It certainly hasn't been an easy return to the Premier League for West Bromwich Albion. 

After struggling to significantly build on the side who won promotion in a relatively slow summer window, the sale of Ahmed Hegazi had manager Slaven Bilic fuming. 

While talk of a potential new takeover may be exciting, the fact remains that the Baggies have won just once all season and the situation would look far bleaker if the rest of the bottom three weren't in such dire straits too. 

To that end, top brass at The Hawthorns have reportedly started to draw up potential replacements for Bilic.

According to the Daily Mail, the former Croatia boss could be sacked if his side lose to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, such is the perilous nature of his position at the club. 

Indeed, there are understood to have been internal disagreements over the Baggies' recruitment policy, so action is being taken to find a new candidate behind the scenes in the event of Bilic's departure. 

While, usually, it may be a fairly simple process in getting rid of a manager who has under a year left of his deal amid a poor start to the season, it remains to be seen what factor the potential takeover would play, if any. 

Perhaps anyone new coming into the club would want to appoint their own man, complicating the situation even further. 

Still, as bad as West Brom's results have been this season, all is not lost. They remain only one point off safety as things stand, so any new boss would at least have a chance of salvaging something from the season.