Brunt: West Brom are no Mickey Mouse club
Chris Brunt insists that West Brom are not a 'Mickey Mouse club' and will "give anybody a game", despite a worrying loss of form.
It was Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho who reportedly referred to West Brom in that way following a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, when the hosts got out of jail with a controversial last-gasp penalty, for which referees' chief Mike Riley later apologised.
Steve Clarke's side have taken just one point from four matches since then, undoing their good early-season work and leaving the Hawthorns outfit 15th in the Premier League.
But midfielder Brunt remains defiant and, when asked by Sports Direct News if his club were 'Mickey Mouse', said: "No, definitely not.
"That's been shown in our home games this season as teams have come here with a lot more respect than they did last year.
"They know we'll give anybody a game, be it home or away.
"We showed that at Stamford Bridge."
Penalty decisions have been a sore subject for Clarke's charges, who were unfortunate not be awarded a spot-kick in October's 0-0 draw at Stoke City, while Norwich City's Martin Olsson also escaped punishment for a handball on the line in Saturday's 2-0 home defeat for Albion.
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"We've been unfortunate in a couple of games," Brunt added.
"I think the Stoke one was the most blatant where we didn’t get a penalty for the foul on Youssouf Mulumbu - but (referee) Howard Webb has come out and apologised afterwards that he got it wrong.
"At least he has held his hands up and admitted that.
"Chelsea was so disappointing because we all knew it wasn't a penalty, and I think you can tell by the reaction of the other team.
"The powers that be even felt they had to apologise for it.
"But it's done and dusted and swept under the carpet as far as we're concerned."