DAN Ashworth believes Albion's summer transfer activity has left them with a 'competitive' Barclays Premier League squad.

The club's Sporting and Technical Director is delighted with the ten new signings - Gabriel Tamas, Steven Reid, Pablo Ibanez, Boaz Myhill, Nicky Shorey, Somen Tchoyi, Peter Odemwingie, Marc-Antoine Fortuné, Paul Scharner and Craig Dawson - he has helped Roberto Di Matteo acquire.

He is confident the Baggies have a more balanced squad to tackle England's top flight than two seasons ago.

But he has urged patience as the new recruits get used to their new surroundings and Di Matteo gels them together over the coming months.

"We've brought in ten players in and given seven other players new contracts," said Ashworth.

"If we get a bit of luck with injuries and within games, I certainly think we've got a competitive squad in an extremely competitive league.

"Everyone else has strengthened since we were last up two years ago.

"It is the best league in Europe and incredibly difficult.

"I think the gap has got bigger because you've got the likes of Blackburn.

"The Blackburn secretary is a friend of mine and when I saw him on Saturday night he was saying they haven't done a great deal in the transfer window, but what they have done is had eight or nine years worth of adding one or two players and only re-doing contracts.

"The problem with being a newly-promoted team is that we've had to bring in ten new players, which when you're limited to a 25-man squad, means almost half your squad is new.

"Robbie, Eddie and Appy have got to get the new players to gel and get the balance right.

"Some of the players have only just walked through the door.

"Some of them have to settle in a new country, some in a new area.

"There is a transition for the squad and players.

"But if all that goes well I think we've made ourselves competitive."

Ashworth insists Albion have learnt from their previous experiences in the Barclays Premier League.

And he has highlighted where he considers the team to be more experienced and better prepared physically to tackle the nation's elite.

"I think the balance of experience and physical presence was wrong in the squad last time," he added.

"Our midfield at that time had Koren, Valero, Kim, Morrison, Greening and Teixeira.

"They're all about 5f10in, super, technical footballers in their own right, but perhaps didn't give us that balance in the squad.

"Look at our back-four two years ago - it was Zuiverloon, Meite, Barnett, Robinson.

"Olsson played half a season and Donk played some games in there because Meite was injured.

"Of those initial four mentioned, they have either left the club or have not figured in any of the first three games this season.

"All of a sudden Jara and Reid are first-choice right-backs, Tamas, Olsson and Ibanez are in the centre, and Shorey and Cech are available at left-back.

"I'm positive that we've strengthened in that area and, perhaps the players that were important to us two seasons ago will be less important this time.

"Until you get them all together though you don't really know how they're going to gel or settle and adjust to a new league.

"Boaz, Nicky, Reid and Paul Scharner have played in the Premier League for a few years and you know what you're going to get with them.

"But it's more difficult for the boys coming from abroad."

Ashworth also offered an insight into the difficulties the newly-promoted Baggies have faced in the transfer market in finding players to improve on the quality already at Di Matteo's disposal.

And he illustrated how crucial the Hawthorns boss was in attracting star players like Austria international Paul Scharner.

"Being a newly-promoted club we are not the most exciting package for seasoned professionals," he said.

"They want to go to a club that will almost guarantee their wages for three years in the Premier League.

"We've made no secret that we can't do that - and won't do that.

"Our players have flex-downs in their contracts if we get relegated - therefore we're not first pick.

"Yet, our squad that came up from the Championship was pretty much the squad we'd held together from the season before in the Premier League.

"So, we did have some existing Premier League players and new players had to be better than what we'd got."

Ashworth added: "Robbie played a crucial part in every single transfer and every decision.

"He has to because these players are going to play in his team.

"On some of the transfers he's played a really active part.

"With Paul Scharner he phoned him and they spoke in German.

"Little things like that are influential to players."