Albion chairman Jeremy Peace has laughed off claims that he has become the meddling chairman driving managers out of the Hawthorns.

Peace introduced Roberto Di Matteo this week as his third pick for the post in five years following the exits of Gary Megson, Bryan Robson and Tony Mowbray.

All have departed pointing an accusing finger at the man who has courted further criticism with shareholders, over his rise to a controlling interest at the Hawthorns and will now raise eyebrows by naming 39-year-old Italian Di Matteo as a ‘Head Coach.’

Against these bones of contention with some Albion fans is a record of growth in and around the club since 2002, which even his critics concede is impressive.

But is the re-designation of the traditional manager’s role, which Di Matteo was at pains to point out was no issue for him, is another row waiting to break out and de-stabilise Albion’s attempts to end their yo-yo years and nail down a Premier League place.

That is the next target on the Peace agenda – and it is one he is convinced will be all the more reachable by the Continental-style management structure now in place.

He said: “Robbie understands the way this club has to go to be successful. I am absolutely 100 per cent convinced this will lead towards this club being successful and staying in the Premier League. Absolutely.”

The appearance of Dan Ashworth, the football and technical director, in a front-of-camera role at the media unveiling of Di Matteo was another significant step in the Peace manifesto.

Ashworth is the key figure in-between chairman and first team, a man who must oil the wheels of the club encompassing everything from ensuring the parents of academy players are looked after, as well as the agents of first team transfer targets.

It is the selection and signing of these recruits which Albion fans will need to be reassured about.

Traditionally, this is the province of the manager alone and English clubs have not had a dazzling record of success amending the process to a Continental design, involving the dreaded ‘Director of Football.’

So how will it work? Ashworth explains.

He said: “Let’s say Roberto wants a particular player,. It would be my task to go to our bank of DVDs and reports and assemble perhaps six, seven or eight possibilities for Roberto to look through.

“He might reject two, he might reject four, he might reject them all and offer his own choices for us to do our homework on.

“It is all about dialogue and about making Roberto’s task easier. He will always have the final say on who we go for.”

Put like that, it hardly sounds earth-shattering and Peace too scoffs at claims he will be selecting and signing the players.

But there will nevertheless be a lot of fans and rival clubs looking at the Peace Plan and the way that it challenges the old ‘manager knows best on all things’ principles which have dominated English football.

What this system has yet to prove at many clubs is that it can withstand the pressures and tensions which arise when results go badly and relationships are put to the test.