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The atmosphere surrounding the Hawthorns in the final stages of last season was full of negativity.
A failed promotion push was shrouded with a thick and foggy cloud of managerial doubt.
After Darren Moore was sacked abruptly in March, it took West Brom three months to find another manager.
For a club attempting to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, it was an alarming situation.
A windfall of £170m will have been awaiting the Baggies if they achieved promotion. Instead, they’re staring down the barrel of losing a number of players as the club look to cut back on wages.
It seems like a lot has happened since the hunt for a new manager begun.
At the back end of the campaign, they gave Jimmy Shan the reins until the end of the term despite initial interest in the likes of Slavisa Jokanovic and David Wagner. Alex Neil was also in the frame but eventually, Albion settled upon the least ambitious option.
Sound familiar? Of course it does.
Just the season before, West Brom had taken a similar approach in originally giving Moore the job.
But that’s now a thing of the past. Speculation surrounding Chris Wilder, Chris Hughton, Bruno Labbadia and Lee Bower was all put to bed when Slaven Bilic was appointed last week.
Three months on from when Moore was shoved out the door, they finally have themselves a new permanent manager.
Was it really worth the wait? We’ll have to wait and see.
However, despite controversies involving Bilic at West Ham, this seems like a sensible appointment and one that may just represent a turning point for both Mark Jenkins and Luke Dowling.
The West Brom board have taken some heavy criticism in recent months, particularly for the handling of the managerial situation that’s played out.
So the meticulous search needs to pay off. If it doesn’t, there could yet be more restlessness from the Hawthorns faithful.
This is an appointment that has arguably changed the mindset though. There was a sense that Dowling and Jenkins would choose the safe option, one that would save the club funds.
After all, that’s what they need to do this summer. Yet, Bilic arriving represents a huge change.
It doesn’t feel safe, nor will it likely be saving cash. After all, this is a manager who once guided West Ham to their highest ever Premier League points tally and completed stellar work on the international stage with Croatia.
After reporting on a “substantial distance” in wage expectations, Rob Dorsett told Sky Sports (via Vital Football) that the former Irons gaffer “doesn’t come cheap” before confirming a compromise had been reached.
Bilic has plenty of qualities, no less than in the genuine passion he has for the game.
His knowledge of football is supreme and there would be few candidates better to take on the role than the 50-year-old.
Speaking after the appointment, Dowling told the club’s official website: “From the moment we spoke to Slaven, we were struck by his enthusiasm and excitement about this challenge. He is determined to get back to the Premier League and believes passionately that he can do that with Albion.”
It’s an easy statement to make, especially at a time like this. You often find board members speaking merely for the good of PR. However, this statement should provoke a feeling of positivity with supporters.
For the first time in a considerable period, there is a reason to look at West Brom in a good light.
You can slate Dowling and Jenkins all you like, but their ultimate decision to bring Bilic to the club feels like a turning point.
Things could all fall apart easily but Bilic isn’t one to suffer fools gladly. He should be one that injects emotion into the football club, rather than sitting back with a more relaxed approach.
This appointment is a risk considering how Bilic’s spell at West Ham ended but it could well be one that helps change the shoddy direction in which Albion were heading.
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For once, an element of praise should go to the directors.
They’ve finally thought outside of the box and as a result, they’ve ended up with a manager of real pedigree, rather than someone with a dreary personality.
Appointing Hughton will have been safe and he may well have achieved promotion with them. However, by bringing in Bilic instead, they have a manager who is capable of overachieving.
It appears as though West Brom may finally be changing for the better.