It is crazy when you think about it.

Sami Hyypia, in charge of Albion for 107 days, has already climbed a third of the way up the table of the Championship’s longest serving managers.

There have been changes at seven of the Seagulls’ 23 rivals since the Finn’s appointment on June 6.

The most recent simultaneous departures on Thursday, of Felix Magath and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from relegated pair Fulham and Cardiff, are a stark reminder of the precarious nature of an occupation which Hyypia has revealed he had doubts about subjecting himself to at the end of his playing career.

Another legendary former Liverpool centre-half, Alan Hansen, opted for punditry.

Who has arrived since Hyypia?

  • June 11: Jose Riga (Blackpool)
  • July 1: Stuart Pearce (Nottm Forest)
  • September 2: Oscar Garcia (Watford)
  • September 3: Chris Powell (Huddersfield)
  • Still pending: Leeds, Cardiff, Fulham

When the time came to hang up his boots, Hyypia questioned whether he was capable of making the conversion from top player to manager before taking the plunge with Bayer Leverkusen. (pictured below)

The towering Scandinavian, steering Albion through a fluctuating start to the season and his reign, told The Argus: “The understanding that it’s not an easy job was one thing for me, that maybe I had a little doubt if I can do it.

“Everyone kept saying just be yourself and everything will be okay. That’s what I am trying to do at the moment.

“I know still that it’s a hard job and sometimes everything depends on small details but I enjoy it.

“I like to be on the pitch with the team and do some different drills to make them maybe understand better what we expect of them on the field. That is giving me the enjoyment, when it then happens.”

The Argus:

It has not happened as much as Hyypia would like but then again he has been denied so far the opportunity to implement on the training ground his ideas to a dramatically altered squad which was not complete until the end of August.

The fixtures keep coming thick and fast, the third of seven in the space of three weeks against Blackpool at the Amex today.

Even during the breathing space provided by the first international break, Hyypia lost skipper Gordon Greer, Jake Forster-Caskey and Aaron Hughes to country duty.

Hyypia’s Albion are a very early work in progress. Backed by a “realistic” chairman, there is plenty of time for him to justify the faith of others when he took his first steps into management in Germany.

“I always wanted to continue with football somehow,” Hyypia said.

“I didn’t really think a lot what it would be.

“Other people were more convinced that I could do this job but now that I’ve done it for two-and-a-half years I am enjoying it, otherwise I wouldn’t do it.

“It’s a tough job. Everything is about results and I understand that.

“I understand as well at different clubs there is a different level of patience. I can’t say how much time I have.

The Argus:

“I have as much time as the club or chairman says now it is time, you’ve had enough.

“That varies at different clubs. I think at this club we have a very good chairman. He is quite realistic with things and I’m very glad to work at this club.

“I try to work every day as hard as I can. The start maybe hasn’t been the best ever but I am sure with what we are doing at the moment, and if we correct a few details, then we will win more and more games.”