West Brom season preview 2017/18: Numbers needed for more progress

But that has been tempered somewhat this summer by a departed skipper, frustrations in the transfer market, concerns over investment, and a worryingly thin squad.

It’s obvious Guochuan Lai is not the sugar daddy supporters hoped he might be when the takeover was announced around this time last year.

In fairness to him and the new regime, he never promised to be, making clear in those opening statements that he would run the club with the same pragmatism as his predecessor, Jeremy Peace.

On the face of it, picking up a whopping £120 million in prize money means the Baggies shouldn’t be struggling in the transfer market, even without any extra investment from Lai.

But the reality is, selling clubs know they have that money, and Albion are often competing for signatures alongside richer rivals willing to spend more. Just look at Darren Fletcher’s exit to Stoke as an example of that.

Sitting so low in the food chain can be frustrating for manager and fans alike, but the club, which refuses to pay over the odds, and Tony Pulis, who has been known to pull out of deals, sometimes don’t help themselves.

However, it should be remembered this slow and cautious approach is the one that turned the squad from one full of deadwood destined for relegation to a tight-knit group, sometimes overstretched, but with far more quality.

Rash statements of intent don’t win you football games, good players do. Shrewd and calculated signings, however much they cost, are always the best.

Anyway, this summer’s business can’t be judged until after the window shuts and those players brought in are given time to prove themselves.

More interesting though, as the Baggies enter their eighth season in the Premier League, is the identity crisis bubbling away under the surface.

Mid-table obscurity in a top-heavy league is the best you can hope for 99 times out of a 100.

It’s worth remembering the club were heading for the trap door before Pulis took over two-and-a-half years ago.

But the glitz and the glamour of simply being in the top tier has long since faded, survival is no longer enough, and fans are clamouring for more.

Last season the Premier League restored itself to the depressing status quo, and following Everton’s summer spending spree, the top seven look set to stretch even further away this season.

But if 40 points remains the aim, that leaves just two small windows of opportunity to grab glory.

This season, Pulis must take both cup competitions far more seriously if he wants to escape the wroth of the fans because all four exits over the past two seasons have been unacceptable.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic though. Despite the predictable tail-off after 40 points, there was progress on the pitch last season, and at times, it was even entertaining.

Matt Phillips, Nacer Chadli, and Jay Rodriguez are all genuinely exciting players – capable of getting bums on seats at The Hawthorns, and then off them again.

Jonny Evans and Ben Foster are two of the league’s most consistent performers in their respective positions.

Pulis has also made a shrewd acquisition by appointing Gary Megson to replace his retiring assistant Dave Kemp.

Megson is adored by the majority of the Baggies faithful and has known Pulis for years, and even though he's been away from the game for a few years, his football philosophy is similar to the head coach's.

But additions are now needed on the pitch. A raft of minor injuries in pre-season has highlighted the precarious nature of holding so few senior players.

Not only that, but Chadli’s future following his bust-up with Pulis remains up in the air.

However, James Morrison was on the brink of leaving last summer and he turned into one of the most important players last season. Hopefully the Belgian will realise the error of his ways and knuckle down.

What Lai’s brave new world of eco-towns and partnerships with Werder Bremen has in store for the future is not yet clear, but provided Pulis gets the numbers he needs for his threadbare squad before the window shuts, there’s no reason why Albion’s steady evolution can’t continue.