Slaven Bilić hopes his “positive” Albion side can evolve into a free-flowing outfit but insists their style must be built on solid foundations.
The Baggies, who have five potential debutants in their ranks, continue to prepare for their Sky Bet Championship season opener at Nottingham Forest on Saturday (ko 5.30pm).
And the Baggies boss says he’s excited ahead of the new campaign as Albion’s six-week pre-season comes to a close.
“We want to be positive but first of all it’s all about organisation,” said the Croatian.
“You have to be solid and you have to be responsible and reliable, you have to do those basic things. You must give everything for your mate next to you.
“You have to defend with numbers - be aware, close them down, set-pieces, throw-ins, corners, those basic things - that’s the minimum that you have to give every day and in games.
“In a game I want us to be positive, I want us to be on the front foot, I want us to attack with numbers, to take responsibility when the balls comes into those areas.
“When they have the ball they have freedom, not only freedom, but an obligation to be brave and go.”
He added: “The boys have been fantastic so far, on the pitch and off the pitch, and that’s one of the reasons I like it here and I’m positive before the start of the season.
“I’m excited because the season is starting and you want to find out how you’ve been doing. It’s not all about the first game but it’s starting now and every game counts. There are three points for every game so we want to start well.
“The start is very important, I’m excited, of course, this is a club I knew I was coming to. It’s a massive club and a great opportunity for me. It’s a great privilege but also a big obligation to do well because this club means a lot to the community.”
Watch the full interview with Slaven Bilić for free above.
