Sam Allardyce: How big is the task facing the new West Brom manager?

West Bromwich Albion 0-3 Aston Villa: Sam Allardyce says Baggies need battling qualityFor Sam Allardyce, a return to the Premier League after a two-and-a-half-year absence ought to have been a moment to savour.

When his appointment as West Bromwich Albion manager was confirmed on Wednesday, there was certainly personal euphoria for a man who must surely have wondered whether the call would come again.

But five minutes into his first game back, as Aston Villa opened the scoring in a match that went from bad to worse for the Baggies, he might have been wondering whether he had been better off out of it.

Obviously Sunday's 3-0 defeat was itself cause for concern, but then there was also the fact…