Gus Poyet's managerial career has taken another turn for the worse in Spain.

Real Betis sacked the former Albion boss after less than four months in charge.

It seems, on the face of it, hasty and harsh.

Betis are 14th in La Liga, uncomfortably close to the relegation zone with 11 points from their opening 11 games under Poyet.

That is not good but it is not disastrous either put into context.

Betis were relegated in 2009 and 2014. In their last eight seasons in the top flight they have finished 14th, 16th, 13th, 18th, 13th, seventh, 20th and tenth.

It is the sort of sacking which, if it happened in England, would normally induce widespread sympathy for the victim of such a swift cut.

Sympathy will, I suspect, be in short supply for Poyet among a good number of Albion supporters, which is a shame.

The acrimonious nature of the Uruguayan’s departure – suspended following the defeat by Crystal Palace in the play-offs and eventually fired following an internal disciplinary investigation – has clouded their judgement.

Poyet made significant mistakes during his time in charge.

Glenn Murray spearheaded the League One title triumph in his first full season with 22 goals.

Murray left for nothing and joined Crystal Palace on Poyet’s watch.

He was replaced by Craig Mackail-Smith, who was ideally suited to being part of a pair in a 4-4-2.

It was not a formation Poyet used and the goals dried up for Mackail-Smith (below). He was a square peg in a round hole.

The Argus: Poyet, at his worst, was impulsive and provocative.

The case for the prosecution includes his blinkered defence of Luis Suarez when his fellow countryman racially abused Patrice Evra.

And his insensitive remarks in the raw aftermath of the Palace defeat, when he hinted at leaving and demanded assurances from owner Tony Bloom about future funding.

Enough of the bad stuff. It was outweighed by the good during Poyet’s three-and-a-half-year reign.

It is easy to forget it was his first managerial post, which deserves a degree of slack-cutting.

He lifted Albion from the fag end of League One to the brink of the Premier League and gave them an identity, a style of playing out from the back which was easy on the eye and successful.

That legacy will still be apparent to some extent when Albion host Aston Villa The Argus: on Friday evening.

Skipper Bruno (above), was signed by Poyet, one of the best free transfer captures in the club’s history.

He was also the first to recognise the potential of Lewis Dunk.

The Murray and Mackail-Smith mistakes were more than compensated for by landing Leo Ulloa, which subsequently earned Albion a £6 million profit.

At his best Poyet was engaging company, fiercely loyal and infectiously enthusiastic.

He failed at Sunderland after leaving Albion – but he is not alone in that respect. He was also axed earlier this year by AEK Athens after conflicts with the Greek club’s president.

Poyet’s time at the Amex may just turn out to be the highlight of his managerial career so let’s not revel in his downfall, re-write history and allow an ugly ending to engulf what, essentially, was a pretty story.