'Perspective needed after underwhelming start'

A third of the season is complete, and the Baggies are14th in the table.

It's been an underwhelming start to the campaign for many fans. That feeling mainly stems from the perceived promise of attacking football that club president and sporting director Andrew Nestor has spoken about in the past.

It's yet to come to fruition under Ryan Mason on a consistent basis, and some of the games have been a tough watch as a result.

This month's goalless draw with rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday sparked boos of boredom from The Hawthorns crowd.

However, here's some perspective. On the day the 34-year-old was appointed, I wrote that patience would be required. He is only 15 games into his first full-time job as a senior head coach.

Tony Mowbray was sacked after just 17 matches, so Nestor won't want his second managerial appointment to have a similarly short reign.

Also, his recruitment team are still shaping a squad for the former Spurs assistant that must meet financial rules thanks to the mess owner Shilen Patel inherited when completing his takeover 19 months ago. That takes time.

There are a couple of on-the-field comparisons that offer perspective too.

At the same stage, a year ago, Carlos Corberan's Albion were fifth on 25 points. If Mason's team had avoided conceding late goals against Leicester, Ipswich, Charlton, and Derby, they'd have enough points to be in the play-offs right now, so the current boss is fair to point out that they are not 'far away'.

Going further back my co-commentator and Albion's record goalscorer Tony Brown has remarked to me that his favourite ever manager, Jonny Giles, also had a slow start to his first campaign 50 years ago.

If a win would've been worth three points back then, the Irishman would have had just 20 points from his first 15 matches in charge.

Former midfielder Giles, who was in his mid-30s at the time, would lead the Baggies to promotion from the second tier at the end of that 1975-76 season.

I'm not saying Mason's debut campaign is going to end with similar celebrations, particularly because he doesn't have a 'Bomber' to bang in the goals right now.

But if they can pick up some positive results between now and January to keep in touch with the top six, then the pressure will shift from Mason to Nestor when the transfer window opens.

A few additions in key areas could make a big difference in a division that, apart from the Baggies' next opponents, Coventry City, feels wide open.

After almost five years without top flight football - their longest spell outside the Premier League in a quarter of a century - the supporters just want their team to have a go at getting back there.