Recently by Mat Kendrick

ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger backed Albion's credentials to compete in the Premier League after praising them for not "crumbling" in their opening-day defeat at the Emirates.

Tony Mowbray admitted he feared the Baggies were in for a "good hiding" when debutant Samir Nasri opened the scoring after just four minutes of the Gunners' 1-0 victory yesterday.

But Wenger's words of comfort add weight to the Albion manager's unflinching belief that his team should be aiming for a mid-table finish rather than mere survival in the top flight.

"I believe they defended intelligently, they tried to play in a positive way, we expected them at some stage to crumble a little bit and they never did," said Wenger.

"They kept going until the last second of the game. They had fantastic spirit and a positive attitude towards the game. They were not dirty but they were resilient and well organised."

BAGGIES old boy Daryl Burgess has reassured Albion that the experienced head of former team-mate Neil Clement will help them thwart the Premier League's predators.

The strength of Tony Mowbray's backline has been a cause of much concern at The Hawthorns with the boss searching all summer for rearguard reinforcements.

But Burgess, who played alongside Clement during the early days of the Gary Megson era in 2000, believes the former Chelsea defender still has a big part to play.

It seemed like the days of Albion's longest servant were numbered when he was sent on loan to Hull City last season after recovering from a long-term knee problem.

Clement has reinvented himself, however, and towards the end of last term returned to The Hawthorns to play an influential role in his third promotion with West Brom.

And Burgess believes Clement's experience could be invaluable for Albion as the Championship title winners try to contain the top flight's unforgiving forwards.

IT was not just the sponsors' logos that were absent from Albion's new look away shirts - Tony Mowbray's brand of exciting, attacking football also went missing in a scoreless stalemate at Swansea.

As their summer-long search for a sponsor rumbles on, West Brom's emblem-less yellow and blue change strip was paraded for the first time during a dour bore draw at the Liberty Stadium.

And the new kit was the brightest thing about the Baggies, whose first-choice strike trio all failed to travel for Swans stalwart Kris O'Leary's testimonial after being injured in training yesterday.

"I think from a coach's perspective it was a good exercise for us, it was a tactical game," said Mowbray. "Both teams cancelled each other out, both teams played the same formation and there wasn't a lot of space out there.

"We tried to play, you can give the players credit for trying to pass it and move it around in the right manner but there wasn't a lot of goalscoring opportunities at either end.

"From my perspective with the options up front we had today it was always a big ask to come and be as cavalier as we might do.

"But it was ok, it was a good exercise. It was hard work for the players.

"The reasons we came here was, one, for Kris because it was his testimonial and, two, because we knew Swansea were a good passing football team who would give us a good test."

With Mowbray's three key strikers - Ishmael Miller, Luke Moore and Roman Bednar - all sidelined by knocks, Sherjill MacDonald was Albion's makeshift spearhead as Mowbray again experimented with a 4-5-1 formation.

Although the friendly was arranged to celebrate O'Leary's 13 years playing service for the South Wales club, the Swansea star's big day was marred when he traipsed off after just quarter of an hour with flu.

O'Leary wasn't the only one who seemed to be under the weather with the Baggies lacking sharpness following a gruelling pre-season training programme under fitness coach Dan Harris.

Swansea set the tempo with winger Tommy Butler the first to threaten on 20 minutes when he cut in from the left on and hit a low right-foot shot which Dean Kiely scrambled around his near post.

Jordi Gomez was also causing problems for Albion and had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty turned down after a challenge by Jonathan Greening before stinging Kieley's hands with a fierce 30-yard drive.

But Neil Clement nullified the threat of the Spaniard, on loan from Espanyol, on the stroke of half-time when the Baggies defender's solid shoulder barge near the centre circle forced concussed Gomez out of the game.

With MacDonald cutting a frustrated figure up front and Albion's five-man midfield failing to either find or support him, Mowbray's men exerted little pressure on the Championship newcomers.

All Albion could muster were a series of ambitious shots with Chris Brunt twice dragging efforts wide from 25 yards after James Morrison's firm strike from similar range was easily gathered by Swans stopper Dorus De Vries.

West Brom keeper Kiely seemed agitated as he left the pitch at the interval and half-time replacement Scott Carson edging ahead of him in the battle for the No1 jersey can hardly have helped improve his mood.

Carson's first involvement was to produce the save of the match on 49 minutes, denying Guillem Bauza from point blank range after the striker had expertly pulled down a sweeping cross from former Blues youngster Marcos Painter.

The Baggies were brighter after the break - but not much.

Brunt had clearly forgotten to pack his shooting boots, scuffing one shot so badly it was more like a backpass before fluffing another finish after Morrison's winding run.

Albion's best chance came midway through the second period when Brunt's right wing corner found Paul Robinson who glanced a close range header wide when he should have scored.

MacDonald went close with a rising drive and Marek Cech's curling free-kick was just too high before the Slovakian's stoppage-time strike was spilled by De Vries.

Swansea looked the most likely to break the deadlock with Ferrie Boddie smashing over after fancy footwork from Joe Allen while it took a desperate defensive header from Hoefkens to clear the ball off the boot of Butler as he shaped to shoot.

Close control from Febian Brandy then cut through the heart of the Baggies backline only for Darren Pratley to waste his team-mate's mazy dribbling with a sloppy shot.

The Swans' songs of 'Premier League you're having a laugh' were very much tongue-in-cheek but the chants hinted at the serious work West Brom still have to do ahead of their daunting top flight opener at Arsenal on Saturday week.