Midfielder Alex Mowatt insists Albion are ready to sign off for the international break by delivering an energetic performance across the West Midlands at St Andrew’s.
Carlos Corberan’s Baggies cap a busy week of three games in seven days with their most local fixture of the Championship campaign at Blues this evening.
Mowatt is back in the side for a first meaningful spell of the season and has been a key cog in back-to-back wins against Preston and Sheffield Wednesday.
Now Corberan’s side go to a sold-out St Andrew’s for their last game in a fortnight and Mowatt, 28, knows there is both an importance to sign off in style – and to deliver against the division’s closest rivals.
“No, definitely not,” Mowatt said of going into the break on a negative note. “Especially a derby game, you want to go and be happy in the days after it, and a win would do that.
“Birmingham are doing well as well, I think it’ll be a good game, going into the international break and on a Friday night too, it’s exciting.
“I wouldn’t say preparation is different, I think the games are always different (in derbies), there’s a lot more energy and tackles and things like that, and obviously the crowd as well.
“This is probably the game they (fans) look forward to the most, both teams are doing well at the moment, so it’ll be a good game.”
Mowatt spent last season on loan at league rivals Middlesbrough but featured heavily throughout pre-season as Corberan assessed his midfield options.
The Yorkshireman had to bide his time for a league start this season, though, but was finally handed a start in the home stalemate to Millwall – where he impressed – and is pushing for a fourth consecutive start this evening.
Albion head into tonight’s clash in fifth and a victory would help Corberan’s side consolidate a top-six place for the two-week break.
“It’s been a good start, but if we hadn’t got these two wins we’d say it wasn’t a good start – so that’s how quick it can change,” Mowatt said.
“It was the same at Boro last season, we got a new manager and made the play-offs, it’s better to have a good start so you haven’t got as much chasing to do. We want to stay in and around it and just keep competing in every game.”
Corberan said yesterday he would not expect anything different from his players or deliver a separate message due to the geography around the fixture.
Blues head into the clash in 12th after a 4-1 win over Huddersfield in midweek ended a run of five without a win in the league.
The hosts will be boosted by the reopening of the lower Tilton Road Stand this evening. The fixture is running as a test evening for the full opening later this month, with an extra 800 fans in attendance tonight.