Bristol City boss Gary Johnson will make no apology for keeping things tight at The Hawthorns tomorrow.

Recognising West Bromwich Albion's obvious Premier League quality, the Londoner will detail his players to strangle the life out of Roberto Di Matteo's team.

Taken at face value, such tactics can be perceived as negative. But Johnson insists organisation and staunch defence are absolutely necessary if City are to avoid defeat and keep pace with the Coca-Cola Championship front-runners.

He has a point. Encouraged by a promising first-half display on their last visit to The Hawthorns on Boxing Day two years ago, the Robins switched off and gifted Baggies striker Roman Bednar a soft goal.

Thereafter, the floodgates opened and City quickly found themselves trailing to further goals from Robert Koren and Kevin Phillips (2), their defence having been breached four times in 27 minutes.

Substitute Darren Byfield pulled one back in the closing stages, but it was no more than a consolation and City finished well beaten.

Johnson insists he has learned from that painful experience and his fervent hope is that City will prove more obdurate opponents on this occasion, just as they did when earning a notable goalless draw against leaders Newcastle United at St James Park last month.

"It's a case of earning the right to play your own game when you go to these places," argued Johnson.

"You cannot afford to be gung-ho and attack without giving any thought to defence. If you do that in the Championship, the opposition are good enough to punish you.

"You only have to look at the number of goals the sides near the bottom of the table have let in to see what can happen if you leave yourselves open.

"People will say we're being negative and defensive, but that's not the case. We want to win the game just as much as West Brom do, but we have to remember they have Premier League players who can hurt you if you make a mistake.

"That's why you have to try to stifle their game and stop them playing. If you allow them to score first and go one-up, they tend to grow in confidence, open up and make life really difficult for visiting sides.

"In my experience, the longer you can keep them out and frustrate them, the more pressure they feel under and the better chance you have of imposing your own game."

It seems Albion boss Di Matteo is preaching a similar philosophy in the West Midlands. Although the Baggies remain a potent force going forward, their defensive record is much improved this season and they have conceded just 14 times in 16 Championship outings.

The Italian's predecessor, Tony Mowbray, also advocated an attacking policy, but with less regard to defence, an oversight which caused West Brom to leak 67 goals in 38 Premier League games last term and suffer relegation to the second tier.

"We've had them watched and they are definitely different now," says Johnson.

"They have brought players with the Premier League in mind and they are planning for the top flight next season.

"Di Matteo knows a thing or two and he realises they will have to tighten up at the back if they are get to the Premier League and stay there.

"West Brom still have quality players who like to move the ball quickly and attack you, but they are also less open than they were previously.

"Di Matteo has made them better organised and, as a result, they've become more solid as a defensive unit."

Of the team which lined-up against Albion at The Hawthorns on December 26, 2007, only Jamie McAllister, Jamie McCombe and Marvin Elliott appear likely to start tomorrow.

Johnson added: "It's progress. Teams evolve and that's what happens in football. I'm not saying we're going to go there and get a better result or that we are a better team than we were the last time, but we do have greater strength in depth and a bit more quality about us."