'Shown we can': Tony Mowbray's Sunderland message as he delivers clear West Brom verdict

The Baggies have begun to recover from a dreadful start to the seasonAnd while confident his side can cause their opposition plenty of problems of their own, he believes no one should underestimate his former side based on the table."I think the new manager is starting to put his identity on the club," Mowbray said."They've really tightened up out of possession and it's three clean sheets from three - it looks to me as if they've worked really hard on their organisation and they have the players to score at the other end.

“The personnel is similar but they do have different rotations in their team now, similar to what Huddersfield did. I think they have got very good players.

“At Blackburn Rovers, Jed Wallace was somebody that I tried to sign and he ended up at West Brom. Jon Swift was probably the best attacking midfield player [in the league] while he was at Reading and yet they both went on free transfers. They are really good footballers.

“They’ve got a really good squad of experienced footballers. We’re expecting a really tough game, a team with an identity of how they want to play, move the ball.

“They’ll give us some problems on the day I’m sure but I’m sure we’ll give them problems as well. Hopefully we can find a way, with the support of the crowd, to come out on top.”

Mowbray is hopeful that with his Sunderland squad looking considerably stronger as his injury list shortens that they can compete in the upper reaches of the table, but also expects the depth that teams like West Brom possess to show in the table.

"We just have to play the games at the moment," he said of Sunderland's current position.

"It feels to me that the deeper squads... that quality is starting to edge towards the top now, they're not running away with it or opening up huge gaps but those teams that have been in the Premier League and have parachute payments are starting to come.

"I'm pretty sure West Brom will end up and around it with the quality of players they've got. If you look at the data, even under Steve when the results weren't there, they were miles better than the table suggested. You look at shots on target, possession in the final third... they have been right up there in the top six. You know if you keep doing those things though then eventually you are going to win some games.

"We have to keep developing what we're doing, keep trying to improve individual players and keep the collective strong. If we can keep the core of the squad fit then I think we can enjoy the second half of the season, but of course there are no guarantees.

“There are no easy games in this league and you have to earn the right to take any three points. We just have to keep going and believe that we can compete against anyone in this division - we've shown we can do that."