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Baggies chase bragging rights

29 September 2012-PA Sport

Defender Billy Jones has set his sights on West Brom again finishing the season as the midlands' leading side ahead of Monday morning's (1am AEST)  Premier League derby at Aston Villa.

The Baggies secured a top-10 finish last season while Villa struggled to avoid relegation by only two points before sacking manager Alex McLeish and replacing him with Paul Lambert.

Albion has continued in the same vein this campaign with 10 points from its opening five games, while Villa is rebuilding under Lambert.

Jones said: "The derbies are great. It's what I looked forward to when I first signed for West Brom.

"We want to win it on Sunday for the fans and win it for ourselves to continue our good start.

"The fans wanted to finish above Villa and I got that vibe last season. As a player, I was happy with that as well.

"It was an achievement to finish the best team in the midlands. That's our aim again, to finish as high as we can in the league and for the fans definitely, to finish above Villa.

"But we are fired up for every game in the Premier League. We know the importance of it, the ones the fans are desperate to win, and we know that as players.

"We just see it as another massive game to get another three points to continue our great start to the season."

Jones is currently Albion's only fully fit full-back and started at right-back in the midweek Capital One Cup tie with Liverpool before switching flanks after Liam Ridgewell suffered a thigh injury.

He said: "To be honest, it's a lot more comfortable at right back, receiving and dribbling with the ball.

"I feel at left-back it is a bit awkward at times but I'll never complain about playing for West Brom and in the Premier League wherever it is.

"If it needs to be left-back to help the gaffer and the team out, I'm willing to do so."

Meanwhile, skipper Chris Brunt believes West Brom now "know what it takes" to win games at Premier League level after consolidating its place in the top flight with last season's strong showing.

Brunt said: "You've only got to look at the bench to see how strong we are at the moment. We've got three or four internationals sitting on the bench.

"That's credit to the lads on the pitch and also to the players we brought in in the summer.

"Over the last couple of years we've added to the squad steadily and the status of the club in the Premier League is attracting a lot more players and that's going to make us stronger.

"If we can keep it going, I'm sure there will be bits and pieces done in January again and we will be confident of improving this season again. But it's early days yet."

Brunt is also hoping the Baggies can persuade key defender Jonas Olsson, in the final year of his contract, to sign a new deal.

He said: "The club have always seemed to reward players for doing well.

"If the club can hold onto the better players and our more experienced players, who have been here a long time, that will be good.

"There is a group of us who have been here for five or six seasons and hopefully, if we can add Jonas to that as well, we will be moving in the right direction."

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