West Bromwich Albion boss Ryan Mason is not considering Saturday’s game against Oxford United as “must-win” despite pressure growing on the 34-year-old.
The Baggies are on a four-match winless run (D1 L3) and have fallen to 15th in the Championship.
However, Mason remains confident that his side can reunite the fans during their upcoming matches.
“I’m not thinking like that [Oxford as a must-win],” Mason told BBC Radio WM. “I’ve prepared the game and we’ve prepared the game exactly the same as any other.
“You speak to the fans by results and performances, it’s very easy as a head coach to sit here and say the right words. Fans want to see action.
“We are not far away, I know that, from the position, the points, looking and feeling totally different.”
While the results have not gone Albion’s way as of late, Mason believes their points total doesn’t reflect their performances.
“Sometimes things can take longer to connect with players and build relationships but I’m not going to sit here and make any excuses,” he added.
“Some of our performances have deserved and warranted better results.
“I’m pretty calm about the job we are doing. I’ve got so much passion, so much belief in the group and hopefully we can change this around quickly.”
Mason confirmed that midfielders Jayson Molumby and Toby Collyer have both had one training session however whether or not they will feature against Oxford is yet to be decided.
