The stories began to emerge just a day or two after the transfer window slammed shut last summer.
Reportedly unhappy with his club’s dealings in the market, West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis was said to be considering his future at the club.
One source rated his chances of staying put at just 50-50, with a strained relationship with new chairman John Williams only serving to compound matters for the former Stoke City and Crystal Palace manager.
“Our head coach Tony Pulis is very selective and particular about the players he recruits so it follows that the new team members will add significantly to his first-team options,” Williams said in a statement that laid bare the tension between the two men. “Tony wanted five [players] and we got five.”
Given that many West Brom supporters had already grown frustrated with Pulis, it would have been entirely reasonable to presume back then that the club would have a different manager in the dugout by the time of their 21st fixture of the Premier League campaign, a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
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Not only is the Welshman still at the helm, he is also thriving as West Brom attempt to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1981.
A 3-1 victory over Hull City at the start of the month kept Pulis’ side in eighth, just one point shy of the spot in the standings that could still bring with it a place in the Europa League depending on the identity of the FA Cup and League Cup winners.
Survival — which was West Brom’s principal objective prior to the start of the season — is practically guaranteed already, with a healthy margin of 14 points currently separating them from the bottom three.
Of even more significance to Pulis’ prospects of a long-term stay is the fact West Brom have often played a brand of football that is far easier on the eye than the style employed for much of the previous 18 months.
Aside from the division’s big six, only Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have scored more often than Pulis’ side, who are averaging 1.4 goals per game this season.
By way of comparison, West Brom were the second-lowest scorers behind last-placed Aston Villa in 2015/16, with their average standing at just 0.89 per match.
It is also worth noting that the 12 points West Brom have amassed on the road is the seventh-best away record in the Premier League, showcasing their greater ambition on their travels.
Much of the improvement can be attributed to two of the club’s summer signings, Matt Phillips and Nacer Chadli.
Pulis may have been disgruntled about missing out on other targets, but he can at least take solace in the fact that he was able to acquire the two attackers from Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham respectively.
Both Phillips and Chadli have combined well with central striker Salomon Rondon, who has scored seven times in 18 league starts.
The duo’s speed, trickery and direct running pose a threat to opponents on the break, with West Brom’s low possession figures not adversely affecting their attacking potency.
The defensive solidity that has characterised Pulis’ teams throughout his career remains, with the majority of fans more than happy to accept a slight increase in the side’s openness at the back in return for a more adventurous approach going forward.
Pulis remains, for the most part, a cautious manager, but he has managed to find a much more pleasing balance without compromising results. West Brom will now be grateful that he did not walk away in September.
Watford not safe from drop just yet
A 1-0 loss to Sunderland on 17 December was followed by a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, before successive defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City.
A 2-0 victory over Burton Albion in the third round of the FA Cup last weekend brought a degree of respite, but the pressure will quickly pile back on if Walter Mazzarri’s men fail to improve on their recent record of only one win in their last eight Premier League outings against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
As things stand, the relegation battle appears to involve the bottom five clubs in the table: Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Swansea City and Hull City.
There is still time for at least one member of that quintet to pull themselves out of trouble, however, while it is similarly far too early for those sides currently residing in 15th place or above to begin celebrating survival.
With that in mind, Watford fans could be forgiven for looking nervously over their shoulders.
Some of their performances in the last few weeks have been extremely sub-standard, with their display in the reverse against Tottenham particularly poor.
A sizeable injury list has certainly not helped, but it is essential that Mazzarri’s side get back to basics regardless of how many of their players are on the treatment table.
Only Palace, Swansea, Sunderland and Hull have conceded more goals than Watford’s 36, while the fact that they have scored just twice in their last five games — one a penalty, one a stoppage-time consolation — is further cause for concern.
For now, a seven-point cushion above the drop zone is comfortable enough. Lose to Middlesbrough on Saturday, though, and Watford could be dragged into the demotion dogfight.
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