Lewis Cox: Time for patience and buy-in - but a new era just the ticket at West Brom

There has been much talk of former midfielder Mason's lack of experience. It may have an element of truth - at 33, this is his first senior head coach role and it will doubtless be a challenging new environment.

But those who reacted to interest in Mason by labelling it a "risk" or "gamble" will have to look past that.

Any manager or head coach appointment is a risk. In this society, where everything is judged immediately and patience barely exists, the decision-makers in all walks of life face more scrutiny than ever.

That is no different in football and with Shilen Patel's Bilkul here. They are not daft and will know the judgement on their football operations is ongoing.

But in this case, Albion's owners have made the appointment that fits within their model. They have returned to where it was intended to go in the new year - a hunt that eventually ended with Tony Mowbray - and if this is the direction in which the Patels and Andrew Nestor see the club then they deserve the support to follow it.

Mason will coach and lead footballing matters under the umbrella propped up by Nestor, above Ian Pearce and the scouting and analytical staff.

It does mean Mason will not be involved in player recruitment, naturally these things have to align somewhat, but it is a far-cry from the environment a seasoned and hardened manager like Mowbray was used to more than a decade previously.