New Albion boss confident his style will be hit

NEW head coach Steve Clarke believes his training ground style will be a hit with the Albion squad.

Clarke is getting ready for the July return of a group of players challenged with the task of maintaining the club's Premier League progress.

But Clarke, in his first posting as a manager, has no fears about how he will get on with a squad which has delivered 11th and 10th-place finishes in the top flight under predecessor Roy Hodgson.

He said: "I'll be open to the players. I've worked for a long time as an assistant coach and I know that if you go and give players a cuddle at the right time, that is part of the job now.

"I think the players will enjoy working with me. I've got a good way of working on the training field.

"They should enjoy coming to work and, if they do, then you're half-way there."

But he won't be a soft touch either, although he added: "Nowadays the players are all millionaires so you have to handle them in a different way.

"It's a case of being strong and being able to put across your opinion. They won't like it or enjoy it but they will accept it."