Albion boss Oscar Garcia will not tamper with his football philosophy – regardless of whether his team is in the Championship or Premier League next season.

The Barcelona style, engrained in Oscar during his playing and coaching career at the Nou Camp, has come under scrutiny due to the relative failure of his old club in Spain and in the Champions League this season.

Critics are pointing to Chelsea’s win at Liverpool last weekend and Real Madrid’s crushing victory at Bayern Munich on Tuesday as evidence that having the ball counts for little.

Possession, as long as it is with an attacking purpose, will, however, remain Oscar’s mantra for how ever long he is in charge at Albion.

He made that clear during his press conference at the Amex yesterday ahead of today’s trip to Nottingham Forest which, combined with Reading’s result at home to Burnley, will determine whether his side still have a Premier League chance next term.

Oscar told The Argus: “You keep possession to have more chances to score, not only to keep possession. You have to keep possession in the opponent’s half and close to their goal to create chances.

“I think in the last five or six years the most successful teams have been like this – Spain, Barcelona. They haven’t had good results but it’s only one year and then you have to change?

“If other styles start to win four, five and six years in a row then we can speak but not with one result or one year.”