It is the eternal question for young managers - when are you ready for a job in the unforgiving environment of the top two leagues of English football?
Most feel that some level of apprenticeship in the lower divisions is required or a natural progression with one club.
Very few jump straight into a job in the Championship with no experience and succeed, no matter how big their profile as a player was.
Ryan Mason was a prime example of this.
He arrived at The Hawthorns with solid coaching credentials, but Albion proved too big a challenge for someone making their first foray into senior management.