Tony Mowbray claims the reaction to West Brom's winless start to the Premier League season has been "comical".
And the Albion manager has seen enough positive signs from the opening two games with Arsenal and Everton to be encouraged about the outcome of the current campaign.
West Brom lost 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium and dominated for long spells against the Toffees before conceding two goals in five minutes midway through the second half.
Now they will look to break their duck in tomorrow's match against Bolton, whose manager Gary Megson is a former Baggies boss who left the Hawthorns nearly four years ago after a decline in his relationship with chairman Jeremy Peace.
Mowbray said: "I feel it is almost comical the hysteria that surrounds two games, the fact that we have got no points after two games.
"I think Manchester United took four games last season to get their first victory - and they went on to win the league title pretty comfortably.
"I'm not suggesting that we are going to win the title but, if you go by that remit, we've still got a chance. It is hysteria, it is the industry that we are in.
"My point is it is a long, long season and in the two games, with sides who came third (Arsenal) and fifth (Everton) last season, we have done okay.
"To go to the Emirates Stadium is a tough ask for anyone, for even Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, and we did okay.
"As for the Everton game, from my point of view I am about performance levels, and our performance levels were very high for vast spells of that game.
"If I break down the stats of that game, 15 shots to their five, 27 crosses to their six, the stats suggest the team that won wasn't the dominant one.
"The only stat that matters is 2-1 to Everton but the point is the performance was good enough for us to win football matches.
"If all the stats had been against us, and we had lost 2-1, then it would have been a concern but that was not the case."
Mowbray does not believe Megson's past fall-out with Peace will have any impact on the game and insisted he has a good working relationship with the Baggies supremo.
The former Hibernian boss said: "I can't see how it is going to impact on the football match which is my only interest really, the 11 versus 11 out on the football pitch.
"I don't know the history but from my perspective, Gary is a highly respected football manager who has had a long career and his team will be well prepared to try to beat us at the weekend.
"Bolton have had a lot of success over the years playing a certain brand of football. We play a different way but both sides will be trying to impose their styles on each other.
"As for myself, I have a very good relationship with the chairman. He is a very hard-working and conscientious guy who wants the club to progress - as do I.
"That's why we were both in before eight o'clock yesterday morning trying to progress our club. We work hand in hand."
Mowbray has no fresh worries after fielding a reshaped line-up for the Carling Cup midweek defeat at Hartlepool.
Defender Abdoulaye Meite is set to face his former club, and Borja Valero is also in strong contention to make his league debut for Albion following his move from Real Mallorca.
