West Brom's Zuiverloon bemoans lack of sharp edge

The West Bromwich Albion defender Gianni Zuiverloon admitted his side need to be sharper in front of goal if they are to climb clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Albion will go into Saturday's match at fellow strugglers Wigan occupying bottom spot after collecting only one point from the last seven matches – a 2-2 home draw with Blackburn.

Tony Mowbray's side have continued to play a passing game, as opposed to the more direct style of fellow promoted club Stoke, but they have lacked a cutting edge in opponents' penalty areas.

Zuiverloon said: "We have to keep confidence because we are not playing badly. We have good movement around the park and only in the last part of the pitch is it a little bit difficult for us.

"It is a little bit difficult for us to score. That is what we are missing. We are playing good football and, if we were scoring goals, the back four would have less pressure than we have now. We can't afford to make a mistake. If we are scoring goals, the back four is more relaxed. The teams we are playing against don't have so many chances against us but, with the chances they get, they score.

"We get two or three chances and we don't. That is the lesson we have got to learn. Not taking the chances is costing us – and also stupid mistakes by the back four sometimes."

Netherlands Under-21 international Zuiverloon insisted there was no need to panic at the present time and a couple of positive results would quickly change the outlook for the Baggies, who were lying ninth in early October before their current poor run. He said: "I think the alarm bells will ring when the gap is too big between us and the 14th-15th placed clubs.

"At the moment it is still tight. We have to win two games to get above the relegation line. I don't think the alarm bells will ring because we have the team to play in the Premier League and the team to win games."