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Mowbray aims to keep Albion focused
May 22 2007
By Chris Lepkowski, Birmingham Mail
IT will be business as usual this week as Tony Mowbray steps up his preparations for next Monday's Wembley play-off final against Derby County.
The Baggies boss is determined to keep his team's build-up as normal as possible to ensure that his players are protected from the hype of the big occasion.
Requests for media interviews to Albion's press office have rocketed in the last few days with all eyes on next Monday's Wembley showdown.
But Mowbray is planning a low-key approach with a normal training regime to be followed by an overnight stay at hotel on the eve of the match.
"There won't be any two-day preparation, or taking them away from their families," Mowbray told the Birmingham Mail. "We will go and prepare like a normal league game away from home.
"We'll travel down on the day before then get up and go to play a match and keep the same routine.
"Our away form has been decent and it's important not to take them out of normal environment or build the hype up, because that media attention will be there.
"We need to keep things as normal as possible."
Mowbray was quick to down-play Albion's victory against Wolves last week.
He hopes to focus minds this week to ensure there are cool heads ahead of Monday's showpiece final.
"The players know its about getting the job done," he added. "Hopefully training will go well this week and that natural build up to the game will prepare them.
"It's about making sure the adrenalin levels are right, you don't want them to get so wound up that they can't play.
"It's about getting motivation levels right and making sure they're calm and know their jobs.
"We've had a couple of pressure situations that we've come through so this is just one more trip to the well and ensuring that we try to find the right level of performance when the expectation levels are high."
