All change at West Brom – now to see a new plan of action

That has certainly been the case at Albion.

Within the space of six days, the Baggies were beaten at Millwall, head coach Valerien Ismael and CEO Xu Ke lost their jobs and Steve Bruce and Ron Gourlay arrived to replace them.

It’s been a sea of change both in the dugout and in the boardroom at The Hawthorns.

Now, though, we get to see the new men in action.

For Bruce that starts tonight in his 1,001st game as a manager.

He is going back to where it all began – with Sheffield United the first club he took charge of.

And it’s fair to say fans are excited to see how the 61-year-old will set up his team and who will play.

By the end of Ismael’s tenure, supporters had a number of issues with the Frenchman’s style of play.

But it was his tactical inflexibility that was arguably the biggest frustration. Everyone knew Albion would line up in a 3-4-3 formation no matter what.

And that took some fun away.

Fans enjoy walking to a stadium and having a debate about which players or what system should be used. But Ismael took that away.

Tonight, though, supporters head into the unknown as we wait to see how Bruce believes you get the best out of this group of players.

On the one hand, the former Newcastle chief could be forgiven to sticking with three at the back.

The Baggies have lined up that way in every minute of every game this season. They know what they are doing in those roles.

And defensively they have been strong this term.

But it was telling that Albion’s under-23s lined up in a 4-3-3 formation against Southampton on Monday night.

Richard Beale’s side had been told to replicate Ismael’s 3-4-3 system this season. But in front of a watching Bruce, they changed system for the very first time.

Maybe that’s a sign Albion will play that way tonight, or they could move to a 4-2-3-1 – a system Bruce often used at Villa.

Whatever he decides to do, Bruce’s Baggies debut is likely to be a refreshing change.

And the same can be said of Gourlay, who met fans for the first time at the Albion Assembly on Monday.

The CEO has made it clear since his appointment that communication between the club and the fans must improve.

And it’s fair to say the former Chelsea executive impressed in his first public appearance.

“It was a positive evening,” said attendee Richard Jefferson.

“Ron came across very well, very honest and forthright and made it clear the communication between the club and fans needs fixing.

“Words are easy however, so I am wary still. But he at least is aware of how fans feel.

“He also said we need more knowledge on the board which is a big focus and better management of players from the academy through to the first team.

“He said all the right things so let’s see if actions match words.”