West Brom did not speak to Jose Mourinho before appointing Steve Clarke
Friday 16 November 2012 11:09, UK
Image:Steve Clarke: Has made a big impact since taking over at West Brom
West Brom chief Dan Ashworth says he did not need to speak to Jose Mourinho to know Steve Clarke was the right man to manage the club.
Transition
He said: "We spoke to a range of people but I don't want to go into one specific person.
"You find out as much as you can. It's due diligence. You find out what they are like as a person."
Ashworth believes the transition between managers has been surprisingly smooth.
"When you come to changing manager, it's normally in a distress situation. But this wasn't," he said. "It was evolution rather than revolution.
"We're only 11 games in, not even a third of the league season, but it has been a smooth transition.
"The average life span of a manager is 14 months. Steve and I joke about it, that it's going to come to an end whether he's head-hunted or doesn't win enough games. So when managers come into jobs you know chances are it's not for life, it's not a marriage. You are there for a set period of time."
