Football: Albion: We'll be special; Mowbray looks for finishing touch.

Byline: By Bill Howell

ALBION boss Tony Mowbray believes there is enough quality in his Albion squad to go on a long unbeaten run.

But the Albion boss knows they are far from the finished article, even tagging them a "work in progress" unit as they head into tomorrow's crucial home fixture with local rivals Coventry.

As Albion go into the busy festive period, Mowbray feels they are still on the cusp of achieving something special.

And he has not changed his belief from day one that a spot of tinkering is all that is required.

"I think we are a team best described as 'work in progress' really," he said.

"We know we need to adjust some things, we know where we want to go, what we need to try and do.

"We will have to wait and see in January whether we can do that."

January could see Nathan Ellington (left) return to Wigan which would enable one or two proposed moves to fall into place.

"January is notoriously a difficult window to make happen what you might want to happen," Mowbray warned.

"I think it is important we add to the squad with the right ingredients and with the right type of players. If they are not available in this window we will soldier on. We have enough talent. I feel that if we can adjust one or two things then the quality is there to go on a long unbeaten run.

"We are not far away from the leading sides. We are in touch still and that's important at this stage."

Mowbray knows exactly where he needs to strengthen and his first priority will be a goalkeeper.

"I know what we would like to do, which areas we would like to strengthen, it depends what goes out.

"If we are going to have to spend money that depends on what money we accrue in sales.

"You can try and do loans, but people aren't in the business of giving you good players especially when they are under contract."

Albion's away defeats at Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City have had some sceptics already predicting a gloomy 2007.

But Mowbray is having none of it. "I don't like people writing us off. It is not an issue to me because it doesn't matter where you are after 20-odd games, it matters where you are after 46.

"I've said it a few times, you have to believe and trust in your players.

"I think they have enough about them to go on a long winning run, there is enough talent there, we just have to find one or two ingredients and I am sure we can do that."

CAPTION(S):

TONY MOWBRAY.