Chairman's column: West Brom

Read Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins' programme notes for tonight's clash with West Brom.

Tonight’s game against West Bromwich Albion follows on quickly from Saturday’s home game against Norwich City.

West Brom, just like Norwich, are on a decent run of form and will once again provide a huge test for Graham Potter and his squad.

These games are the ones we all want to be part of in the Championship – against some of the bigger teams that are showing early-season form and setting the pace.

They are the teams to match and catch as the long season starts to unfold in the new year.

The game against Norwich reminded me of so many home fixtures we have played over the last 10 years or so, with the opposition happy to let us have the ball and wait for their opportunity to break away.

Over time that type of tactic seems to have become more and more common in the football we watch today.

A warm welcome to all directors, staff, players and supporters who have travelled to South West Wales tonight to support West Brom.

Like ourselves, they have changed a few things around following relegation from the Premier League and are looking to bounce straight back.

I’m sure they will be focused on winning again tonight after a fine 2-1 victory at Ipswich on Friday night.

An extra warm welcome goes to assistant-manager Graeme Jones who worked closely with Roberto Martinez when we were last in the Championship. Graeme, who will be a big asset for West Brom, spent over two years at our club and made many friends over that time.

Taking into account Norwich, tonight’s game against West Brom and Saturday’s trip to Derby, this is a tough run of games and will provide a huge test for everyone at Swansea City.

We cannot forget that this season is a long one and we have a young team in age and experience.

The support you have shown over recent weeks towards Graham and the squad has been fantastic and will make the difference as the season unfolds.

From experience, playing after the international break has always been a problem for us during the first half of the last few seasons.

Hopefully now with a decent run of games in front of us we can slowly settle down and get a good flow back to our game, building our confidence up once more.

The season is a long one and the challenge is huge, but I’m convinced it’s a challenge we can rise too as the season develops.

Finally, I would like to express my condolences to the family and friends of Kevin Austin, who lost his battle against cancer recently at the young age of 45.

Kevin was always a pleasure to deal with. He was not only an excellent footballer who helped us on our rise through the divisions, but he was also a true gentleman and the ultimate professional. He will be sadly missed.

Enjoy the game.
Huw