Middlesbrough v West Brom preview: Tony Mowbray makes admission about immediate Boro return

The stars have aligned for a midweek trip to the Riverside Stadium, a ground Mowbray, 61, knows more than most and one just 10 minutes from his family home in a quaint village on the outskirts of Teesside.

Former defender Mowbray captained Boro at Ayresome Park and managed in the home dugout at the Riverside. The head coach admitted at yesterday's media unveiling that an immediate trip back north east up the A1 would not be top of his agenda.

Mowbray took training for the first time on Sunday and did so again yesterday, where the returning boss' focus was on discovering what makes his troops tick - and how to get Albion on the offensive and unlocking their attacking potential, a subject which dominated his press conference.

"My main thought pattern is with the players, really, trying to find out their personalities," admitted Mowbray.

"I like to do one-on-ones with them all as I come in and feel what they're feeling, are they frustrated? Are they not playing enough game time? 'The previous manager didn't do this for me and he didn't do that.' I get a feel of them, really.

"It's very difficult after the first proper training session with them to know their personalities, and it's real focus for me to make sure before I say something I remember everybody's first name.

"It's difficult, but I'm really enjoying it, and looking forward to the challenge of the games. Personally, if I was going to pick the first game for me, I'm not sure it'd be Middlesbrough away, but it is and we will get on with it.

"What I would say about Michael's (Carrick) team is that I think they're as well-coached as I've seen, and yet they've had some difficult recent results.

"I think the last four home games I've watched them, they've drawn three and lost one, I think. So we go in there at a time where we have to try and impact our style on them, really, if we can, because I think they're a very well-coached team and it's a tough game for us, but one we're looking forward to and getting going."

Mowbray, as well as sporting director Andrew Nestor, had a clear message when it came to the football perspective at their first press engagement.

It was that Albion will not be safety-first or defensively-minded anymore. Clear deficiencies this season have been a lack of goals, a lack of chances, the draws - 14 in 27 in the league - have been debilitating and cannot continue at such a rate.

Mowbray added: "I heard Andrew say it there ten minutes ago, the change of coach is hopefully going to help that a little bit, but my natural instinct is to expand a little bit more and to counter-press more than defend.

"So you lose the ball, let's get after it and try and win it back quickly, rather than drop back into our shape that we've prepared. If you lose, everybody will pick some little hole in what I've changed, and that would have never happened under the previous regime.

"But if we win, the previous regime should never be rubbished because it's done amazingly good things.

"It's given me a real organisation and structure to work from and try and expand on. I'm hoping that it's a good thing, because I'm going to try and get the attacking players to enjoy expressing their individual talent."

Albion could have influence centre-back Kyle Bartley back available from a calf strain, though are monitoring the stopper's progress before the clash.