Mowbray: I won’t short-change fans
TONY Mowbray has revealed the seeds of his philosophy to play entertaining football were sown in watching the rampant Albion team of the Seventies.
And he says his ingrained knowledge of the rich history of the club will not allow him to short- change the supporters by going down a more direct route.
“I am a product of where I came from,’’ said Mowbray, who added, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, that he is still the “rough and tough” character on the outside as he was as a no nonsense centre-back in the Eighties.
“It is the ethics that are inside that drive you – the humility, the honesty, the integrity of where I came from and the desire to please.
“It is a desire to respect everything. I respect the heritage of this football club,” he added.
“I was brought up in the Seventies when this club was playing the best football in the land, and I can still picture Cyrille Regis bringing it down on his chest on the half-way line, shrugging some centre-half off, driving 30 yards and smashing a beautiful shot into the top of the net.
“So when this job came along, I was trying to respect heritage with a team that the fans want to come and watch.”
Mowbray revelaed he was touched by the warmth of the club’s supporters, even in the hours following a derby defeat.
“When we get beat 2-1 by Villa, yes it hurts like hell,’’ he said.
“But I walked to my car and a dozen people are waiting there to say ‘kKeep it going big man, it’s fantastic, we love your football’.
“I still want want to win but I know that generally the people will be happy with what we are trying to produce.
“In the Premiership I don’t think they think we are going to win the league this year.
“I am trying to give them something that they want to see really as well as win along the way.
“That’s the balance to get because I try and live with it every day by getting winning football but trying to entertain.”
