Albion must be brave in the Premier League if they want to survive.

That is the message from former player of the year Matt Upson as he tips his old club to stay up next term.

Upson, who helped Albion to the play-offs three years ago, is confident a rather flat end to the season will not affect them in August.

But they might have to establish the Amex as a fortress in the same way as Burnley have managed with Turf Moor.

Upson said: ”The most important thing for them is to have a clear vision on how they want to approach the league next season – to have a clear identity.

“Being cautious at times might work but they shouldn’t rely on this.

“You look at the likes of Burnley and yes, they may not be the most attractive team to watch, but they have a clear way of playing and have made Turf Moor a fortress, difficult to play against.”

Upson was disappointed to see Albion miss out on the Championship title.

In an interview with bwin.com, he added: “Once they got promoted, their intensity dipped and they had a really bizarre game at Norwich, where things went against them a bit.

“Given their history of the past five seasons, where they’ve been in play-off positions but never made that jump up, they were probably all relieved to finally make it to the top flight.

“I was disappointed not to see them win the title but I don’t think it will have any effect and I’m sure they’ll enjoy themselves in the Premier League.”

https://sports.bwin.com/en/news/football-betting/matthew-upson-interview,126925.html.