Republic of Ireland winger James McClean admitted some West Brom players will look to get out of the club if they go down, but urged fans not to condemn them as "snakes" for doing so.
The Baggies have rallied under Darren Moore, who took the reins after Alan Pardew's disastrous time in charge ended at the start of the month.
They remain rooted to the bottom of the table, five points from safety with two games to play, and though performances and results have improved dramatically since Moore stepped up, it looks like it will be too little too late.
Derryman McClean gave an honest assessment of the situation at the Hawthorns, predicting a summer exodus.
"Everyone wants to play Premier League football so I do think there will obviously be a lot of people looking at their next move or their future come the summer if the inevitable happens and we do go down," he told The Express & Star.
"The fans just see it as if you do go down and players leave then you're a snake, or you've taken the club for a ride and this and that.
"But we've got families as well, we need to look after them. We've also got a career to look after as well, we want to be the best we can be. You have to look after yourself first and foremost."
McClean was named RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year before Christmas, a reward for several fine displays for his country.
It's been a mixed year for the 29-year-old. Ireland's World Cup dreams were shattered by Denmark in the play-offs, and his club form has been inconsistent. Under both Pardew and Tony Pulis before him, McClean has struggled to nail down a regular place in the team.
He had plenty of praise for Moore however, as he reflected on the improvements in the team over the last three weeks.
"We were told to play with more freedom"
"We were told to go out and play but we didn't really work on how we play that way," he said in reference to Pardew's time in charge.
"We were told to play with more freedom, but you've got a group of players who, under our previous manager Tony, were more defensive and a lot more drilled. We were told to go out and play a different way without really working on that.
"Since the big man's come in, I said it after the United game, look on the pitch now we know what we're doing.
"People from the outside will say you're professional footballers, you should know what you're doing anyway.
"It's always difficult when you're bottom of the league, you're low on confidence, so he just gave everyone a confidence boost, reminded everyone they were good players."
