Taking two steps back to take one step forward is sometimes a necessary evil in all walks of life, let alone football, but this is a course of action West Bromwich Albion have been forced into.

Relegation to the Championship was a fate that has befallen the side from the Black Country.

Father time caught up with Albion with an ageing squad as did managerial appointments that were not befitting the style and the make up of the club.

Alan Pardew coming in to replace Tony Pulis was a ludicrous leap of faith that should have been a non-starter. 

Pardew does not have the nouse to galvanise a side to help them avoid relegation - a manager  who is the antithesis of stability, a champion of the Premier League merry-go-round.

It was always destined to end in failure, and so it did.

This, however, was in spite of a little light of hope that was the appointment of Darren Moore - an Albion club legend.

He has the club at heart, he understands the ethics and values needed to succeed at the Baggies.

The man himself, a polite, consummate professional, this typified during his Premier League Manager of the Month presentation when he had the whole club present for the official photo.

An all-in-this-together mentality is needed, and will be on show at the Hawthorns next season.

This will be evident when Moore ditches his squad of elder statesmen and ideally opts for a younger, fresher Albion - a team with players who have West Brom at their core.

Last season, West Brom has the oldest team on average in the Premier League at 29.2 years-old.

Now, there will obviously need to be a blend of youth an experience but that is something Moore will be able to implement. 

He will be given more time than most to get things right considering his links with the club.

And with the parachute payments, they will be able to maintain members of the squad Moore deems as viable assets for what will be a war of attrition in the Championship next season. 

Success may not be immediate but relegation was the first step back.

The new campaign that could consist of consolidation to help halt the slide will be the second step back.

After the inevitable  relegation and much needed reset, the final step remains to be seen, but with Moore at the helm a recently fragmented football club will take their walk towards the future together as one.