Where to now?

THERE was a moment in Albion's ailing Premier League campaign where things changed.

It came in the away game at Portsmouth. Not so much the result, or even the performance.

It was the moment when, at around 2.10pm, the team-sheets were posted onto the wall of the Fratton Park press room.

No Teixeira, no Kim, Cech wasn't even on the bench and Moore was probably shopping at the Mailbox.

In came Dorrans. Menseguez and Mulumbu were subs, with Chris Wood - whose shirt number and name were ironed on by Portsmouth's kit man - also claiming a spot on the bench. Nothing particularly exciting, but it was a significant taster of what may come.

Let's get the spin out of the way first. Albion, we're told, don't need to sell this summer. But the disclaimer is that it would be helpful if one or two did actually go for a decent sum.
I'm not convinced. I'm of the view that Albion do have a bit of money, somewhere. Possibly gathering dust. Don't be fooled by spin. There may be a surprise or two - the pursuit of Barry Ferguson being an example.

This summer Tony Mowbray starts again.

His new-look Albion will embrace his philosophies but offer a little more steel and know-how. This is where Youssouf Mulumbu comes in. Young, hungry and a ball-winner. Ferguson would be as an addition, not an alternative.

Juan Carlos Menseguez is a big possible but Marc-Antoine Fortune may be trickier. He's bought into Mowbray's ways but his agent has been sounded out by Premier League clubs.
Mowbray made mistakes this season. So far he's hurdled the trip wires placed by his critics and manouvered himself through the throw-away culture of football, showing plenty of humility along the way. He's winning back friends he thought he'd lost.

Some players will be surplus to requirements. Hoefkens, Pele and Hodgkiss.

But what of the first-teamers?

Robert Koren has become frustrated. He considers himself a central midfielder but has played elsewhere too many times for his liking.

James Morrison is highly rated by his manager but will be sought after, as will Chris Brunt who has found himself a niche role on the right wing.

Will Borja Valero stay?
His re-sale value won't be high. A Spanish return may be a possibility, as would a loan to the Premier League club. Mowbray rates him as a top-six Premier League player yet didn't pick him for Albion's biggest game of the campaign, against Liverpool. Work that one out.

Dorrans has emerged, Wood is coming through. Gianni Zuiverloon and Ishmael Miller remain are young and gifted. Too much so for the Championship.

So what lessons from this season?

Let's start with last summer.

Strip any club of one third of its firepower and a struggle is inevitable.

Albion never replaced Zoltan Gera or, more so, Kevin Phillips.

The signings were a mix of good, bad and faulty. Jonas Olsson, at £800,000, is a big gold star next to Mowbray's CV. Robust but also able of carrying the ball out of defence. If the Swede had pace he'd not be with Albion.

Zuiverloon suffered a mid-season crisis but was athletic, graceful and composed when at his best. Scott Carson, in such desperate need of a jolt of confidence following his previous campaign, was perhaps the right keeper at the wrong time.

You could almost see the colour draining from his face as a succession of defensive blunders hampered Albion. He made errors, costly ones at times, but also proved himself to be a good shot stopper.

Abdoulaye Meite was to become a regular - if only in the treatment room. Let's move on.
Marek Cech came in, committed a few acts of indiscipline and has been rarely seen since. Roman Bednar started his Albion career as a bubbly, enthusiastic bundle of laughs. This season he seemed angry, with more haircuts than first-team starts.

Behind the scenes, Jeremy Peace's public profile might have diminished in direct proportion to the number of shares he owns but the same policies remain. Albion had the lowest wage bill in the top flight. Coincidentally, or not, Albion are suffering their third relegation under three different managers. Yet it's hard to argue when Norwich and Southampton, unfortunate victims of Albion's Great Escape, are heading for League One in a mess and, in the latter's case, a 10 point hit. That's assuming the Saints are still around next season.

Albion run a three-year cycle. So this summer they are actually planning ahead taking into account the worst case scenario in 2011/12, that being a campaign with no more parachute payments. It's logical but will cause frustration at all levels outside of the boardroom.

Yet there is a middle ground to be found. Mis-managed clubs may suffer apocalyptic demises but Albion weren't far from staying up. It needed a slight nudge of the till to bring in one or two. It wouldn't have crippled the club.

Albion must take on-board last season's mistakes.

If you're thinking things are bad, consider this - rewind 12 months and those scenes at St Andrew's when Blues were relegated last May.

And now recall what happened at The Hawthorns last Sunday.

Exactly.