A look back at West Brom in 2011: What has changed?

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West Bromwich Albion continue to enjoy life in the Premier League, but it is time to look back on how different things were five years ago.

Following an uncertain start to the season under manager Tony Pulis, West Bromwich Albion have steadied the ship and currently find themselves in the top half of the Premier League table. Their stability is something that Pulis has specialised in over the years, and the club themselves have done well to remain in the top flight for as long as they have. So the question is, what exactly has changed from five years ago?

Back in 2011 the man in charge was Roy Hodgson, who was slowly re-building his reputation following a poor tenure at Liverpool. In what proved to be a thoroughly successful season, the Baggies finished in the top half of the table with an impressive 47 points.

With striker Peter Odemwingie leading from the front they picked up some impressive victories along the way, with the most notable being a 5-1 demolition of rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux which led to the dismissal of Mick McCarthy.

Over the course of the last five years the Midlands side have flirted with the relegation zone, but ultimately have turned themselves into a stable Premier League side. The differences between the two time periods are few and far between, with a strong veteran manager at the helm who is able to consistently ensure survival.

But if you offered supporters the chance to go back, they may well say yes. After all, a top-half finish proved that the Baggies were prepared to thrive under the Premier League spotlight and potentially push on towards the European places in the next few years. Following the Englishman’s departure, Steve Clarke came in and guided them to an even more impressive eighth in 2012/13.

One of the big criticisms when it comes to Tony Pulis is that his style of football has been designed to make sure the club survive as opposed to looking for more success. Maybe West Brom fans would want to see that little bit more in terms of quality on the pitch.