Online Assistant

It was a very important win on Saturday.

Overall, I think Fulham played well and we played well too. They put us under pressure because Gera and Kamara combined well and their midfield was efficient, they played quite a direct game to expose us with balls behind our defenders.

We needed not only quality but sprit and resilience and we got it. We scored two exceptional goals from Samir Nasri that were a combination of touch, intelligence, special talent and calmness. He needed to be patient to finish in both situations and he did very well.

I'm happy because when Samir joined us he had a game that was based on coming to the ball, but now he has so much more variation in his game.

Samir's game is improving and of course he is more efficient. What is important when you are a manager is that you want to get the best out of players and I always was a strong believer in him. Many people questioned me when I took him here, but he is showing that he has exceptional talent and I think there is more to come from him.

Johan Djourou came on for Laurent Koscielny when he was concussed and I have to say, Johan is doing very well. He has been out for a year and as you may have noticed, I have rotated him a little bit. We do not want to lose him and a guy that has been out for a year cannot play three games a week.

From the start of the season, Johan has gone from strength to strength and on Saturday, in the difficult period when we had to defend in the air, he was dominant. He has not only shown dominance but also personality. That's why I am very happy. He came here as a midfielder and we transformed him into a centre back.

I was asked after the game whether we can go on to win the title and I feel we are good enough. Every single team struggles to be consistent and at the moment, we are where we are despite losing three home games. That means every game is a cup final and if you are not ready for it you will not take three points.

We have the spirit and the quality but we face tough opponents and it will be down to consistency. We are a long way from winning the championship at the moment but the only thing I can say is we have the spirit and the desire to fight for it.

Goals from Youssouf Mulumbu and Marc-Antoine Fortune gave West Brom a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Hawthorns that put the Baggies in the top four of the Premier League and extended Fulham’s woeful away record.

An unlucky own-goal from Scott Carson had given the Whites an early lead but the home side refused to compromise their philosophy as they played their way to victory, with all the goals coming in the first half.

Fulham, who have not won away in the league since August 2009, took the lead against the run of play when, on nine minutes, former Baggies midfielder Zoltan Gera’s excellent long-distance drive smacked the inside of the post and went in off the head of the unfortunate Carson.

Until that point West Brom had bossed possession while Fulham barely left their own half, but it should have been 2-0 to the Whites soon after the opener when Diomansy Kamara drilled wide after a dreadful pass across the face of goal by Gonzalo Jara had put him in.

The Baggies continued to play their attractive brand of passing football and it reaped dividends in some style when, on 17 minutes, the impressive Mulumbu capped off a slick move with a low finish past Mark Schwarzer, the livewire Chris Brunt weighing in with a superb assist.

Steven Kelly cleared Jonas Olsson’s header off the line as the home side looked the more likely, and they took the lead on 40 minutes with Brunt again the principle architect.

The Northern Ireland international’s inch-perfect through ball released Jerome Thomas on the left side of the penalty area, the linesman’s flag stayed down and he cut the ball back for Fortune to roll a low finish into the bottom right.

Paul Scharner headed into the side netting in injury time as the half-time whistle blew to the relief of Fulham’s players.

Fulham came closest to an equaliser after the break when a Jonathan Greening corner skipped off the head of Gera but flew clear of the assembled bodies on the edge of the six-yard box.

Mark Hughes spotted the deficiency and brought on Andy Johnson, absent since January with chronic injury problems, as Fulham continued to hem the Baggies back.

But the Baggies could have extended their lead as first Brunt found James Morrison unmarked at the far post but Schwarzer kept out his low finish, then Scharner fired just wide after superb centre-forward play by substitute Roman Bednar, while Thomas was denied a good call for a penalty when Kelly slid into him from behind, taking man before ball.

Fulham had lost their rhythm and when they did get a chance to break their promising counter fell apart when Moussa Dembele again tried a complicated turn with options either side of him.

West Brom almost got a third with an uncharacteristic route-one move as Morrison raced on to a Carson punt that left the visiting defence floundering, the Scot firing just wide as Schwarzer made himself big.

The visitors cranked up the pressure in the latter stages as Carlos Salcido’s excellent cross just missed the outstretched boot of Johnson and Nicky Shorey putting behind as Bjorn Helge Riise prepared to tap in at the far post.

But West Brom were able to weather the late storm to hold on for a deserved win, their fourth so far this season.