Jake Livermore: West Bromwich Albion skipper says they need missing 'killer instinct'
- Published
Jake Livermore (right) has made 175 appearances for West Bromwich Albion since signing from Hull City almost five years ago
West Bromwich Albion skipper Jake Livermore says the Baggies need to rediscover their "killer instinct" in the wake of their damaging defeat at Championship bottom side Derby County.
Albion had battled back into serious automatic promotion contention on the back of a five-game unbeaten run.
But another host of missed chances, coupled with a defensive howler, led to a fifth league defeat of the campaign.
"It ends our little run but that's not good enough," he told BBC Radio WM.
"It's not where we want to be. And we need to have a look at ourselves.
"We had 61 per cent possession and 19 shots. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the system. It's getting that killer instinct - at both ends.
"That's what ultimately wins games, wins promotions and gets this club where it should be."
Of those 19 efforts, only five were on target, and although Albion were without top scorer Karlan Grant at Derby, boss Valerien Ismael has already admitted that up front is the first place they need to strengthen in January.
He has already been strongly linked with two of his former Barnsley strikers, MLS-based Daryl Dike and Cauley Woodrow.
'There's not a lot wrong except at either end'
Livermore said that it did not need Ismael's immediate post-match rage to tell them that they had let themselves down at Derby.
"We don't need the gaffer to be angry with us," he added. "We're angry enough with ourselves.
"I've always said we can't get too up when we've had a good couple of results and we can't get too down when we lose.
"There's not a lot wrong except at either end of the pitch where it all counts.
"When you win games and score goals it papers over a lot of cracks.
"They didn't look like scoring themselves. They had two or three chances, none of which looked particularly deadly until the goal and that then changes the game."
Albion, who remain in fourth place, five points behind leaders Bournemouth, are now without a game following Thursday's postponement of the home game with Preston, until Cardiff City's scheduled visit on 2 January.
Jake Livermore was talking to BBC Radio WM's Rob Gurney.