Perhaps we should have paid more attention to the subliminal message in the introductory images when Sami Hyypia was appointed Albion manager.

The giant Finn towered over chairman Tony Bloom at the obligatory photo opportunity outside the new training complex in Lancing.

It did not appear to be a good fit and so it has proved with Hyypia's resignation yesterday 22 games into his Championship reign, with Albion third-bottom after one win in 18 and four points adrift of safety.

Bloom's third dip into somewhat left-field territory, following the top six finishes under Gus Poyet and Oscar Garcia, backfired this time.

After a second successive summer of upheaval in the management and playing staff, the situation warranted a safe pair of hands.

Somebody who would not totally abandon the identity, the playing philosophy established by Poyet and recognised by Oscar.

But also somebody with management credentials in English football, ideally in the ultra-competitive and congested Championship.

Somebody like Chris Hughton who, according to an Argus source, was one of the summer frontrunners. Or Brian McDermott, another Championship winner (Tony Pulis was still at Crystal Palace at the time and therefore unavailable).

Hyypia, like Poyet, came with a top class playing pedigree in England but not with the level of managerial experience accumulated within these shores by the Uruguayan as a No. 2 at Swindon, Leeds and Spurs.

Hyypia's glorious career ended with Liverpool in 2009. He had been in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen since then. Five years is a long time to be away.

After playing and then joining the coaching staff of the Bundesliga outfit, Hyypia took charge in partnership with Sascha Lewandowski, who had been looking after the youth team.

They finished third but, when Hyypia became No. 1 by himself and Lewandowski returned to the youth set-up, Bayer's season gradually deteriorated after a flying start. He lasted ten months before a deflating run of results ended with the sack.

The impression in Germany was that Hyypia was too soft on the players, struggled to motivate the team when the going got tough and was naive with some of his selections.

Hyypia's absence of managerial experience in England would not have counted against him following the success of Oscar in steering Albion into the play-offs again.

The reserved Spaniard's playing and coaching background was with his boyhood club Barcelona, then as a manager a title-winning campaign with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

If Oscar could do it via Barcelona and Maccabi, why not Hyypia via a similar profile with Liverpool and Bayer?

The strategy did not take into account the continuing decline in the quality of the squad since Poyet's departure.

Poyet had more to work with than Oscar, Oscar more to work with than Hyypia.

The Finn did not have Leo Ulloa to spearhead the attack. Just as importantly, a hard core of internationals past and present, model professionals and dressing room leaders, disappeared with the departures of Matt Upson, Stephen Ward and Keith Andrews.

Hyypia has been especially unfortunate in this respect to be without the again-seriously injured Andrew Crofts and, more recently, captain Gordon Greer.

Another under-estimated blow, in nous terms, for Hyypia was the U-turn by former Liverpool colleague Sammy Lee, who, instead of becoming his No.2, joined the coaching staff at Southampton.

The biggest disadvantage of all has been Albion's poor replacement recruitment, brutally exposed by Hyypia's choices for the poisonous defeat by fellow strugglers Millwall when Albion were last in action at the Amex and he came under vehement fire from supporters.

None of the seven permanent outfield signings were in the starting eleven. Chris O'Grady has already been shipped out on loan to Sheffield United, Nzuzi Toko has barely been sighted as a first team option.

Aaron Hughes, Danny Holla, Paddy McCourt and Adrian Colunga were sat next to each other on the bench for the most important match of Hyypia's reign.

Sam Baldock would probably have joined them had he not been sidelined by a thigh problem.

The only exception was Hughes, who may well have started in the centre of defence but had been struck down by illness.

Midfielder Holla returned for Saturday's battling 1-1 draw at Wolves, played with ten men for most of the second half after a reckless red card for Bruno.

Aston Villa left-back Joe Bennett was another significant recall at Molineux. A consequence of the poor recruitment is the difficulties Albion have got themselves into with loan signings.

They've had six of them in total for several weeks now, one more than permitted in the matchday squad.

Hyypia has been rotating them, an unsatisfactory situation for him, the players concerned and their parent clubs.

Nobody could accuse the Finn of not trying his upmost to spark a recovery. He has worked extremely long hours and paid forensic attention to every detail.

The players like him and have been right behind him. They just have not been able to implement his ideas effectively enough to win enough games.

Hyypia's playing philosophy was much like at Leverkusen. He wanted a narrow and mobile forward line, with advanced full-backs providing the attacking width.

He wanted early-season rotation to cope with the pattern of fixture flurries and international breaks.

At Bayer he had better players and the Bundesliga is different to the Championship.

Hyypia and Albion have not quite been a fit and now Bloom has to get it right.

He has to make the right appointment and hope the revamped recruitment regime can help identify the players needed in January to extricate the club from the mess they are in.

Their Championship future depends on it.