Richard Beale believes securing three points at Reading on Saturday would be a feeling he has never experienced in football before.
Beale, the club’s senior professional development phase manager, will take charge of Albion’s clash with the Royals at the Select Car Leasing Stadium after Steve Bruce, Steve Agnew, Stephen Clemence and Alex Bruce all departed on Monday.
The Baggies PL2 boss has been assisted this week by James Morrison, Chris Brunt and goalkeeping coach Gary Walsh.
Beale revealed he’s had a “brilliant” response from the players to the training sessions the coaching group have laid on and says everything has been geared towards earning a welcome win down south.
He said: “We’ve had a really good week working with the players.
“I’ve been really impressed with how the players have responded to training and the instructions we have been trying to give them ahead of the game this weekend.
“Training has been bright and lively. It’s never easy when people lose their jobs and Steve Bruce was really good to me when he was here and helped me a lot. However, we’ve had to get straight to work and the players and the staff have been brilliant.
“The responsibility has been different to what I’m used to with my role with the U21 group, but I have really enjoyed it.
“I’ve worked with senior teams before but I’ve never really been in the main role where I’m the one making the decisions. Day-to-day though, in my job with the PL2 team I’m doing that all the time subconsciously and consciously.
“Obviously, this role comes with more scrutiny and there will be more eyes across it and the decisions which are made, but I’m trying to keep it simple and I’m trying to make sure I keep things the same from my end.
“More scrutiny is part of the territory with this role but I won’t allow that to affect my thinking. I’m focused on preparing the best we can for the game, getting three points on Saturday and to move things forward in the right way.
“It’s been made easy for me so far if I’m being honest by how the players have been and the help from all of the staff. Everyone is moving in the right direction and we’re doing it together as a collective.
“The dynamic between myself, Brunty, Mozza and Gary Walsh has been brilliant. I’ve had a really good working relationship with them all ever since I came here. Between us, I believe there’s a really strong mix of plenty of coaching experience and playing experience. We’ve come together to get things put in place for Saturday.
“We’re all gearing up for Saturday and trying everything we can to come away with all three points. I’m really looking to the game kicking-off and seeing how we perform.
“Leaving there on Saturday with three points would be the perfect way to end what’s been a really busy, but really enjoyable week.
“For a game I’ve been involved in here at Albion, I’ve had a sample of the passion of the supporters at the club in the Premier League Cup final at the end of last season.
“I love my football. I’m football nuts and I’ve been involved in it all of my life.
“Come Saturday I think we’ll have a lot of fans down at Reading. The away fans tend to be the hardcore group of supporters and to reward them with three points would be a feeling I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in football before.
“It hasn’t come away from my mind all week. There would be no better feeling to get those three points on Saturday.”
Opponents Reading boast the Sky Bet Championship’s best home record, collecting 16 points from their seven league matches in front of their own supporters.
The Royals are fifth in the division ahead of the latest round of second-tier matches, and Beale insists his side must be prepared to out-work Paul Ince’s team.
“It’s certainly going to be a tough test at Reading when you consider the start to the season they have made and the form they’re in at home.
“They’re a strong side and our lads have to physically be ready for a battle. We need to out-work and out-run them to start with, before trying to play our game.
“I’m confident the lads know what’s required of them and I know how motivated they are to pick up three points.
“We’ll go there on the front foot and to try and be really positive. We’ve had a really positive week and we want to carry that positivity on on Saturday.
“We’re focused on what we’re going to try and do on Saturday and how we can hurt them, but also knowing where Reading are strong and how they might cause us problems.”
