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.
