Long begins task of winning back Baggies and Irish shirts

“Yeah, we seem to be the bogey team for managers at the moment,” says Shane Long as he reflects on a run of great results for West Brom which has also spelt managerial doom for Mick McCarthy and Andre Villas-Boas.

Next up are Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. “But somehow I don’t think we’ll get rid of Sir Alex Ferguson,” the Irish striker adds with a grin. Still, such is the club’s current form that another big scalp can’t be ruled out at the weekend.

“That’s the aim anyway. We’re in great form at the moment — we beat Wolves 5-1, Sunderland 4-0 and then Chelsea 1-0. It’s weird how you can change your views, going into games thinking you can win — and that’s the way we are now.