Baggies will not lie down for United — Mowbray

MANCHESTER United have been warned that newly-promoted West Brom will not be intimidated by tomorrow’s visit to Old Trafford.

Baggies boss Tony Mowbray admits his team froze on the opening day of the Premier League season when they lost 1-0 at Arsenal.

He said his players were “overawed” during the first 20 minutes at the Emirates Stadium before finally getting to grips with the Gunners.

But he is confident they will not make the same mistake against the Premier League and European champions.

Said Mowbray: “You hope to learn from every experience and I am pretty sure the players will take certain aspects of that game against Arsenal into this one.

“You can feel the quality of the opposition on the field.

“It will be even greater at Manchester United so it’s no good standing back and admiring it. You have to go and compete.

“That was what changed at Arsenal where we stopped standing back and tried to get among them and make some challenges and tackles.

“We didn’t withdraw into our shell every time they got the ball, and we have to do that at Old Trafford where we have to compete and not sit back waiting for them to attack us.”

The Baggies can have few complaints about their start to the season as they occupy a top-half place in the Premier League after collecting 10 points from their first seven games.

Surprisingly, they are only a place and one point behind the Reds in the table.

And judging by their form in the opening two months of the campaign, it looks as though Mowbray’s men are equipped to survive in the top division.

West Brom will arrive at Old Trafford in a rich vein of form after winning three of of their four previous league games, the one blemish being a 2-1 derby defeat at home to Aston Villa.

The Baggies have beaten West Ham 3-2 at home, Middlesbrough 1-0 on Teesside and Fulham 1-0 at The Hawthorns.

And when you look at the three defeats they have suffered this season, the losses against Arsenal, Everton and Aston Villa were all by single-goal margins, which underlines how competitive they have been.

Since being promoted as Coca-Coca Championship winners, Mowbray has rebuilt his side, making eight summer signings at a cost of £14.5million.

He has been canny in the transfer market as his eight captures have been partially offset by the £8m sale of Curtis Davies to Aston Villa.

So in essence the team has been constructed at a cost of only £6.5m – peanuts in today’s financial climate.

Spanish midfield player Borja Valero was the most expensive capture at £4.7m from Real Mallorca.

Also costing £2m-plus were Liverpool keeper Scott Carson, Dutch striker Gianni Zuiverloon and Bolton defender Abdoulaye Meite.