Sami Hyypia played a huge role in Albion's Championship survival.

By falling on his sword in the nick of time.

It is just as well the Finn ignored the blind faith of the board.

If he had listened to them there is every chance Albion would have been relegated.

There was no burning desire at boardroom level to remove Hyypia.

They were intransigent in believing statistical evidence which suggested Hyypia's team was playing well without getting results.

The only statistic that mattered when he quit just before Christmas was that Albion had won one league game out of 18.

Two things happened immediately after Hyypia resigned, which were ultimately crucial to them staying up.

Four points were collected in Nathan Jones' galvanising two matches as caretaker.

Then Chris Hughton was appointed, with the much-needed bounce effect which often accompanies a new manager, a fresh voice with different ideas.

After an opening FA Cup win at Brentford, immaterial in the context of Albion's Championship plight but uplifting for morale, two of the next three league games were won.

All in all, in the immediate aftermath of Hyypia's departure, ten points were gathered from five games which is title-winning form.

Albion ended up safe by six points, emphasising the pivotal importance of that post-Hyypia mini-recovery.

Would they have done as well at home to Reading, Ipswich and Brentford and away to Fulham and Charlton had Hyypia remained at the helm for a little longer? I doubt it.

The quality of the squad at Hyypia's disposal, arising from poor, analysis-driven recruitment, caught up with Hughton.

Albion would have struggled this season who ever was in charge, although not necessarily as severely as they did under Hyypia.

Sami was fine to deal with and ultra-professional in his approach but, to quote Nigel Pearson, is he being an ostrich as he awaits his next managerial opening, perhaps with Finland?

During an appearance on Sky's Goals On Sunday, Hyypia said he had thought about his time at Albion and reached the conclusion he would not have done anything differently. He told Chris Kamara: "I believe in my ideas."

The idea as a manager is to win matches. The playing records, ultimately, of both Bayer Leverkusen and Albion during Hyypia's periods in charge indicate his strategy requires a re-think.