Matt Maher: Wolves and West Brom's managerial decisions are looking good

This week delivered a reminder of some big decisions they got right.

Painful and exhausting though Wolves’ managerial search through October might have been, the early call to axe Bruno Lage just eight matches into the campaign at least meant the new man would have sufficient time to right the ship.

Having doubled their points tally in his first six games in charge, Julen Lopetegui appears on course to do just that.

Some of their rivals in the relegation dogfight, meanwhile, are starting to panic. Leeds were the latest to blink this week when they pulled the trigger on Jesse Marsch, having spent the January transfer window signing players and coaches in an apparent vote of confidence in the American. His replacement will have around 16 matches to dig the team out of trouble.

Marsch’s sacking sent shivers through Albion’s fanbase as Carlos Corberan was immediately installed as favourite to replace him. Fortunately, the nail-biting lasted little more than 24 hours as the Spaniard signed a contract extension, committing his immediate future to the Baggies.

How close was he to joining Leeds? All indications are not very and while some supporters might take umbrage at reports even initial talks took place, the reality is football is a brutal business where loyalty on both sides is thin. No player or manager worth their salt wouldn’t at least instruct their agent to get an idea of where their land lies.

The most important thing is when a contract extension was offered, Corberan signed. Credit is due to Albion’s often-maligned board for being proactive and not allowing a potentially unsettling situation to fester.

With 10 wins in 13 Championship matches since he arrived, Corberan’s appointment has so far proved a masterstroke. Should he go on to lead the Baggies to promotion and should Lopetegui keep Wolves up, we will be able to look back and say when it really mattered, both clubs got their biggest calls right.