Ryan Mason believes West Bromwich Albion’s challenge this weekend at Wrexham is to impose their own style on a fixture which is set to be fuelled by plenty of “energy”.
The Baggies take on the Red Dragons for the very first time in a league game on Saturday lunchtime in North Wales, with the hosts stepping out in front of their own supporters in a second-tier match for the first time since 1982.
Mason, who saw his team beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at The Hawthorns on the opening day, is expecting the atmosphere at STōK Cae Ras to be vibrant as Wrexham celebrate their return to the level and go in search of a maiden triumph this term.
The boss says Phil Parkinson and his outfit deserve respect for their achievements over recent seasons, but insists Albion are motivated for the occasion and determined to try and control the narrative.
He said: “Calming the fans will be difficult because they’ll come to the game with lots of energy. The players will have lots of energy too. It’s going to be a big challenge, but it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to.
“We understand that there will be lots of energy generated within the stadium on Saturday, but the way to affect that is through our own performance and imposing ourselves on the game. That’s something we’re certainly going to try to do.
“We’re heading there to try and win. We understand it’s going to be a difficult match against a very good team who have had a lot of success. Wrexham are on an upwards trajectory and they’ve got a really good manager. The stadium will be full of energy, so it’s going to be an exciting match and one we need to prepare for as best as we can.
“Phil Parkinson has done an incredible job there. Everyone speaks about everything off the pitch, but the reality is what they’ve done on the pitch is super impressive.
“They’ve built a real togetherness and a real belief in the club. To go through the leagues in the nature they have is really not easy. It’s not an easy thing to do, to win games of football consistently as you go up the pyramid. That’s super challenging and they’ve done an amazing job.
“Any game in the Championship is tough and you have to earn a win. We repsect them, but we need to go there with the intent to impose ourselves on the game.
“We had a good start last weekend, beating Blackburn 1-0 at home. There were some really promising signs in that fixture and we want to build on that this weekend and hopefully come away with another three points.”
