Two months sooner than they expected and Albion’s route to the Premier League finds an old enemy blocking its path.

Almost eight years on, the Battle of Bramall Lane has not been forgotten by Baggies supporters and neither has Neil Warnock’s role in one of the most unsatisfactory days in Albion history.

So, when the Football League’s answer to Marmite – you either love him or hate him – takes charge at QPR tomorrow for the first time, the travelling Baggies fans will be desperate for their team to ruin his party.

Roberto Di Matteo and Co always expected another run-in with Warnock this season.

But now, instead of coming in the penultimate match of the season in South London, it happens tomorrow in the west of the capital, with the danger level cranked up for the promotion-chasing Baggies.

Warnock has swapped crisis-hit Crystal Palace for the challenge of bringing calm to the behind-the-scenes chaos of Loftus Road.

With the new boss certain to galvanise his new charges for a grandstand start at the ninth club of his managerial career, the perils for the Baggies are self-evident.

Midfielder James Morrison said: “We didn’t need QPR bringing Warnock in. We could have done with it next week. But we need to put it to back of heads. They’ve been struggling and we need to make it nervous for them.

“But we know it’ll be a tough game. Against a Neil Warnock team we know it will be tight game, fast and furious. You get no time on the ball and he is always on the sidelines shouting.

“But Ben Watson signed for us last week. Ben’s played for him and said what a good guy he is.”

While respecting Watson’s assessment of his former Crystal Palace boss, Albion fans might beg to differ with his conclusion.

Those who were there to witness events in February 2002, when Warnock was accused of sharp practice to ensure an abandonment with his side 3-0 down, will never forget the occasion.

The end result was not good for Warnock as Albion 3-0 win was allowed to stand by the Football League and Gary Megson’s men went on to claim promotion, famously at the expense of bitter rivals Wolves.

Yet the new Rs boss has never been forgiven for his part in the events.

Long after his bitter enemy Gary Megson departed The Hawthorns, Warnock will not expect a warm welcome from 100 per cent of tomorrow’s crowd.

Roberto Di Matteo is the latest Albion boss to pit his wits against the old enemy, whose Palace side claimed a 1-0 at The Hawthorns earlier this season.

But the Italian is taking a laid back stance to the Yorkshireman’s untimely arrival in West London.

He said: “It was coming. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone. It will lift the atmosphere and environment down there a little bit.”

Warnock swept into Loftus Road yesterday after a week of compensation talks between QPR and Palace’s administrators.

After four years of managerial instability at the club, the new boss is targeting a change in a mood and promotion to the Premier League next season.

The 61-year-old becomes the club’s fifth manager of the season but, following Flavio Briatore’s departure as chairman, is hoping his arrival will herald a new era of stability.

Warnock, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, said: “It’s something I didn’t envisage over the last couple of years but this has always been a great football club.  Although I thought the contract was three and a half weeks!

“Stability has not been around this club for a while but it’s the right challenge at the right time for me. All I want is a chance.  I want to stabilise this season and then take the club on.

“Everyone knows I want to manage in the Premier League and I don’t think there are many clubs coming in for me.”

New chairman Ishan Saksena is keen to steer the club away from the revolving door of managers under Briatore.

He said: “QPR has a history of being a family club, so I want to welcome Neil as the latest member of the QPR family. It is important to bring back stability – he will bring that back and lead the way in a bright future for the club.

“He is the complete package as a manager and was always our number one choice.”

Tomorrow’s fixture takes Albion back to the scene of their sun-drenched Championship title-clinching win on the final day of the season two years ago.

But Morrison, who is one of the few survivors from that side, has insisted fond memories will count for nothing tomorrow.

He said: “Yes, it was good but that’s in the past. We need to look to the future. The team’s changed so not many players will have experienced that.

“We have to try to put pressure on them and win and forget about past.”