Graham Potter has put the enforced break from football to good use and undertaken a thorough review of the season so far.
And the head coach says he is ‘excited’ by the foundations already laid this season and is looking forward, if it is possible, to completing the remaining nine Premier League games.
In a video conference with nearly 100 members of Albion supporter groups worldwide, Potter revealed how he had utilised an extended period away from the training ground.
He said, “We’ve had the time to review all our games this season and also looking at our remaining nine opponents and conduct a really thorough analysis and evaluation.
“It’s the type of review which might normally take place at the end of the season and I am excited by the foundations we have laid and what the future holds.
“We looked at games from a different individual perspectives across the coaching staff and cross-checked our thoughts. Hopefully we have come up with a very thorough picture which can help us if or when we start to play matches again.
Potter was asked to choose his favourite performance of the season so far and not surprisingly picked the 3-0 home win over 2019 Champions League finalists Tottenham.
“We won 3-0, played really well and Alzate and Connolly from the academy played well. There was a really nice atmosphere inside the stadium too.
“In an ideal world there is always a positive atmosphere [at the Amex] like there was that day but it’s football, and sometimes things don’t go the way people would like and they get disappointed. You have to accept that can happen and focus on the things you can control.
“We can’t control the crowd’s reaction, apart from trying to play football that gets people excited. It’s a challenge and it’s one we can’t shirk away from but I have to say that our fans this season have been very good.”