Paul Robinson has no doubts as to why West Bromwich Albion are looking good for at least another season of Premiership football. "We are all willing to die for each other," he said with a glint in his eye.

Albion go into tonight's match at Tottenham Hotspur (7.45pm) knowing that they control their own destiny. They occupy 17th position and, realistically, will avoid relegation if they win three of their final six matches.

Contrast this with their form towards the end of the calendar year when the only issue at stake seemed to be if Albion could avoid finishing rock- bottom. Relegation looked a certainty.

But manager Bryan Robson has made subtle yet important changes, one of which was to restore Robinson to the team at left-back. Suddenly, Albion are defending like a team fighting for a European position.

"Over the last couple of months we have proved we can stay in this league," Robinson said. "Our main aim is to keep playing with a lot of confidence and just get more points than the bottom three. It is down to us and we cannot rely on anyone else.

"We do a lot of defensive work in training, working as a back four and working as a team. But I do not think we should take credit as a back four. We should take credit as a team. We have got ourselves in this position of our own accord by working hard for each other."

Robinson has been involved in a relegation battle before but, unlike in 2000 with Watford, there is a realistic chance of survival with Albion.

"It is down to us now," he said. "We do not have to worry about anyone else. We've got ourselves where we are on our own merit. We have started to prove a few people wrong because before we came into the league everyone was telling us we were going to go straight back down and that gives you an extra buzz to prove people wrong.

"It was difficult around Christmas-time. You are down and it was a very hard time and you were thinking 'How are we going to get out of this position now?' But we have just pulled our fingers out and realised what a big opportunity this is for us all to play in the Premiership again next year.

"I went down with Watford from the Premiership and it was very difficult to take. The squad then was not brilliant, although we still had a great team spirit but not the same as it is here.

"The gaffer [Robson] has brought some excellent players in and we have all gelled together well and we are all up for the fight whereas at Watford we did not have a lot of money to spend and it was very difficult for us week-in and week-out."

Robson, whose reputation as a manager grows by the hour, is refusing to take any credit for what Albion have achieved in reviving their season. The time to accept plaudits, he says, is when the job is completed at the end of the season.

The former England captain, who took over at The Hawthorns from Gary Megson in November, is happy to shy away from the accolades and knows that the hard work is still to be done with Albion having the toughestlooking run-in of the four sides fighting against relegation.

After Spurs, the Baggies also have to visit Middlesbrough and Manchester United and also have a home fixture with Arsenal in addition to Blackburn and Portsmouth.

"People are saying to me 'You've done well to change it around' but I am not interested in pats on the back until it is May and we are in the Premier League for next season," Robson said.

"From my point of view, that is the only time that you can say you have had success. I still think we have got the hardest fixture list on paper of the bottom teams.

"That in itself is keeping the players on their toes because they know they have still got a really hard challenge ahead. I think it is going to be about who can get the surprise result from a game where people do not think you can get it. We have got to have one of those certain type of performances and results.

"But if you stay focused and your attitude is spot on, you can do most things in this game and the players have started to show they have got the ability to go with the right attitude."

Robson is looking for Albion to repeat the form of their past two away matches, against Charlton Athletic and Aston Villa, which brought them four points.

"You have to look at the belief we have got now," Robson said. "Charlton were sixth when we went there and Villa were eighth and we competed against both teams and coped quite well.

"It is a case of Tottenham being in a similar position to those two teams and we've got to go there and have the same belief and work-rate and that gives us a chance in the game."