Mowbray sets his sights high

Despite automatically falling into the category of relegation favourites after being promoted last season, Tony Mowbray insists that Albion have far more to look forward to than fighting off a bottom three finish. Along with promoted duo Stoke City and Hull City, the Baggies are one of the bookies' favourites to finish in the bottom three however, Mowbray is banking on previous successful seasons in the Premiership with Ipswich as he plots to keep Albion up.

Assisting both on the pitch and off the pitch in a player/coach role under George Burley, Mowbray helped Ipswich achieve a fifth-place finish in their first season back in the top-flight and qualified for the UEFA Cup in the process. And while the Albion chief is not expecting European qualification next season he believes a successful season is a distinct possibility.

"During that season at Ipswich, we won 1-0 at Liverpool," Mowbray recalled.

"Finishing 17th next term will not be deemed a successful season for us.

"First and foremost, I don't set myself targets.

"And I don't like it when club officials, managers and players talk about finishing 17th.

"I take each game as an individual challenge and I honestly feel we can win football matches next season.

"The great test for me will be the mental strength of the team.

"Make no mistake, we will lose games.

"There will be times we will lose three on the bounce.

"It's up to us how we react to that fourth game.

"I don't think it's the right mentality to say 'we want to finish fourth-bottom'.

"If that happens, then so be it.

"But there are a dozen teams in the league that, every time we play them home or away, we know we have a chance of winning a football match.

"My message to the side will be to find an angle or a hook that motivates us every time we play a team so we can try and be better than that team.

"We have to believe that we can go to, say, Tottenham or Arsenal, and if they're not 100 per cent on their game, maybe we can beat them."