When Pepe Mel learned of West Bromwich Albion's interest in appointing him as head coach, one of the first calls that the Spaniard made was to Rafael Benítez. Mel and the Napoli manager came through the ranks together as young players at Real Madrid and have remained close ever since. By the time Mel put the phone down to the former Liverpool manager, the ex-Real Betis coach was convinced that he should take a leap of faith.

"I spoke with Rafael Benítez, he is a very good friend and was a team-mate of mine at Madrid. He really did encourage me to come here to England," said Mel, who politely pointed out that Benítez "picked up a very different team" at Anfield to the one he has inherited at Albion. "He said to me that West Brom is a club that needs to do a lot of work but still has a lot of possibilities to be successful. Rafa has been fortunate enough to work for two massive clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea, and he clearly liked it that much here that his wife and children still live up in Liverpool."

Mel came across as an affable and ambitious man – he spoke about the enjoyment he gets from writing novels and how he hoped Albion would be challenging for Europa League qualification this time next year – but it is hard to escape the feeling that he has a big job on his hands at the Hawthorns. On the day he was unveiled as Steve Clarke's successor, Shane Long was on his way to Hull City in a £7m move and Richard Garlick, Albion's sporting and technical director, confirmed that there would not be a penny available for new signings this month.

Throw in the fact that Albion have won only two of their past 15 Premier League games, sit three points above the relegation zone and face Everton and Liverpool in their next two home fixtures, and the task appears a sizeable one, especially for a man who has never managed in England before and is still trying to get to grips with the language.

Not that Mel, who was first approached by Albion at the beginning of last month, seems in the least bit fazed by the task ahead. "I'm convinced that things are going to go well here and that things are going to be a success," he said, speaking through a translator. "West Bromwich Albion have thought for a month that I'm the best man for the job and that's very important."

The 50-year-old insisted that he was "not coming here to input a Spanish model" and said there were no plans for Albion to try to target La Liga when it comes to future signings, although there will clearly be subtle changes in the style of play. All the indications are that Mel will play with a high defensive line and implore his players to win the ball back as close as possible to the opposition goal. In other words, it will be a high-intensity pressing game.

"What we have got to try and do is pass over our message and in the first four sessions we've done that very successfully," Mel said. "West Bromwich Albion need to have an aggressive approach and, in my personal opinion, create more goalscoring opportunities. In football, possession of the ball is absolutely vital, we need to get it back as quickly as possible."

Mel, in fairness, seemed comfortable with the club's decision to sell Long, which Garlick said had been explained to him in advance, as well as the possibility of working with the same group of players over the remainder of the season and the backroom staff that are staying on. "I am absolutely certain [we have enough in the squad to stay in the Premier League] and what is vital is my confidence must be transferred to the players so that they realise they are the stars of the show," he said.

For Mel, who was in tears when he lost his job at Betis at the start of last month, it is about trying to build another special relationship. "When I started at Betis they were in the Spanish second tier and didn't have any money," he said. "Four years later we were playing in the Europa League.

"There were four very tough years of work in Betis. Here it is really the same job that I've got to do. I hope that in the future, and many years from now when I leave here, that West Brom will also be in my heart."