Albion's appointment of Graham Potter as head coach is intriguing on its own merits.

Just as fascinating is that 44-year-old Potter has brought with him as part of a fresh-faced new regime Kyle Macaulay from Swansea and Ostersund.

A change of manager more often than not entails a change of assistant and coach as well.

That is the case with Potter, who has Billy Reid and Bjorn Hamberg alongside him after succeeding Chris Hughton at the Amex.

Experienced ex-Hamilton boss Reid, 55, replaces Paul Trollope, Hughton's No.2.

Swede Hamberg takes over from Paul Nevin, Hughton's coach.

Macaulay takes over from no-one.

Reid's fellow but much younger Scot (Macaulay, like Hamberg, is in his mid-thirties) has been added to Albion's recruitment set-up as Paul Winstanley's assistant.

It emphasises how crucial player recruitment is to survive and thrive in the Premier League.

The Argus: Potter wanted his own man with him as part of Albion's array of scouts and data analysts, a bulging department now overseen by technical director Dan Ashworth (above) in the most significant area of his multi-faceted role.

Some of the transfer targets already in place when Hughton was in charge will still be of interest. Others will change to suit Potter's style and plans.

He relied on former Derby County and Aberdeen midfielder Macaulay during Ostersund's remarkable rise and, increasingly, during his season at cash-strapped Swansea.

Now he will depend on him again, together with Winstanley and Ashworth, to help shape the squad at his disposal when the transfer window shuts in just over eight weeks.

These weeks will be critical to Potter's prospects of building on the foundations laid by Hughton.

Particularly where it matters most, in the opposition penalty area.

A common theme links the teams relegated or close to being relegated. They struggle to score goals.

Albion cannot keep leaning so heavily on 35-year-old Glenn Murray (grounded below) to keep them afloat, admirable though he continues to be. The greatest need is more firepower.

The Argus: The squad has to be improved in this respect, even if Potter manages to get more out of the attacking players already in it.

Since promotion, Albion's defensive and midfield recruitment has generally been sound.

Mathew Ryan has been a success between the posts, initially Tim Krul, now David Button and Jason Steele offer competent back-up.

Bernardo and Yves Bissouma look good prospects, Davy Propper has acquitted himself well and we can forgive Pascal Gross's first season effectiveness being blunted by two bad injuries.

Dan Burn, on admittedly limited evidence, appears another solid back-up investment. The jury's out on Leon Balogun and to a lesser extent the more-used Martin Montoya.

Other signings like Markus Suttner and Ezequiel Schelotto have not worked out. That comes with the territory, you win some, you lose some.

It is in the attacking areas where Albion's Premier League recruitment has not really paid off up to now.

Hughton was unlucky to lose for the majority of the season Jose Izquierdo due to serious knee problems which will also deprive Potter to begin with of the Colombian winger's services.

Jurgen Locadia has yet to convince across one-and-a-half campaigns. Record signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh has disappointed so far, a remark which also applied to Florin Andone the longer the season wore on.

There are always additional acclimatisation issues associated with overseas signings.

It remains to be seen whether the influence of Ashworth and appointment of Potter prompts a shift back towards the domestic market.

Fifteen of the 16 permanent outfield signings made for the Premier League, including the loaned out Percy Tau and Alexis Mac Allister, have been foreign.

Whether the goals materialise from home or abroad, Potter will need more of them to move Albion on.