West Brom 2025/26 season preview: Targets, transfer business and still to come?
The appointment of Ryan Mason signalled the start of a new era at The Hawthorns.
The former Tottenham assistant's Albion arrival marks what Bilkul hope is the true kickstart to the ownership's tenure.
Last term, chairman Shilen Patel's first full season at the helm, fizzled out badly.
The finish of ninth was well below-par and the re-appointment of Tony Mowbray - sentimental from the outside but said to be all business - failed with a sacking after just three months.
As Mowbray's brief second spell struggled in became more apparent it was a short-term move. Not from Mowbray's perspective, but more so from the owners' side, regardless of the two-and-a-half year contract.
That is not a get out of jail free card for a failed first head coach appointment, however, and as such more pressure is placed on the next call.
Mason's arrival has more of a feeling of what Bilkul desired. A coach with less on their management CV with fresh energy and ideas to progress both themselves and the club.
Ange Postecoglou's former No.2 was on Patel and Andrew Nestor's radars in January, as was Swiss coach Raphael Wicky. On this occasion, though, timings worked out.
Patience has to be the name of the game from here. From a supporters' perspective as much as the hierarchy. That is not unlimited, of course - but this is 34-year-old Mason's first senior head coach role.
As we know, promotion from the Championship back to the Promised Land of the Premier League - if it can still be labelled as such - becomes more difficult the longer you are away from the party.
Either more clubs arrive with the benefit of parachute payments or the same clubs rise and drop and have their coffers stacked with more top=flight wedge.
