Valerien Ismael needs three transfer windows to build West Brom

The Frenchman has an unwavering belief in his counter-pressing philosophy – which is often referred to as ‘Val-ball.’

Ismael is eager to strengthen his squad when the transfer window reopens next month, with a striker understood to be the priority. But while he believes additions are crucial, he also doesn’t want to make too many changes too quickly.

“Generally (with the squad) I am not where I want to be – it’s clear,” the boss said. “But it can’t be from the start you have everything you want.

“It’s a process, you need two or three transfer windows.

“Now we come to the second window and we will see what we can do, how many players we can pick.

“The important thing is getting the right player.

“If it’s one, it’s one. If it’s two, it’s two. If it’s three, it’s three.

“But when you have an 18-man squad you need to keep all the players happy. They all need to be involved and have that feeling they are part of the process. You can have 25 or 30 players but at the end of the day you need that togetherness. The more players you have, the more unhappy players you have in the squad. It can go in the wrong direction and that is not what we need.

“At the minute, I think it’s more important to balance the past and at the same time to prepare for the future and why I am here.”

Ismael reiterated Albion are working relentlessly behind the scenes to make the right additions next month.

“We knew before I came that we would need two or three transfer windows to get exactly what I what – to get the picture I want to see at the club,” the boss added.

“It’s a transition situation but with January we have the next chance to pick the next player to improve our squad.

“We are working on it. It’s a process and now it’s the next step.”