Comment: Ruthless Bilkul bring Tony Mowbray closure but must get West Brom culture change and next one right

What had the potential to be a feelgood chapter in the club’s storied history unravelled rather spectacularly and Tony Mowbray was sacked just three months and 17 games into a two-and-a-half year contract.

Mowbray was brought in by the club’s owners Bilkul Football - after a move for top target Raphael Wicky broke down - to let an attack-heavy but goal-shy squad off the leash.

As the returning head coach put it, to ‘let the handbrake off’, ‘tickle their tummies’ and ‘show the players some love.’

But the 61-year-old could not get things going in a muddled second spell at the helm. Things quickly became confused and unclear on several levels. On the pitch when it came to selection and tactics, and off the pitch with how Mowbray saw his role in recruitment.

Mowbray stuck to his principles of wanting a team to dominate the ball to create chances but he could not settle on anything close to a preferred XI and made some calls that left supporters scratching their heads.

Some decisions - such as sticking with Joe Wildsmith, omitting Ousmane Diakite, persisting with the failed Adam Armstrong experiment and continuing with John Swift - in particular tested the patience of fans.

But Mowbray was dealt a tough hand in some regards. He had to cope with losing first-choice goalkeeper Alex Palmer to the Premier League and the replacements have not fared well. Top scorer Josh Maja did not kick a ball under Mowbray.

He took no shortage of flak but he exits - at least in the eyes of right-minded Albion supporters - the legendary title-winning manager he was when he made his emotional return from ill-health in January.