Birmingham City face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Wednesday evening in a game that will see two former Tottenham colleagues go head to head
Ryan Mason admits he hopes to get one over his friend Chris Davies when West Brom face Birmingham City on Wednesday evening.
The local derby between Albion and Blues sees the visitors in far better form, having won five of their last eight, scored four goals at home for three straight matches and in ninth place in the Championship.
That’s eight spots – but only three points – ahead of the Baggies who gave up a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Coventry City at the weekend and who have won just two of their last eight.
Another subtext will be the fact the match pits Mason against Davies who were coaching colleagues under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur until the latter left to take over at Blues.
Both are in their first managerial jobs and while Davies is thriving, Mason has had a tough start. The West Brom boss believes Davies is benefitting from being a year-and-a-half into the job.
“We need to be disciplined and not act emotionally. It’s important to use the energy and emotion, but we have to stay calm and trust what we’re doing,” he told the club website.
“We know in local games like this there will be plenty of intensity and energy. It’s important to manage that, while also using it to our advantage.
“I’m not surprised by how well Chris Davies has done at Birmingham. I consider him a friend, but definitely not tomorrow.
"I have massive respect for him as a human first of all, and I think the job he has done there speaks for itself. Our teams are competing against each other on Wednesday and we’re both desperate to win.
“Birmingham are a good team and they play with intensity. They’ve had a manager in place for coming up to 18 months, which I think is really helpful for them. We understand it’ll be a difficult game, as they all are in this division.
“At the same time, we’re at home and we’re playing in front of our fans. We have belief in ourselves and we’re looking forward to it. This group, and everyone here, is super determined to give back as much as possible.”
Mason has also reacted to what he perceives as negativity from outside the club: "I've got to be honest, it doesn't bother me what other people think, the most important people are anyone and everyone associated with the Albion," he said.
"I've always said regardless of how many games I've managed, I'll always be learning - in football if you stand still and don't want to learn, then the game passes you by.
"I'm determined more than ever to change the feeling, which is ultimately to win more games of football."