RUSSELL Slade has badgered his Albion players into hauling themselves out of the relegation zone.

The manager’s motivational techniques in recent weeks included a stark reminder of what is at stake.

Keeper Michel Kuipers revealed: “We had a lot of big badges of teams in League Two and teams in the Championship up on the wall.

“We were saying to each other, where do you want to play? Obviously everybody wants to play against the teams coming down from the Championship.”

Attractive trips to Charlton, Southampton and, possibly, Norwich beckon if Albion continue the form which saw them come from behind to make it 12 points out of 15 at Kuipers’ old club Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.

They had taken only one point out of 12 before that, so why the dramatic transformation?

Kuipers confessed: “I don’t know. Sometimes it is just happening for you. We have to make sure we keep this good run going.

“Everybody was really pleased with the result on Tuesday. It was a fantastic battle that we fought.

“The whole team played really well. The strikers scored the goals and the defenders blocked a lot of shots.

“From where I stood I could see a lot of shots coming through but at the last minute they were blocked.

“Everybody has been rolling up their sleeves and really going for it. The determination we have shown as a group of players, and all the staff and supporters involved with it as well, is giving us the chance to make sure we stay in League One this season.”

Huddersfield provide stiff opposition at the Galpharm Stadium today as they mark the farewell of long-serving striker Andy Booth.

Lee Clark’s side are on the same run as Albion – four wins out of five.

Kuipers said: “Huddersfield are a good team but I don’t really want to say too much about them. Let’s just concentrate on what we have to do.

“We are a good team and we have been playing really well. We have been strong and we have been winning games.”

Huddersfield legend Booth, on target twice at Walsall last Saturday, will be desperate to beat Kuipers on his final home appearance before hanging up his boots.

TV pundit and former Luton chief David Pleat has paid tribute to the 35-year-old, who is two short of 150 goals for Town.

Pleat signed Booth for £2.7 million when he was in charge at Sheffield Wednesday and they were in the top flight. He also took him to Tottenham in his role as director of football.

He said: “Andy is the perfect pro who has always trained hard and played hard and not automatically expected major rewards.

“He is a strong leader of the line, very strong in the air and a regular goalscorer who has retained his humility throughout.”