Sign up NOW for daily Baggies news straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Alan Pardew was quizzed on a range of topics ahead of his first match in charge of West Bromwich Albion today.

As well as the standard injury updates, Pardew answered questions about Crustal Palace boss Roy Hodgson, his relationship with Eagles chairman Steve Parish and the way he likes his sides to play.

Here's the transcript of every word the new Baggies boss uttered during the written part of yesterday's press conference.

INJURY UPDATE

None of them (Chris Brunt, James Morrison, Nacer Chadli) have a chance. We might well have a very young player on the bench on Saturday.

We're a bit short there, but the first 11 look okay.

FINDING CREATIVITY

I think there are players in the group, some of whom are not available at the moment obviously (who are capable of that).

It is difficult saying to you training has been unbelievable, we scored some cracking goals, because we just haven’t been out there long enough.

Training has been focused, that’s all I can say. The concentration has been very good. Now we just hope we have the energy to win on Saturday.

OPINION OF OLIVER BURKE

He is the sort of player I should do well with and somebody I will look at closely.

I remember a few games at Nottingham Forest where he got major headlines and everybody was talking about him.

And then suddenly he went to Germany, and I haven’t got to the bottom of that story yet. I’m sure I will as we go along. He is now here.

He looks a little bit like he needs games, needs some time on the training ground. That’s what he looks like. And then hopefully he can come to the first team and do some damage.

Certainly he has got the talent to do it, it is just about getting it right in his head. In terms of sometimes players need confidence from the manager, the set up, and what his job is.

I haven’t really had enough time to do that with him because we are concentrating on the starting XI.

SPEAKING TO JONNY EVANS

I have spoken to every senior player, possibly with the exception of Chris Brunt, who I will get around to at some stage.

I will probably speak to him on Monday now.

I have spoken to most of the senior players and asked them what they feel would help make the job easier for me.

I have taken all of that on board and me and John of discussed that and discussed it with Big Darren as well and hopefully we’ve got the clues to try to get it right.

He will certainly stay as captain. A couple of times in my career I have tried to sign Jonny Evans and he probably knew that so that helped him.

He’s a terrific player and somebody I would like to keep here way past the window.

There was a spell at Newcastle where I looked at Jonny for a while.

ROY HODGSON'S RECORD AS ALBION BOSS

Absolutely. He did a really superb job here and I played against him here.

I have always admired him. He’s a coach who has a great knowledge of the game and is an educated man on and off the pitch so you can’t help but respect the guy.

I look forward to seeing him. We’ve had a good relationship but I want to beat him that’s for sure.

HOPING FOR A POSITIVE RECEPTION FROM ALBION FANS

I hope so because I think it’s important for our fans that we have a positive stadium.

That’s definitely going to help us.

The fans could probably argue that we don’t deserve it but I really hope they give us that platform at the start of the game.

Hopefully we can feel the crowd are with us then it’s up to us to try to keep them there for 90 minutes.

AND FROM THE PALACE SUPPORTERS

I hope so because I always had a fantastic relationship with them.

It was sad to see what happened at Brighton because nine times out of 10 they’ve been great with their attitude on the road and the noise they make.

They’re great fans and I will make a point of giving them a little wave.

FRESH SLATE FOR THE BAGGIES SQUAD

Me and John (assistant John Carver) couldn’t believe we hadn’t managed any of the players. Not one has come across our paths, with is very weird.

Something is not right there.

Either we can’t spot a good player when we see one or something is wrong but in a way it’s a good thing because we’re fresh to the playing staff.

There is no player who has made a mistake for us or let us down so we are literally zero and that’s good.

And we haven’t made a mistake for them either, because we make mistakes as well - the wrong substitution at the wrong time or a training session where someone gets injured.

So at the moment we’re all neutral, which is great and hopefully it will all be positive after the game.

Listen to our latest Albion podcast

POLICY WITH YOUTH PLAYERS

I always say to a group of players, whether it’s pre-season or coming to a club, they’re not treated exactly the same because the senior players are certainly going to be in my favour.

They’re earned the right for me to treat them a bit differently.

And the younger players need to push them and understand that’s where they need to be to get that type of respect - trophy winners.

poll loading How many points will Albion get in December? 2000+ VOTES SO FAR 0 1 3 4-7 8-10 11-14 15-18 19-21

CLOSENESS TO PALACE PLAYERS

I’m not going to go and cuddle them, no. Heartbreaking? No, They are doing a job – they are paid professionals, so I understand that.

I was very close to some of the players there. You can’t help but get close to them because they’ve achieved amazing things for you.

I’ve had some nice messages this week from within that camp.

From Bolasie who is on his way back from injury etc, etc. You never lose those bonds.

They are actually something that keeps you going when you are out of work as well.

It’s nice to get a message from your former players so, no, there will be all smiles and handshakes and love-ins until a ball is kicked.

(Contact from them when he lost his job) Yeah, of course, kind of ‘thank you or whatever.’ Yeah, it’s nice.

RELATIONSHIP WITH STEVE PARISH

Steve remains somebody that I respect.

He’s somebody who is the chairman of a football club. He has a job to do and he made decisions that he felt were right for the club.

That’s his decision, like the decisions I make with the team. He might not necessarily agree with it but that’s the decisions that we both respect.

TENDENCY TO PLAY WITH WINGERS

That’s not exactly true. When I was at Newcastle I rarely played with wingers.

I didn’t play with wing backs by the way but I rarely played with wingers.

Crystal Palace it would have been hard not to with Zaha and Bolasie. I don’t think wingers is what I’m about.

I’m about what group I’ve got and what can I get best from them.

At Newcastle there was many times when I played one of our strikers in a wide area and that worked really well for us. Cisse played left midfield and so did Demba Ba for a period and we had some great results.

We're testing a new site: This content is coming soon

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME

I definitely won’t be swotting. I will probably watch a bit of football on the telly. See somebody else under the cosh.

I’ve always actually been quite relaxed before games – the night before even and game day.

It’s almost the last 15-20 minutes when the adrenaline kicks in.

Then the crowd starts filling in and they finish their pie and that – then it starts to hit you, the cameras roll or whatever. Yeah, I’m looking forward to getting back out there.