From an outsider's perspective, Sturk are a club caught in a tricky dilemma over their current position and long-term goals. I'd say their chances of getting relegated under Pulis are slim to none. However, I'd say their chances of breaking into the top half of the table or winning a trophy under Pulis are also now slim to none. The run of form in 2011 that almost gave them both didn't sustain itself in the long term, and they had nothing to show for it in the end (although a nice little European adventure probably took the edge off for a little while). So, do you sack the man who transformed your club's fortunes, in an all or nothing gamble? Do you keep the prizes you've got, or trade it all in for what's behind the curtain?
Where Albion have got a clear-cut plan that seems to take multiple eventualities and scenarios into account over a number of years, in the boardrooms at the Brit I think things may have been done a bit more on the fly. It seems that the extent of their planning was to get to the Premier League and then stay there; no ideas about what to aim for five years down the line. So the fans get a bit restless, and wonder what they're paying their money for. And if they rattle the sabre enough, a change is going to come.
If or when we see that day, I'll be watching with interest, because footballing history rarely reflects well on clubs who sacrifice guaranteed stability to go chasing a dream. At least not without a ton of money behind them.
