James Morrison insists the players and the coaching staff are determined to deliver the dream result for Albion fans in the Black Country derby this weekend.
The Baggies make the short trip to Molineux on Sunday lunchtime for a first league meeting against Wolverhampton Wanderers with fans in attendance since February 2012 (ko midday).
The boss, who played in that particular encounter – a 5-1 Premier League triumph for the men in navy-blue-and-white stripes, is adamant his group know exactly just how important this game is to the supporters.
Morrison believes derbies serve up opportunities for individuals to “stamp their authority” at the club and is confident the squad can rise to the occasion and secure the bragging rights.
He said: “This is a fixture which has probably been on my mind ever since the fixture list came out. It’s the game you look for first.
“There’s so much excitement around it and we all know it means so much to the football club and the fans. Ultimately, derbies are great occasions to be involved in.
“This is a game for the people, for our people. We like to play in these big games – it’s why we play football. It’s certainly a big game when you consider the atmosphere and the build up to it.
“Certain moments in this fixture can help your Albion career. I played in the 5-1 victory there and it’s still talked about now. I still remember it like it was yesterday and there’s a picture people still remind me of, so there’s an opportunity on Sunday for players to stamp their authority at this football club.
“I really want the team and the supporters to experience us getting a really positive result there. I really want the fans to enjoy it and I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure the preparation is right and that we’re in completely the right frame of mind.
“I don’t want us to go away from what we’ve been doing in the early part of the season which is showing that commitment and that fight that the supporters watching deserve to see from their team.”
The gaffer went on to say: “The start to the season that we’ve had should breed confidence and should show the players that we can go and give anyone a game in this division.
“We can go away from home and compete. Yes, we know it’s a tough game, but, we’re in a good place and we have to remind ourselves of that and not let the standards drop.
“We’ve had a nice build up to the game with a week of training, which has allowed us to prepare properly and continue the work we’ve been doing. The training sessions have been intense and that’s what you want going into a derby.
“I’ve noticed a slight difference in the atmosphere of the squad and we’ll make sure we take that positive work in training into the game on Sunday. We want to play our game and I want the players to be confident that we can do that away from home.”
Morrison revealed John Homer, Chairman of the Supporters’ Club, recently paid a visit to The Fitlife Foods Performance Centre to meet with the first-team squad and deliver a speech about what the Albion means to the fans and the importance of the Black Country derby.
The boss was pleased with the level of detail Homer went into and said the players took plenty of beneficial information away.
He said: “We had the Chairman of the Supporters’ Club, John Homer, come in recently and speak to the players. I thought it was important for the players to know how important this fixture is and how important this club is to the fans and the people in the area.
“He spoke so passionately about the history of the club and it was great for him to pass on that knowledge to both the lads who have been here for a while and the lads who joined in the summer.
“It was great to have him in and the players really enjoyed it. They found out information they wouldn’t have known, such as the history of the club.
“He also spoke about the derbies and what they mean to him and the other fans.
“We’ve been dropping little bits in for a while now about this fixture and I think we’re well prepared for it.”
