Potter targets West Brom response

Graham Potter is looking for a response from Swansea City when he is reunited with an old club – and an old friend – at the Liberty on Wednesday night.

The Swans host another of the Championship’s promotion contenders, West Bromwich Albion, having suffered the heaviest defeat of Potter’s reign against Norwich City last weekend.

Potter comes up against the Baggies for the first time since leaving the club for York City in 2000.

And he comes face to face with Albion’s former Swans assistant manager Graeme Jones, who has been a mate since they played together at Boston United in 2003-04.

“I had three-and-a-half years at West Brom. I wasn’t a good player for them, I must say that, but it’s a good club with a lot of good people,” Potter said.

“The supporters are fair and I met a lot of good lads while I was there, both players and staff.

“I have a lot of respect for the club, as I do for Graeme.

“We played together towards the end of our careers and we got on – we clicked.

“We shared an interest in football and in coaching and we have been friends ever since.

“He has an FA Cup winners’ medal and a bronze medal from the World Cup, which not too many British coaches have. I have huge respect for him as a coach and as a person.”

Jones worked as Roberto Martinez’s assistant during the Spaniard’s time in charge at the Liberty.

He followed Martinez to Wigan, Everton and then Belgium before joining West Brom as Darren Moore’s No. 2 in the summer.

And the signs have been promising so far this term for Albion, who sit fourth in the Championship table having scored more goals than any other side in the division.

“It’s going to be a really difficult game for us,” Potter added.

“They are a club who have ambitions to go straight back up and Darren has done a great job since being appointed.

“They have kept hold of their players following relegation from the Premier League and also added well, while they have been well organised by a good coaching team.

“They have responded well in terms of their results and I think they will be right up there at the end of the season.”

The Swans were beaten 4-1 by Norwich – the first time they have lost a game by more than one goal this season – thanks in part to errors in their own third of the pitch.

But Potter is not about to change his approach as he looks to build a Swans side who achieve success through possession football.

“We didn’t too much to go 2-0 behind against Norwich – a couple of mistakes were punished by a good side,” he said.

“But it’s inevitable that mistakes will happen in football. When they do, it’s about how you develop your playing style.

“You could just boot it up the pitch – that cuts out those problems – but that’s not the way we want to go forward.

“For us it’s about responding to those mistakes and that’s what we’ll look to do.”