Albion beware the 'Warnock factor'

Albion new-boy Ben Watson has warned his new club to beware of the 'Warnock factor' as the club prepare for a surprise meeting with their old nemesis on Saturday.

The Baggies will lock horns with old enemy Neil Warnock at the weekend, after the Crystal Palace boss became QPR's fifth manager of the season last night.

On-loan midfielder Watson, who played under Warnock at Selhurst Park, reckons the Hawthorns hate figure will make an instant impact on Rangers.

He said: "I played for 18 months under Neil and he is a good guy. Until you've played under him then you don't realise what he's like but I had 18 fantastic months under him and I probably played my best football under him.

"It's not ideal timing because he will get the lads up for it but it's not about QPR, it's about West Brom, and on our day we can beat anyone."

Warnock take his place in the Loftus Road dugout on Saturday to a guaranteed frosty reception from the travelling Albion fans, who still dislike the former Sheffield United boss for his role in the infamous 'Battle of Bramall Lane' in 2002.

He was accused of engineering the abandonment of the match with the Blades down to eight men, although the Baggies were later awarded three points having led 3-0 when the game was halted.

But Watson, who spent the first half of this season on loan with QPR, believes Warnock is the man to bring stability to the club after a chaotic year.

The Albion man said: "They've got some quality players, which they've proven this season at times. But things have gone on behind closed doors go on and it does affect players, because they don't know from one day to the next who the manager is going to be.

"I had Jim Magilton, Steve Gallen and Paul Hart. I had three managers in about three-and-a-half months. As a player you don't know from one day to the next who the manager is going to be.

"They need to give someone the job and stick with him for a while."