Roy Hodgson on a mission at Albion

Coming up to his first full season as boss, Roy Hodgson doesn't know how long his Albion mission will last.

As he approaches his first full season as boss, Roy Hodgson has no idea how long his Albion mission will last.

But, whenever he takes his leave of the Hawthorns, Hodgson is determined he will have done his bit to help the Baggies finally end their perennial game of Premier League snakes and ladders.

Ever since Gary Megson first led the club back to the top flight, Albion have found the greasy pole impossible to scale.

Now, after becoming only the second Baggies boss to survive a Premier League season, Hodgson is intent on stability being his lasting legacy to the club, however long he sticks around.

Hodgson turns 64 next month, although American fans watching him dart around the training fields of California and Oregon last week probably wouldn't have guessed it.

His initial contract at the Hawthorns could well be extended, but it is currently due to expire at the end of this season.

It doesn't matter to Hodgson, who is working to a long-term plan and, as was clear to see for most of the 12 days Stateside, is loving the challenge of improving the club.

He said: "Whether I have a long or a short contract I always try to work for the long-term best of the club. I don't try to work for my own goals, I work hopefully in the best interests of the club.

"Everything I do is with a view to making certain this club is stronger when I leave it than when I came to it. That is my goal and, as for how long I stay, we will wait and see.

"I don't have any strong opinions on that one way or the other. But I enjoy the work and I have an exceptional bunch of players to work with.

"They are magnificent professionals and the work on this camp has been outstanding.

"If the rest of the pre-season continues in this vain I will be very happy, because it's one of the best training camps I have been on with a team in terms of facilities and everything else."

For Hodgson, the current pre-season programme is his first chance to stamp his own coaching imprint on his team from day one, after practising what assistant Michael Appleton dubbed 'microwave coaching' last season after answering an February SOS to halt an alarming slide towards relegation danger.

The Baggies boss achieved his mission, and now says his players responding well to his first full pre-season at the helm.

He said: "When you come in midway through a season it's always difficult because you have to get to know players and you're already in the middle of a very difficult season.

"This time we've got the proper time to prepare and we are still very early into pre-season. We're now a couple of weeks into a five-and-a-half-week pre-season period.

"Things are gradually taking shape and most importantly we have worked very well."

By Steve Madeley