Steve Clarke has tasked West Brom with beating West Ham

Steve Clarke: Hopes for a change in fortune against West Ham

West Brom boss Steve Clarke has tasked his squad with getting their season back on track when they entertain West Ham on Sunday.

Albion have lost three consecutive games after making an impressive start to the campaign, but Clarke insists he would have settled for the top six place the team finds itself in, at the start of the season.

Looking at the West Ham match, Clarke said: "I don't think it is a massive test. The test for me as a number one came when I walked into this job in the summer.

"That was the big test. We started well this season and, if you took out the defeats we've had and spread them over a course of the season, everyone would be saying we are doing fantastic.

"That's the line I tend to stick with. If I had been offered the top six in mid-December, I would have been pleased with the points tally we've got.

"But it is up to us to make sure the bad run stops now and we start to pick up more points.

"The players this week have been positive, not dwelling on the three defeats. They are looking forward to the run of games coming up.

"It would have been nice if we could have kept the good run going a little longer, but we didn't, and we have to make sure the next run starts on Sunday."

Clarke insists he enjoyed his time as number two to Gianfranco Zola with the Hammers despite the pair being sacked at the end of the 2009-10 season.

He is also a big admirer of West Ham boss Sam Allardyce and believes it is unfair to stereotype the style of football his teams have produced during his managerial career.

Clarke said: "It is a good club, I enjoyed my experience there and it's good to see them doing well in the Premier League.

"They have passionate fans who care about their team, they try to play football the right way.

"I don't care what anyone says about Sam and his teams, he always tries to play football the right way.

"They try to be positive, they try to get balls in the box, they try to score goals, and for me that is always the right way to play football."

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