Four reasons why it went so wrong for Tony Mowbray in ill-fated West Brom return

Mowbray's arrival was a feel good story, not just for Albion but for football. After battling back from cancer, the stars aligned and Mowbray returned to the club where he had enjoyed a Championship title success 17 years previously.

At the time of his return, the fans were craving a more attacking and expansive style of play, after some had become frustrated with a defensive mindset under Carlos Corberan.

There were times during his 17 games that it looked like things were changing - but a recent rotten run of results since the international break have seen Albion go backwards.

After the defeat to Derby on Monday, they dropped to tenth and for the owners they had seen enough and Mowbray was axed.

His second spell lasted just three months and 17 games. Jonny Drury looks at four things that went wrong for Mowbray on his second, ill-fated spell at The Hawthorns.

Key man sold on deadline day

Mowbray had been in the building less than two and a half weeks, and out of the blue a big transfer decision was made that would arguably have a detrimental impact on Albion's season.

The shock news emerged on transfer deadline day that Alex Palmer was heading to Ipswich Town. It was a deal that made financial sense for the club, but his departure was damaging.

Not only was Palmer one of the first names on the Albion team sheet, he was possibly one of the best goalkeepers in the division, so to lose him so close to the deadline was a hammer blow.

It was expected the recalled youngster Josh Griffiths would get the nod but understudy Joe Wildsmith was thrust into the limelight. It didn't work.

The summer signing from Derby would drop two big clangers against Burnley and Sunderland, with the latter leading to him being dropped. But there were other questionable moments in games.

They cost Albion. In hindsight, Mowbray made the wrong call but he wouldn't have had to make the call had Palmer not been sold on deadline day.

The star signing didn't fire

The Palmer news was followed later that day by the arrival of Adam Armstrong, one of the Championship's most potent goalscorers in recent times.

He'd done it at the level and he had done it for Mowbray, it seemed like a match made in heaven for Albion, one that would fire them towards a play-off spot.

When he netted on his debut with a stylish finish against Sheffield Wednesday, things were looking good.

But the dream of Armstrong dragging Albion to a shot at the Premier League soon evaporated. In his next 13 games, he would score just twice.

Chances seemed to be at a premium for Armstrong, and Mowbray nor his team-mates seemed to be able to get the best out of him.

Had Armstrong hit his straps and hit the goal trail, it could have been very different for the departed Baggies boss.

Changed the style too quickly

When Corberan arrived at Albion back in 2022, he addressed the biggest problem Albion had at the time, conceding goals. In three of his first four games, they won 1-0 and kept three straight clean sheets.

He knew they had to be tighter. But what he didn't do was fully implement his style immediately. It wasn't until the start of the following campaign, his first full one in charge, where you started to see a bigger Corberan stamp on things in terms of keeping possession.

When Mowbray arrived, it was clear Albion needed to be more front footed and score more goals. He tried to do that and in some games, such as against Portsmouth, it worked. 

But as the games went by, Albion's defensively solid base seemed to disappear. It was going to have to change to become more front footed, but in an effort to make Albion more attacking, they became too open.

They couldn't deliver what Mowbray wanted them to offensively, and at the same time they were shipping goals.

It was always going to be difficult to change Albion's style. Maybe Mowbray changed too much too soon.

Ill-discipline

Discipline had become a massive problem in recent weeks.

In Corberan's first season in charge after taking over from Steve Bruce, Albion topped the fair play table. They had one dismissal that season which came prior to the Spaniard's arrival.

In his only full campaign in charge, they again had one of the best disciplinary records with just one sending off.

This season, Albion had not had a player sent off until recently. They went on to have four red cards in 13 games during Mowbray's time in charge.

They were damaging ones as well. Kyle Bartley was sent off after the full time whistle against Sheffield Wednesday and missed three games. Darnell Furlong served a three match suspension.

Jayson Molumby's reckless red against Bristol City was the last time he would feature for Mowbray. And Callum Styles' two bookings on Good Friday ended any chance of a second half revival.

They were hugely costly dismissals that had a damaging impact in different ways for the axed Albion boss.