West Bromwich Albion: Who will fill Mowbray’s boots at the Hawthorns?
Tony Mowbray has decided to swap Championship football with West Bromwich Albion for Champions League football with Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic so now the search for a new manager at the Hawthorns begins. Despite falling through the Premier League trap door last season the Baggies are one of the best-run football clubs in the country and it’s no surprise to see a large number of managers being linked with the vacant position.
West Bromwich Albion boast a loyal and passionate fan base, they have some real quality players in their ranks and the club are already one of the bookies’ favourites to return to the Premier League this season. Being West Bromwich Albion manager is a huge responsibility, but the rewards for success at the Hawthorns are massive. Jeremy Peace made a great appointment two years ago when he hired Tony Mowbray, but can he strike lucky again this time round?
Below are a few of the main runners and riders for the job.
Derek McInnes
The former West Bromwich Albion midfielder was worshipped by the fans during his three years at the club and he has the potential to be a really good manager. He guided St Johnstone to the SPL last season in his first full campaign as a manager and is a great advocate of swift, attacking football – something that the Albion fans have become accustomed to under Mowbray. However, some fans are worried that the West Brom job may be too big for someone with limited managerial experience. All I have to say is Mowbray only had two years with Hibernian before moving down south and he didn’t do too badly. . .
Alan Irvine
The current Preston North End manager is well-respected in the game and David Moyes’s former number two is the bookies’ joint favourite for the vacant position at the Hawthorns. He led Preston to the play-offs last season and is tactically astute. Irvine also manages to get the best out of his players and likes to play attacking football. But would he be willing to swap Preston for West Bromwich Albion?
Darren Ferguson
The Peterborough United boss guided the Posh to the Championship last season and is another young manager with a promising career ahead of him. Successive promotions have seen Peterborough climb from League Two to the second tier of English football in as many seasons and his stock has risen considerably in the English game. Ferguson, who can always ring up his famous father for advice if he requires it, is another manager who likes to play the ball on the deck and would almost certainly be a hit with the Albion fans, but would he turn his back on everything he has achieved at London Road for the Baggies?
Alan Shearer
The Newcastle legend failed to save the Magpies from the drop last season and his future at the club is up in the air following Mike Ashley’s decision to sell the club so could he end up at the Hawthorns? Easily one of the best strikers this country has ever produced, Alan Shearer has bags of experience as a player, but can he handle being a manager? He couldn’t stop his beloved hometown club from being relegated and many Albion fans would be concerned about his appointment. Shearer’s a big name and could attract top players, but does he have what it takes to be a successful boss?
Jimmy Calderwood
The former Aberdeen boss has made no secret of his desire to manage in England and the ex-Birmingham City player would love a shot at one of the biggest challenges in the Championship. Calderwood re-established the Dons as a top four team in the SPL and guided them back to Europe. He has experience of the European game and likes to send his teams out to attack, although that didn’t always work at Pittodrie. Calderwood has more experience than all of the aforementioned candidates but isn’t exactly a well-known name in England. He’s an outside bet but it could pay off.
Other names being linked with the job include former Watford manager Aidy Bothroyd, ex-Blackburn boss Paul Ince and even former Wolves chief Glenn Hoddle has been touted as a possible successor to Tony Mowbray, but who would you like to see as your new boss? I’d love to hear from you.
