Graham Potter wants to keep perspective for the trip to Fulham.

But it was easy to think that might have been misconstrued in some quarters as he spoke to the media yesterday.

The balancing act required has been made more tricky by Albion’s increasing proximity to the relegation battle.

It goes something like this.

Fulham is important because it’s the next match.

And Potter recognises the two teams are very close to each other in the table.

He gets the angle from which media and fans will come at this fixture.

But, equally, only 12 games have gone.

And no win is worth more than three points.

But, then again, the next game is always the most important.

So, yes, what might be called a six-pointer at the Cottage is a big game.

But, he would tell us, no bigger than others.

Or, if it is indeed bigger, it cannot be treated as bigger.

And he is right in that. Beating Fulham alone will not keep Albion out of danger.

Just like Fulham beating Albion 4-2 two seasons ago didn’t save them from the drop.

Feedback from some of our readers, though, suggested his words had maybe been taken the wrong way.

Potter said: “We could win or Fulham could win, but if you don’t win, it doesn’t really matter. Your season is defined by how many points you have got at the end of it, that’s the aim.

“The media narrative is that it’s a big game and a ‘six-pointer’ and all that other stuff.

“Clearly for both teams it’s better if you win – I am sure Scott (Parker, Fulham boss) would say the same thing.

“I am sure Scott would rather win the game as it’s the next game that they play.

“But he will know that, if they go and lose the next ten, it won’t have that much significance.

“So our job is to focus on the next match.

“Every game we play we know that the opposition are fighting for points, they are capable of getting the points, so we have to fight ourselves and accept the challenge.”

That first bit? Of course it matters. And of course Potter knows that.

The point being made is it is not a play-off final, it’s three points with 25 games still to play.

The bit about losing the next ten games? Again, the point he is making is clear but perhaps exaggerated.

That said, it’s still better to beat Fulham and lose, if not the next ten, then five or six than it is to lose to Fulham as well.

But it comes down to more than numbers.

There is the dynamic or feel of the season which would be affected if they did not get a decent haul of points from the Fulham and Sheffield United games.

The season feels like it needs a win and these are chances to get one or two.

It feels a bit like that run of four fixtures early in 2020 against Bournemouth, West Ham, Aston Villa and Watford.

They seemed to offer the chance for Albion to ease well away from danger.

Three points from 12 later, all they had done was leave everyone feeling a little more concerned.

It is easy to group these two Albion fixtures together into a potentially big week.

But that will not be happening within the camp.

Potter said: “We don’t really think about games in blocks of two, three, four, five - it’s the next match.

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“The next match is Fulham that’s what we focus all our attention on.

“It’s an important game because it’s our next game.

“I’ll say the same every single match because that’s how the league is.”