TONY Mowbray has a rare disease called Ipswichitis and makes no apologies for trying to spread it around.The West Brom boss admits his insistence on getting his teams to play the Ipswich way is not always popular but he believes Baggies fans will soon learn to love it too.

By Derek Davis

TONY Mowbray has a rare disease called Ipswichitis and makes no apologies for trying to spread it around.

The West Brom boss admits his insistence on getting his teams to play the Ipswich way is not always popular but he believes Baggies fans will soon learn to love it too.

Mowbray spent nine years at Ipswich as a player, skipper, coach and caretaker-manager and remains a fan of the Suffolk outfit.

He said: “We know we will be playing against a team who will play and pass and try to score goals.

“The game against them last season was very much like that. It is difficult to get the ball off them and I know many of the coaching staff there very well and it has always been their philosophy to play that way.

“There is a dyed-in-the-wool style of playing there - we used to call it Ipswichitis. You must play the ball and pass the ball well and it does create attractive football so this weekend I am sure will be an entertaining football match. Obviously, the onus is on us as the home side to try to secure maximum points.”

Mowbray had learned this way of playing football way before his days at Portman Road - when he was working north of the border at Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

He said: “Celtic were a club who liked to play attractive football - the fans demanded that it was played that way and it has been a part of what I have been brought up on for a long, long time.

“I have spent a bit of time at clubs where the players play that style and I think that is the way forward.

The top teams all play that way - Manchester United dominate the ball, Arsenal dominate the ball, Chelsea, Liverpool and that is the way I want us to play.”

Mowbray is aware he has his critics, who believe that attractive football does not work in the Championship and that the clubs who grind out 1-0 results find their way into the Premier League.

But Mowbray said: “I follow my own methods and my own beliefs. I respect fans have their views but I hope the fans who come every week can see what I am trying to achieve here and like what they see.

“I have set up this team the way I want and the idea is to make this club as successful as I can.”

Although much of his squad was away on international duty over the past 10 days, Mowbray has no injury concerns