Albion have only one relegation place to worry about now.

It is not just West Brom that are doomed. So are Stoke following their home defeat by Everton.

I am resigned to the fate of the club I have supported since Gordon Banks repelled Pele in the 1970 World Cup.

After the international break they go to Arsenal, where they have never picked up a point in their decade in the Premier League with much better teams than the one entrenched in the relegation zone now.

Then it is Spurs (recent results 0-4, 0-4, 0-4, 1-5). They also still have a trip to Anfield next month.

Stoke have been a division or more higher in three of the 15 seasons since the two clubs close to my heart were involved in a fight to avoid relegation from the Championship on the final day in 2002-03.

Now they are on opposing trajectories, the gap greater than seven points or a Charlie Adam penalty miss. Albion have overtaken them by getting it right in key areas where Stoke have got it badly wrong. Beginning with recruitment.

Albion kept hold of their best players when they missed out on promotion from the Championship. They staved off interest in Lewis Dunk, Dale Stephens and Anthony Knockaert.

Over the last four transfer windows they have continued to build on a solid nucleus with shrewd signings, the majority from abroad.

The initial wave, the likes of Gaetan Bong, Liam Rosenior, Uwe Henemeier, Tomer Hemed and Beram Kayal, set the benchmark. Not just good players, good characters as well.

The Argus: On reaching the Premier League, the progression has continued. Mathew Ryan, Tim Krul, Ezequiel Schelotto, Markus Suttner, Davy Propper (second right above), Pascal Gross (second left above), Jose Izquierdo and Jurgan Locadia can all be classed as proven or potential successes.

Stoke lost Steven Nzonzi, a Rolls-Royce midfielder, to Sevilla for a paltry £7 million, because he was in the final year of his contract. They have come nowhere near to replacing him.

More than £18 million was wasted on Giannelli Imbula, a disaster after an encouraging start and now on loan to Toulouse.

The mistake has been repeated. The enigmatic Marco Arnautovic, on his day a matchwinner, went to West Ham for around £25 million. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, a free transfer from Schalke, scored a fine goal at the Amex, but he is no Arnautovic.

An age was spent pursuing Saido Berahino, a risky £12 million proposition which has backfired horribly. No goals and far more headlines off the field than on it.

Clubs of Albion and Stoke's stature have to spend wisely. They cannot afford a succession of expensive errors, or a dressing room without unity.

Now the managers. Mark Hughes did well in the first half of his tenure at Stoke, developing the strong foundations left by Tony Pulis with flair signings and three ninth-placed finishes.

The writing has been on the wall since the second half of last season, when four wins out of 17 prompted a fall to 13th.

An air of complacency was epitomised by Hughes inexplicably deciding to change to three centre-backs and wing-backs, without natural wing-backs.

Mame Diouf, a striker, had to fill in at right wing-back. It made no sense. Injuries have not helped, but defensively Stoke have been in disarray where once upon a time they were so dependable under Pulis.

It is impossible to imagine Chris Hughton making the same kind of misjudgement, or overseeing a team that has shipped 58 goals in 31 games, the worst record in the division.

Or, with the same squad of players, having Stoke in the sort of trouble they are in now. Paul Lambert has made them harder to beat, but becoming competitive again in every game and drawing is not enough. It is too late for that.

Stoke's impending departure from the Premier League will not be mourned by many, accustomed to cold visits to the bet365 Stadium and a reputation for ugly football which has endured, unfairly, since the Pulis era.

It is a shame that Peter Coates, a decent man who like Albion counterpart Tony Bloom, made his fortune in the betting industry, appears to have taken his eye off the ball.

The Argus: Jack Butland, Joe Allen and Xherdan Shaqiri (above) will not be hanging around for the Championship. They will have plenty of takers.

The tables have turned. Stoke need a clearout and will find it tough in the Championship. Albion, on the other hand, are well-placed to go from strength to strength.