West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has heaped praise on boss Slaven Bilic and explained how the squad love playing under the new manager.

The Croatian was appointed as Darren Moore's permanent successor this summer and whilst he had to deal with a high turnover of players, he has made an instant impression. With 11 games played, the Baggies currently lead the way in the Championship and have been a joy to watch on occasions.

And, Johnstone outlined the way Bilic has made a difference when speaking to the official site.

"I think I speak for all the players when I say Slaven gives us so much confidence. Everyone loves coming in to training every day because we all enjoy working under a manager who believes in us and gives us the confidence to go out and perform at our best.

"He has a really clear way of speaking to all the players. You can tell that when he is trying to give us a message or an instruction in training or before games, he has the full attention of everyone in the room."

Albion are back in action with a trip to Middlesbrough next week.

The verdict

Anyone who has seen West Brom play this season will recognise that they are a team in a very good place right now and that's obviously down to Bilic.

He has come in and done a fine job and Johnstone's comments prove that he is a very respected figure by the players.

So, it's down to the players to continue to take his messages on board and you wouldn't be surprised if Albion were celebrating promotion back to the Premier League in May.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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