STEVE SIDWELL has branded Albion’s start to the season as “indifferent”.

But the midfielder believes they are gradually getting back to the standards they set last season, when missing out narrowly on promotion.

Albion are fourth in the Championship ahead of today’s visit to Sheffield Wednesday, the side that dumped them out of the play-offs in May.

They could go into the international break as high as second with a first ever win at Hillsborough – or as low as 11th.

Sidwell said: “It’s been probably indifferent. I don’t think we have performed to the peak that we can.

“In stages we have but I don’t think we have dominated a game from start to finish how we know we can as of yet.

“But if you had asked us where we are now we’d have taken it. It’s important we finish this section off now at Sheffield Wednesday with a victory and then we kick-start the next stage.”

Albion have scored only 12 goals in the opening ten games but conceded just six, the best defensive record in the division, including a current run of four clean sheets in succession.

Sidwell said: “Last year the boys, when I came in February (on loan) were playing at their peak, everyone, hence the results and goals that were being scored and the clean sheets that were being kept.

“While we haven’t continued that form this season straight-off I don’t think it’s a hangover from what happened.

“We put that to bed straight away. We are slowly getting there.

“It’s important to be winning games and we are starting to see slowly the performances coming back. We’re keeping clean sheets.

“It’s just converting the chances at the other end, which is the hardest part in any game, but we’re getting there.”