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Roy Hodgson believes West Brom must strengthen their squad if they are to finally banish their yo-yo tag and become an established Barclays Premier League force.

Hodgson has already virtually guaranteed that Albion can look forward for the first time to three successive years of Premier League football after see-sawing between the top two divisions.

But the former Liverpool boss, whose side entertain QPR on Saturday, knows the Baggies have to continue to bring in quality signings.

When asked what is required to take Albion to the next level, Hodgson said: "It will be to do with player personnel. We have to strengthen our playing personnel.

"We've had great help from the players at the club in my short time here and they've done an excellent job.

"If we are going to help those players get even better, and the club to become even more stable, we will have to make certain we continue to improve the quality of our playing squad.

"It is on the playing field, during those 38 matches, that count and the main protagonists at a club are the players. They will decide your fate.

"They will decide whether West Brom become an even better club in the future or whether we sink down again to the 'boing boing', yo-yoing type of club.

"I was hoping we would take one of the 'boings' out of it and become the boing club!"

Hodgson refutes the suggestion that splashing out in the transfer market guarantees success.

He said: "That is not necessarily the case because some of the players we've got who have done well haven't cost a lot of money.

"It means looking very seriously and researching the transfer market but it doesn't totally equate with money.

"There is no guarantee that Manchester City, for all the money they've spent, will win the title or the money Liverpool have spent will mean they will be that much better. It is not as simple as that.

"If it was that simple, we might as well not bother to play.

"We might as well as look at the budgets and say 'they've won it because they've spent the most money, you've spent the least so are relegated'."

Hodgson is looking for a positive response from his players after the 4-0 midweek defeat at Manchester City, the heaviest of his 15-month reign.

He said: "I don't think it is ever a shock that Man City win their home games. We went there knowing they had won 14 and drawn one and now it is 15 wins and one draw.

"I don't think it was a shock result in any way but it was a bad defeat and one all of us are very unhappy with because we pride ourselves on being a tough team to beat.

"Being beaten 4-0 is a heavy defeat, the heaviest since I've been at the club. It has been a bad couple of days having to swallow that.

"We've now got to try and get ourselves back on track tomorrow."