Dara O'Shea warns West Brom players not to feel sorry for themselves
Dara O’Shea has warned Albion cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves after admitting their faltering form has left players low on confidence.
A run of just one win in 11 matches has seen the Baggies tumble down the Championship table and left them with serious work to do if they are to make the play-offs.
O’Shea, who made his first start since August in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough, believes the gap to the top six can be bridged but conceded players must keep believing.
The defender said: “Whenever you are losing games there is always going to be confidence lacking.
“On the training pitch it does not feel that way, everyone is in good spirits. We kind of need things to fall our way in games and maybe we have not been getting the luck we deserve at times.
“But that is football. We have to create our own luck. We can’t afford to get too down. We need to find our way out of his rut we find ourselves in at the moment.”
Tuesday’s defeat was Albion’s sixth in their last eight matches and the third in four since Steve Bruce replaced Valerien Ismael as manager.
The Baggies were within two points of the top two at Christmas but the gap now stands at 12 and even making the play-offs has become an increasingly tall order.
O’Shea continued: “We are not where we want to be, obviously. But we have to take the positives.
“We are building with the change in manager it is going to take time. But we can’t keep saying that.
“We have to put the work in and create our own luck. Most of the promotion team are still here and we have to take huge confidence from that and use it to our advantage.
“Lots of players have been in this situation and know what is required. We have to roll up our sleeves. Maybe the pressure is taken off us a little bit with the position we are in. We are chasing instead of being hunted.”
O’Shea’s return was one of the big positives from Tuesday night, when Albion at least managed to score for the first time in six matches.
The 22-year-old had been sidelined for more than five months after suffering a broken ankle while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland in early September.
“It is amazing to be back out there,” he said. “As soon as you are injured everything changes, everything is taken away from you.
“There have been a lot of long days in the gym with the physio. The medical staff have been excellent to get me back to where I am today. Huge credit to them.
“I am just proud to be back out there. I am a confident lad. I know how well I was playing before the injury.
“That is football. You are at the top of your game and you get taken down very swiftly. I have come to terms with that.
“I have learned a lot mentally and I have grown physically too. I have huge confidence. I just have to keep putting performances in and build on that.
“Tuesday was a disappointing result, obviously. I want to win and the team wants to win so it is not nice losing. But it is also nice to be back out there after a long period of time.”
