When a Champions League winner stepped through The Hawthorns doors, no West Bromwich Albion fan or even the manager could have predicted the impact he would have.
The 2015 winter window was among the most dangerous in West Brom’s recent history.
A dark cloud lingered over the Midlands after manager Alan Irvine was terminated on December 30, 2014. The Scot left the team in 16th place, only a point above the drop zone, with seven losses in their previous nine games and seemingly little success in turning things around.
One bad move might cost the team its existence.
However, his managerial successor immediately gave the Baggies reason to celebrate, as West Brom revealed master escape artist Tony Pulis as the new man to lead Albion’s defence of their top-flight position just two days later.
The former Eagles manager had a tempting record of never been relegated with any team he had coached, something the Baggies desperately needed to maintain.
Pulis promptly halted the club’s losing streak, earning four points in his first three games, but his style was instantly apparent (numbers via FlashScores).
The Baggies’ survival would be built on a foundation of stone-wall defense, with pragmatic football being the prayer of all West Brom fans.
But, as a 3-0 setback to Tottenham demonstrated, the squad was not properly prepared for the taskmaster’s approach; there was a missing piece in the middle of the park puzzle.
The missing piece of the puzzle that was perfect for Pulis and signalled a change in the club’s culture
On February 3, 2015, it was reported that Manchester United player and former Champions League winner Darren Fletcher would end his contract at Old Trafford and join West Bromwich Albion on a two-and-a-half-year agreement.
After a reported battle with ulcerative colitis in 2013, the Scot was back to full shape and raring to fight for his boyhood club, where he had helped them win the top level five times.
He played 342 games for the Premier League superpower but has only made the starting XI five times since Louis Van Gaal took over as manager of Manchester United, a stint in which he appeared to play little role (BBC Sport).
However, this absence benefited West Brom, whose promise of regular first-team play was a move that no one could have guessed would be so successful.
The tide had immediately turned in the Midlands.
It only took one game to signify this, as Darren Fletcher not only replaced fan favourite James Morrison in the starting XI but also took over captaincy from club great Chris Brunt.
Any doubts raised by these moves were quickly dispelled, as the Baggies became a model of midfield mastery, acting as barriers to the defence behind, with Fletcher and midfield enforcer Claudio Yacob forming a formidable partnership balancing organisation, ball retention, and interceptions.
The Baggies would go on to record four clean sheets in five games following Fletcher’s inclusion, guaranteeing their status in the top-flight after only 17 points earned in the first 19 games, to 27 in the remaining 19, pushing them up to 13th by the end of the season (Flashscore).
The Baggies bounce from strength to strength as Fletcher continues to shine
As stability remained the primary goal at the start of the 2015/16 season, Pulis and his commander Fletcher completed the task with time to spare.
Despite dropping a point and a place from the previous season, Fletcher’s management of the midfield strengthened the unit, which finished seventh in terms of goals conceded (Flashscore).
The Scot would also start every game of the season and play the second most minutes, trailing only Craig Dawson, underlining his importance to Pulis’ project (data via Fbref).
The former Eagles manager praised his captain highly, telling Sky Sports how important Fletcher had been on and off the field, particularly with the character he demonstrated after returning from his illness.
He said: “I don’t believe anyone’s addressed it, but for him to come here and play 37 games – and be an absolute dream – is wonderful.
“He’s been my player of the year by a mile since he had so much time off. He’s embraced the club and all that comes with it; he’s been a true ambassador.”
Pulis’ fantasy was about to become even better.
The following year, Fletcher not only repeated his historic accomplishment of appearing in every Premier League game, but also led a stunning success story as the Baggies climbed into the top half of the standings for the first time since the 2012/13 season (Flashscore).
Although there were minor grumblings among the fanbase about the monotony of the football on display, particularly given the drastic drop in results following the security of the 40-point mark, West Brom’s 10th-place finish was enough to keep these quiet and remain optimistic that things were going in the right direction.
This confidence was only heightened when Pulis claimed that Fletcher will inevitably activate a clause in his contract to stay another year at The Hawthorns, paving the way for additional conversations to keep the Scotsman at the club for a longer period.
Pulis reported to TNT Sports: “Darren has a clause in his contract, I believe, where if he plays a certain amount of games he gets an extension.”I’m not sure how many games he has left, but I believe he will get there before the end of the season, which would be fantastic for the football club because he’s a fantastic player.
“As I keep saying, we’re trying to put something together that is not just about the first team but is about what is happening below it as well and Darren has been fantastic with the young players.”
Darren Fletcher’s West Brom stats (per Fbref)
Season:
League Rank
Matches played
Starts
Played during the 1990s
2014/15
13th
15
15
15
2015/16
14th
38
38
36
2016/17
10th
38
37
36
Fletcher had become a talisman for the Baggies, missing only a few minutes, which had won him enormous popularity among fans.
However, this confidence culminated in being flabbergasted, causing a cascade of dominoes to fall, plunging West Brom into the division’s danger zone, where they continue to feel the consequences to this day.
West Brom only find out truly how important Fletcher was after it is too late
Fans and the manager were both disappointed when it was announced just a month later that the man who had never missed a match for the blue and white stripes would be leaving them for the red and white, making the short trip over the Midlands to sign for Stoke City.
After such a successful previous season, there was still hope that West Brom could kick on, especially with a £40 million squad investment in the summer that included the arrivals of experienced Gareth Barry and Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak, on loan from PSG.
The combination of such expertise and Champions League pedigree remains with the two new signings, who should be suitable replacements for the Scot.
However, questions were rapidly raised about the energy of the then 36-year-old Barry and the Pole’s focus, with neither managing to adjust to the pragmatism vital to Pulis’ approach while the vacuum Fletcher had left remained open.
Without leadership and composure, pressure spread fast as the Baggies began sluggishly, raising questions about the point of results-driven football when the results do not follow.
The tedium became too much, and after only four wins in their previous 22 matches, it was announced that the escape artist would not be given the opportunity to earn his title, as Pulis would be leaving the club involuntarily on November 17th, 2017 in a symmetrical position to Alan Irvine, in 16th place and one point above the drop zone.
This decision is still debated today, especially because the Baggies’ decline continued, with the team dropping into the division’s danger zone and being disposed of with time to spare, ending an eight-year tenure in the top level (Premier League).
West Brom have only returned to the promised land of the Premier League for one year following this season, with another brief term ending in 2020/21.
While many may point to Pulis’ sacking as the occurrence to mourn, the loss of Fletcher holds equal weight, with the loss of such a leader being something that could not be replaced, a fact the former West Brom manager has since commented on in an Express and Star podcast.
He stated: “Fletch was outstanding. He’s a gentleman, a top-tier professional who leads by example. He’s not a shouter or a hollower, but he understood the game. I spoke with Sir Alex [Ferguson] about him, and he gave him such a glowing reference that it was frightening.
“I don’t honestly think I signed a better player than Darren.”
Against the present concern with youth, age proved to be crucial.
The attributes of leadership, concentration, and dependability were the foundations that pushed a football philosophy that produced results Baggies may look back on as too good to be true, as their quest for a return to the Premier League continues.
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