Hodgson helped Fulham to establish themselves in the top flight during his two and a half years at the helm and since then they have gone from strength to strength.
Head coach Hodgson enabled Albion to end their spell of yo-yoing between the top two divisions by keeping them in the Premier League in May and is looking to build on that success.
He said: "The main standard bearer for Fulham is 'how secure they are as a Premier League team?' Every year most people regard them a mid to top half of the table team.
"There is never any suggestion that Fulham with their squad, their organisation, and ability are going to be relegation candidates. That has changed over the last three or four years.
"The club has gone forward and are an example to clubs like ourselves. That stability of the last four or five years is what we need to get.
"But they've done it gradually, bit by bit, got stronger and stronger."
It is the same sort of philosophy that Hodgson accepts Albion will have to adhere to rather than lavish spending.
He said: "This club does have ambitions, we are still trying to establish ourselves after only one year back in the Premier League as a bona fide Premier League club for years and years to come.
"But it's got to be done, I think, in the way the club is trying to do it, that is building slowly, trying to get better every year, trying to get a stronger squad every year.
"The only truth is we are not going to go about it in, say, the way QPR have done, new owner, new coach, lots of money, lots of new players.
"We are not going to do that and when I signed for the club, I knew that was the case and didn't expect any more and none of the clubs I've ever worked with have worked that way."
New Albion defender Liam Ridgewell, who signed from Birmingham, is ineligible to play tonight but is a welcome addition for Hodgson.
He said: "It is good to have him here. He was a transfer target for us in the summer, he was a transfer target since the start of the January window.
"Liam is a very experienced player, he is left-sided as well which is useful to us. We don't have many left-sided defenders.
"He has the advantage of being experienced in two positions (left-back and central defender) and also is used to playing in teams under pressure to get results in his case to stay in the league.
"We are hoping we won't be under that much pressure but if ever we were, it would be nice to have someone who has been there and knows what it is all about."
