West Bromwich Albion's fourth consecutive campaign in the Premier League last term was certainly an eventful one.
They struggled for large parts of it, with three different managers spending time at the helm as the team stuttered to a 17th-place finish.
During the summer, Alan Irvine was placed in charge to steady the ship, but how has he got on? Here, Sports Mole looks at the opening fives months of the 2014-15 season from a Baggies perspective.
August
West Brom had a new manager at the helm when the season kicked off in August following Irvine's appointment at The Hawthorns earlier in the summer. The Scot had taken little time in shaping the squad to his requirements, with a total of nine players coming in during the transfer window.
However, the Baggies saw their Premier League campaign start in mediocre fashion as draws with Sunderland and Southampton were followed by a chastening 3-0 defeat to Swansea City, leaving them with just two points from nine.
There was some cheer to be had in the League Cup though, with a victory over lowly Oxford United on penalties putting them through to the third round of the competition.
© Getty Images
September
Their sticky start continued in September with a 2-0 loss at home to Everton, leading some supporters to openly boo the team come the final whistle.
Alan Irvine knew that he needed a win quickly, and it arrived in style at White Hart Lane as West Brom pulled off a shock 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur to give them their first league win of the season.
The only goal of the game arrived with 15 minutes left to play, with James Morrison heading in to hand his side three vital points.
This result seemed to boost the squad, with Saido Berahino shining in victories over Hull City and Burnley in the league and League Cup respectively. Having endured a difficult run of results, the Baggies finally seemed to have turned a corner.
© Getty Images
October
An unbeaten run of three games in all competitions came to an end at the beginning of October with a 2-1 loss at Liverpool, but West Brom picked up a credible point in their next match when they held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns. Despite throwing away two leads against United, Alan Irvine's side managed to hold on and thwart the former champions.
Another 2-2 draw followed against Crystal Palace before a 2-1 loss to high-flying Championship outfit Bournemouth in the third round of the League Cup temporarily halted any progress that the club thought it was making.
© Getty Images
November
With the end of the year on the horizon, West Brom's form took a turn for the worse with a tough run of fixtures. Despite beating fellow strugglers Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium through an Esteban Cambiasso own goal, defeats to Newcastle United and Chelsea followed.
Their losing streak was extended to three matches against Arsenal, who came away from the Midlands with a hard-fought 1-0 victory after Danny Welbeck netted 30 minutes from time.
The defeat to the Gunners meant that West Brom had failed to score in over 300 minutes of action, and their slip down the table showed it.
© Getty Images
December
A busy December saw the Baggies record just one win from six games, increasing the pressure on under-fire boss Alan Irvine.
Defeats to West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City and Stoke City forced West Brom down towards the relegation zone, while not even a 1-0 victory against local rivals Aston Villa could lift the gloom at the club.
After losing to Stoke in their final game of the year, the West Brom hierarchy decided that enough was enough and dismissed manager Irvine. The Scot had found life tricky at The Hawthorns and a string of disappointing results caused the club to wield the axe. With Tony Pulis understood to be the favourite to succeed Irvine, the Baggies will be keen for the New Year to bring a bit more cheer than it has seen in recent months.
© Getty Images
Star player so far: Saido Berahino
Must do better: Brown Ideye
Where they need to strengthen in January: Defence
Position at start of 2015: 16th
Mid-season Grade: D
To see West Brom's remaining fixtures in 2014-15, click here.
Jack Prescott
