Alan Irvine insists the instant pressure heaped on managers is "sad" and admitted the tables could turn on him at West Brom again.
The Baggies head coach has won over the doubters at The Hawthorns ahead of Sunday's visit of Newcastle.
He arrived in the summer with Albion fans questioning his appointment, although he has taken them to mid-table after 10 games in the Barclays Premier League.
And Irvine pointed to Newcastle boss Alan Pardew on how fortunes can change.
Pardew had supporters calling for his sacking after they failed to win any of their first seven league games.
>[?The Magpies have since won their last four matches in all competitions ahead of their Hawthorns trip but Irvine knows managers are not afforded the luxury of time.
He said: "No-one is judged on a length of time, we are almost judged game to game. It's a bit sad.
"People have used the phrase 'the fans were underwhelmed' and I understand all of that. I wasn't going from a position where they had a chance to assess what I was doing and could come to a conclusion. I was trying to change people's perceptions from when I came in.
"I said many times I couldn't control that, all I could do was focus on things I could control. They were waiting to see what could happen.
"Gradually they have but I'm not naive enough to know what happened to Alan couldn't happen to me. It could turn around and if we lose the next four games we are back to where we were.
"I am pleased for Alan it's turned around, he is a very experienced manager and I felt he would turn it around anyway. I am delighted."
Irvine must make do without the suspended Craig Gardner while Jonas Olsson (Achilles) and Silvestre Varela (lacking match fitness) are unavailable.
The 56-year-old was first team coach at Newcastle under Kenny Dalglish before becoming academy director and has fond memories of his time at St James' Park.
He said: "I was a youth coach at Blackburn when Kenny was there. I was a player when he first came but I had dislocated my shoulder and broken my collar bone.
"He knew I had been doing my badges, and was coaching at a satellite centre for Blackburn for free but I didn't see that as anything other than they were giving me a fantastic chance.
"Kenny knew about that and while I was out with my shoulder injury he asked me to get involved with the youth team.
"When Kenny moved to Newcastle he called me up and wanted me to go there as first team coach.
"We finished second, played in the FA Cup final and played in the Champions League. Kenny left the next season and Ruud (Gullit) came in with Clarkey (Steve Clarke) and the feeling was I needed to move aside and I became academy director (in 1998).