Ryan Mason insists Albion won’t fear facing Sky Bet Championship leaders Coventry City at the CBS Arena on Saturday lunchtime (ko 12.30pm).
Domestic football returns this weekend following the final international break of the calendar year, with Mason’s men aiming to become the first team to defeat the Sky Blues in front of their own supporters this season.
Frank Lampard’s outfit sit five points clear at the top of the table and are the division’s highest scorers, but the Baggies boss is adamant the contest provides the players the perfect opportunity to showcase their ability.
Ryan said: “The final international break of 2025 is probably a good checkpoint. We’re a third of the way through the season and it’s given us a chance to look at things and assess things.
“We’ve gauged where we’re at in terms of performance. We’ve looked at overall performance compared to other teams in the league, things we’ve done exceptionally well, things we can improve on and areas where we can continue to work with the players.
“I know the most important stat in football is how many points you’ve got. That’s normal. The challenge is to win as many games as possible, starting with our next one on Saturday.
“At this moment in time, you’d say Coventry City away is the toughest test of the season. We went to Stoke when they were top of the table and we also went to Middlesbrough when they were at the top.
“When you’re 15 games in and you’re top and you’re in such good form, we understand the type of game it’s going to be. We have to go there with full belief and attack the game as much as possible.
“They have players full of confidence and they’ve had some really good results. When you win games, confidence just grows and the positive energy just carries on building. They’ve got pace up top and they can be very direct at times, but they can also switch up their game.
“We know what we’re going into, but we certainly can’t fear that. It’s a great game to be a part of. It has to be exciting for the players, because it’s a chance for them to go and prove themselves in that type of game.
“We know our strengths and we know we can hurt teams. We have to do that tomorrow. We have to go into it with the right mindset and the right personality.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Frank Lampard. His record speaks for itself, but that’s just one chapter for him as a player. That’s one career, and I’ve been equally impressed with his managerial career.
“He’s done a fantastic job so far. Coventry built a lot of momentum under him last season and they’ve carried that on this year.
“As I say, I have a lot of respect for him, but my job is to prepare my team to win tomorrow and to give the best possible account of ourselves.”
Mason also offered a fitness update on several members of the group when speaking to the media at The Fitlife Foods Performance Centre on Friday.
Captain Jed Wallace, defenders George Campbell and Chris Mepham, as well as midfielder Tammer Bany were all discussed, with the boss saying: “Jed is certainly out of Saturday’s game.
“George has returned to training and we’re optimistic that he can contribute and help us in the coming games.
“I think it’s good that Tammer Bany is building his fitness up. That’s the first stage – to build the fitness and robustness up and stay out on the grass.
“The next challenge is to earn a place, whether that’s starting or coming off the bench. It’s the same for all the players, they have to compete and earn their place.
“Tammer is coming into the phase now where he’s had a few games for the PL2 team and he’s made his international debut which is really good for him. It will have given him a lot of confidence to get 70 minutes into his legs on international duty.
“He’s in a space where he needs to impress and make a case to contribute.
“Chris Mepham is fine. A lot of his issue has cleared up. He was on the bench the last couple of games, but he had swelling and we needed to manage him. He wanted to stay part of it and we’ve been able to manage that over the last few weeks. His national team have been really good too, so that’s been helpful.
“This next block of games now coming up to Christmas is really important and we need everyone to contribute. Everyone has a really big part to play. We want everyone fit and pushing to play.”
