Jed Wallace issues West Brom warning ahead of Stoke City | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion captain Jed Wallace has issued his side a warning ahead of Stoke City clash.

West Bromwich Albion captain Jed Wallace has issued his side a warning ahead of his side's upcoming clash with Stoke City at the weekend.

West Brom have started the new Championship season brightly, having taken seven points from an available nine, defeating both Blackburn Rovers and Wrexham, and most recently playing out a 1-1 draw at home to Portsmouth.

In what is manager Ryan Mason's first job in professional management, aside from a role as caretaker manager at Premier League side Spurs, he will be pleased with how his Baggies side have begun the season.

Isaac Price, in particular, has been a shining beacon from midfield, having scored three times already and grabbing an assist, making him the joint-top highest scorer in the league alongside six other players.

The Baggies have not played in the League Cup this week after being knocked out at home by Derby County via a penalty shootout, and will head to the bet365 Stadium this weekend to take on table-toppers Stoke City in what will be their biggest test of the season so far.

West Brom captain makes "horrible side" claim following draw to Portsmouth

West Brom slumped to a 9th-place finish last season after proving themselves to be real play-off contenders, with a run of dismal form in the latter stages of the campaign derailing those ambitions.

Prior to the Baggies' most recent outing, captain Wallace issued a warning claim to his teammates.

He said: "I think the lads have shown both individual quality and collective quality during our games.

"Above that though, everyone has demonstrated an ability to dig in, graft and fight for each other.

"We didn't do the horrible side of things enough last season, and it's important we get that right this year because you need to win ugly sometimes in this league.

"It's been a strong start - but it's only a start. We're nowhere near achieving anything yet.

"We have a responsibility to make sure we stay grounded and keep working hard, because the Championship is a full-blown marathon, not a 100-metre sprint."

Indeed, last season's failed play-off push will be looming over the squad, much of which has remained the same.

Wallace's duty as captain will be to remind his teammates of what they did wrong last season in order to give themselves the best possible chance of achieving promotion this season.

West Brom will be aiming for the top six this season under new boss Ryan Mason

In six out of the last seven seasons, West Brom have played their football in the second tier, with a 10th-place finish in the 2021/22 season being their lowest finish in that period.

The Baggies have also finished in the play-off positions in three of those seasons, and will be hoping to make it four by the end of this season should they not go up automatically.

West Brom have been a staple in the top half of the Championship, and now, under the guidance of Mason, Baggies fans will be hoping that that remains the case.

With the Stoke fixture being their last league match until the international break, Mason's side will be hoping to head into the break remaining undefeated.

Meanwhile, the Potters have enjoyed their best start to a season in 27 years, having won their three opening fixtures, leaving them top of the table heading into the weekend.