Only 106 days separated Steve Bruce leaving Newcastle United and returning to English football with Championship promotion hopefuls West Brom earlier this year. The 61-year-old left Tyneside under a cloud last October, with a rumoured £8m payout in his back pocket and talk of his retirement on the back pages.
But it wasn't to be that way, with the Baggies acquiring his services in the hope he could fix their fragile form. The former Birmingham boss replaced Valerien Ismael in February, with the Frenchman flattering to deceive in the England's second tier following an impressive season with Barnsley last term.
After a strong start to the campaign, Ismael's Baggies were challenging for automatic promotion and were firmly in the hunt for the Championship title. But as the season progressed, the wheels came off alarmingly quick, with West Brom plummeting down the table.
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The former Premier League outfit were sixth in the table upon Bruce's arrival, hanging to a play-off spot by goal difference, eight points away from the top two. So, how has the Championship escape expert fared since then?
Bruce's start to life at West Brom was tricky for a number of reasons. Still battling with the hangover of his Newcastle exit and the fan abuse he suffered in the north east, his appointment was seen as a strange one by a section of the Baggies faithful - some of whom wanted Slaven Bilic to return instead.
Those who expressed discontent at the appointment were only going to get more despondent, however, after Bruce's start in the Hawthorns dugout. A visit to his former stomping ground was first up, as West Brom travelled to Bramall Lane on a cold Wednesday evening. An early Jake Livermore red card set the tone, as hosts Sheffield United ran out 2-0 winners.
Things wouldn't get much better for Bruce in the following games either, with a 0-0 draw at Blackburn followed by consecutive defeats to Luton, Middlesbrough and Swansea. Bruce's future was already looking slightly uncertain, with the trip to Hull City crucial to his immediate future in the Midlands.
A 2-0 reverse at the MKM Stadium lifted the pressure on Bruce somewhat. "When you go on a bad run it's sometimes really difficult to see the wood from the trees. It's disappointing we've not been able to turn around things quicker since I've been here, but this has given us plenty of food for thought," he said after the win.
Since that win on March 5, Bruce's West Brom remain unbeaten thanks to a 1-0 win over high-flying Fulham and 2-2 draws with both Huddersfield and Bristol City. And his side are showing the type of resiliency needed to escape the second tier.
In the draw with Huddersfield, Karlan Grant and Andy Carroll scored in the 84th and 85th minute respectively to salvage a point for their side. Meanwhile, a 95th minute equaliser was needed from Adam Reach against Bristol City.
Nine games in. Two wins, three draws and four defeats. West Brom now sit 12th in the table, seven points adrift of the play-off spots.
Promotion looks like a longshot. But Bruce has guided both Hull and Birmingham to the Premier League in the past, so he knows exactly what it takes during the business end of a Championship season.
