Paul Barber says the existing group of experienced staff at the club will help new head coach Roberto De Zerbi settle into life at Albion.
The 43-year-old Italian will be unveiled to the media later today after agreeing a four-year contract at the weekend.
Under-21s head coach Andrew Crofts was due to take the team for the Premier League game against Bournemouth on Saturday 10 September which was postponed following the death of the Queen.
But Barber says Crofts and other members of the backroom staff will have an in important part to play during a busy October when we play six games, including matches against Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester City and Chelsea.
“Andrew Crofts will work with Roberto, who will be bringing a small group [of backroom staff] with him, people he trusts,” said Barber, our deputy chairman and chief executive. “Of course, they will be new to the Premier League as were Graham [Potter] and his staff so that’s a period of adjustment we have to make and we have guys who know the rhythms of the Premier League who are still here.
“It’s never easy to replace six people in one go but we have a very stable group of medical staff, analysts and recruitment people who are still here to support Roberto and he is happy with the situation.”
Barber added that the security of a four-year contract means De Zerbi will have time to implement his own ideas to take the club forward and build on our impressive start to the new season.
“We like to support a manager the best we can and align our processes with the way he thinks in terms of things like the players we’re going to bring in during transfer windows. If we do that, we give the coach the chance to improve them and fit them into the system he wants to play. You have to give a manager the comfort of looking at things over a three or four-year period.
“There will be tweaks and there will be players who will play in a slightly different way to Graham Potter but we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
Barber says De Zerbi’s ‘obsession’ with the game and his detailed knowledge of Albion’s players stood out during the interview process last week. De Zerbi was the only coach the club spoke to about the role.
“He likes to be on the grass, he’s obsessed about football and that came across when we met him,” added Barber. “He’s got very detailed knowledge of our players and the way we play. He’s watched some of our games and he seems to be absorbed in the whole business of preparing teams to play at the top level.
“We’ve been looking at what Roberto has been doing in Italy and what he achieved at Sassuolo for a while.
“In terms of his style of football, it’s not dissimilar to the way we evolved under Graham Potter. He shares similar values to us, and he comes across as a decent human being. We enjoyed meeting him and we feel he’s a good fit.
“The proof in the pudding will be when he gets into the Premier League and has to deal with the games we’ve got coming up but we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
De Zerbi arrives with Albion fourth in the table after picking up 13 points from our first six games, but Barber says fans will have to be realistic about what to expect over the next few weeks.
“Coming into the Premier League for the first time, we must give him as much support and show as much patience as we can. He’s got six games in October so he’s going to have a baptism of fire but what has impressed me is the depth of knowledge he already has of us and the teams we’re going to be playing. It shows the level of commitment which you need to come to the league.”