West Brom v Portsmouth preview: Boss knows time of essence to find goals

The Baggies' lack of depth and competition at centre-forward has been a problem for several seasons and it has come to the fore with Josh Maja's injury.

Albion host a Portsmouth side on Saturday who did their survival hopes the world of good with an impressive 3-1 victory over Stoke on Wednesday night.

Mowbray has waxed lyrical about Albion attackers, some who have struggled this season, but the head coach stressed the squad needs somebody who "lives for scoring goals".

The 61-year-old cited Hawthorns hero Kevin Phillips, who top scored in two seasons under Mowbray which ended in the Championship title with Albion, as well as Middlesbrough legend Bernie Slaven, goal hero of the back-to-back Boro promotion-winning side Mowbray was a part of in the 1980s.

"I think we have got enough talent to dominate games and play in the opposition half and create chances," Mowbray said.

"But you need a Bernie Slaven or a Kevin Phillips, someone who lives for scoring goals.

"Goals aren't scored by accident, it is about strikers and their good movements, pulling off the back off defenders, then diving back across defenders, knowing how to find the space to shoot and score.

"We have to work hard because I think we have good young attackers in wide areas."

Since his unveiling on Monday, Mowbray has heaped praise on Grady Diangana, Jed Wallace and John Swift. It has been a difficult season for the trio, who have hardly featured despite their profiles as Championship talents.

Diangana netted the first goal of Mowbray's second reign last Saturday in the 1-1 draw against Stoke after the boss' return had been confirmed the night before.

But Albion frustrated in the final third again in Mowbray's return to the dugout on Tuesday at his hometown club Middlesbrough where the hosts were relatively comfortable 2-0 winners.

The visit of Pompey will be Mowbray's first proper return to the home dugout at The Hawthorns. The head coach knows time is not limitless as he seeks to find a route to goal with the squad he inherited. Albion are in the transfer market for a striker this month, though after the £2.5million addition of midfielder Isaac Price this week, one is unlikely to arrive before Saturday.

"Grady Diangana is a wonderful footballer at this level who can cause havoc at times," Mowbray said. "John Swift and Jed Wallace, we've got attacking players. We shouldn't be struggling to score goals at the moment but we are and we need to find the answer.

""We've got John Swift and Jed Wallace not in the team which is unbelievable really. For many years they have been wonderful footballers.

"I've inherited a team that I saw on Saturday be very, very dominant in the second half and should have scored a second, but we didn't do enough to do that.

"We have two training sessions this week before Portsmouth at home and we need to try and get three points. We need to keep momentum and get points and keep a real belief that we are in the competition for the play-offs."

Mowbray knows the expectation is for Albion to see off sides like Pompey. He added:  "We have to find answers quickly, there is no easy game in this league.

"There are games where we should be winning. We're not facing Leeds, Burnley or Sheffield United, and I say it with total respect to them but we are playing teams we believe we should be beating, because this is West Bromwich Albion."