.
But while only Coventry have taken more points in front of their own supporters – Ismael believes his team hasn’t yet ‘made their mark’ on their own turf.
“When I came here, the first thing I said was that you can feel the energy here,” Ismael said.
“It has to be unpleasant place for the opponent to come.
“And when we are all on the same page, the fans, the stadium, the players, the way to play, the intensity, the energy – we have got everything to make The Hawthorns an unpleasant place to play.
“But now we need more with consistency. It’s not enough.
“The season is long and we need to carry on and really make the mark that this is our home and we will fight for each point. We don’t want to let any points slip away. We need to give everything.”
One way Albion will improve – both home and away – is by cutting out mistakes.
Data shows the Baggies have made more individual errors that have led to goals than any other Championship side this season.
“There is no training session on how to avoid mistakes,” The boss admitted. “It’s about speaking to the players and getting them to face the mistakes they have made.
“We have made videos on all the mistakes we have made.
“At the end of the day, if it’s a quality question then we need to make a change. It’s simple like that.
“The players have quality. They need to show up and take responsibility.”
