Tony Pulis: Gutsy performance proves West Brom players are confident

The Baggies lost 3-2 to the unbeaten league leaders on Saturday, extending their winless run to nine games in all competitions.

Although Pep Guardiola’s team eventually outclassed the home side, Pulis’s men played better than recent weeks and managed to stay in the game until Raheem Sterling scored City’s third on the hour mark.

And Albion’s under-fire head coach says it was a team performance that shows the players are still fighting for the cause.

“I don't think there's any problems with confidence,” said Pulis. “You've seen that against one of the top teams, I don't think there was a lack of confidence, maybe a lack of quality at times in certain areas.

“But we had the confidence to get after City and put them under pressure, there was nobody in our team who you thought blimey, he's not having a go, he's not confident enough to step in.”

Pulis remains under pressure from the fan base after a run of two wins in 19 league games stretching back to last season.

During Saturday’s game, there were one or two angry chants directed towards the head coach by a small number of fans, although they were quickly drowned out by others. A few faint boos from the home end greeted the final whistle, but not many.

Pulis is likely to be under far closer scrutiny next weekend when the Baggies travel to newly-promoted Huddersfield Town. But he reckons the team can take heart from their defeat against City.

“They've worked so hard, the group,” said Pulis. “You can't fault them, every one of them was fantastic.

“There's no doubt about their attitude. What they lack a little bit in quality they make up with their togetherness and character and to give City a game again which is not easy was first class.

“And not with our best team, that's the great thing about it, that wasn't our best team in respect to the problems that we've got.”

Pulis is currently without injured pair Craig Dawson, who is out until Christmas with a knee injury, and James Morrison, who is out for the ‘foreseeable future’ with an Achilles problem.

Oliver Burke, who was not named in the squad on Saturday, returned to training last week and is due to be play 45 minutes for the under-23s on Monday in order to regain match sharpness.

Albion posed more of a threat in the final third thanks to Pulis’s 5-3-2 formation that moved goalscorer Jay Rodriguez up front with the usually isolated Salomon Rondon.

But when the head coach was asked if he would use that system again, his answer suggested it was only picked because of the opposition.

“The way Pep plays is different to most teams and the way he uses his full-backs, one of them will come in and play as a holding midfielder, the other will drop off and make a three,” said Pulis. “And their rotation off that with the two 10s and a centre forward is different to what teams in this country have used before.

“It's something that sets a challenge for you. We did it in the Cup game, lost 2-1, missed some good chances then as well, and we've played it again and done ok against it.”