Roberto thoughts

FOR Albion, see West Ham United.

The Baggies' decision to appoint Roberto Di Matteo may have prompted surprise but scratch beneath the surface if you can. It's no shock, really.

You only have to look at the West Ham model to see what Jeremy Peace had in mind. Gianfranco Zola's success at Upton Park has no doubt been part of the inspiration behind Albion's move.

A young Italian, with little experience of managing, working at a club where he will work alongside a sporting and technical director...sounds familiar, just like West Ham (and exactly why Alan Curbishley was never a consideration). Di Matteo isn't even a manager - he's a head coach.

If it works as well as it has in east London then it'll be an inspired decision.

And you can't blame Peace for taking the gamble.

Di Matteo, born in Switzerland to Italian parents, may lack the experience of a Dave Jones, the fans' adulation of a Derek McInnes or the coaching know-how of an Alan Irvine.

But he will stick Albion back on the radar. Let us not forget that this is a man who managed to transform the loathsome MK Dons into a semi-fashionable club.

And Albion's decision to overlook other candidates may not be a bad thing. Dave Jones never really convinced anyone that his heart was set on leaving Cardiff. McInnes, like Di Matteo, remains inexperienced. A bad season would have tarnished the image of McInnes, who remains a hero. His time may yet come sometime in the future. Darren Ferguson was too expensive and Adie Boothroyd would have triggered a deluge of season ticket books being returned - if you go with the reaction to a story about his possible interest in the job.

Irvine was highly spoken of but didn't convince Albion, which left Di Matteo, although we must not necessarily assume that he was the last man standing.

He impressed during his interview. He 'blew our socks off' was how one source put it. Those close to the MK Dons club claim he's thoughtful and his sides like to attack. He seems to be an attacking 4-5-1 man, whose teams include a holding midfielder and a couple of wide men. Now where have we seen that recently? It's not necessarily all about passing, attacking play. Unlike Tony Mowbray he appreciates the times where games need to be killed off, rather than opened out.

Fans won't see a ranter on the touchline. When the MK Dons were involved in their play-off semi-final shoot out defeat to Scunthorpe, the 39-year-old was calm, controlled. There were few outbursts of emotion.

The very name itself - that of a man who became a hero at Chelsea, won 34 Italian caps, trophies in Italy and scored in two English FA Cup finals - ensures a spot of kudos for Albion. He was forced to retire at 31 due to a leg injury and turned his attention to coaching.

As recently as three weeks ago he was shortlisted for a job at Swiss club and Europa League qualifiers Basel, only to be denied because he had yet to acquire the remaining coaching badge needed for European competition, which he's currently working towards.

It is a step into the unknown for Albion. It's a gamble which could backfire and, if it does, then inevitable questions will be asked of the chairman for his decision to appoint Di Matteo.

But those are for another day and may never even get asked.

He's inexperienced, no doubt, but then so was Roy Keane when he took Sunderland up. And Di Matteo already has the players at Albion to work towards a similar goal.

His first task will be to restore a winning mentality.

Signing players and convincing some of the current squad to stay might just have got a little easier given the personality involved. And you suspect his contacts book won't be too bad either.

Think about this before you pass judgement - it's not necessarily a bad appointment.
Albion's profile is back on the rise and without a ball being kicked.