West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis has warned his players that they are by no means safe from being dragged into the relegation battle this season.
The Baggies currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, but saw the gap to the bottom three cut to just six points courtesy of a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United this afternoon.
Pulis believes that every side in the bottom half of the table will be looking over their shoulders, and was also highly critical of his side's performance at St James' Park.
"I don't think anybody in the bottom half of the table will think they are safe. It's been shown year after year after year - and I have fought enough battles in it - you have to get the points, it's not good looking over your shoulder at whether this is going to happen, whether that is going to happen," he told reporters.
"You have to get the points, that's the big thing. I have been at the club for just over a year now and that's most probably the most disappointing away performance we've had. The best way of describing it is that we were in a boxing match and we shadow-boxed for 90-odd minutes.
"Newcastle were just better all over the pitch. It was only in the last 10 minutes, really, that we got up the pitch and created opportunities - and even then, we don't make the goalkeeper save, so it was a disappointing day for us."
The Baggies face Peterborough United in an FA Cup fourth-round replay on Wednesday before looking to end a five-match winless streak in the league when they host Everton next weekend.
Barney Corkhill
