West Brom have already been warned against ‘big risk’ as surprise managerial target emerges…
West Brom are one of a handful of Championship clubs still searching for a new manager heading into the summer, but one name they’ve been linked with this week has already been written off previously.
A promising season for the Baggies descended into disappointment under Tony Mowbray, with a poor run of form in the back end of the campaign leaving the play-offs out of reach for West Brom.
Mowbray was dismissed almost a month ago now, so clearly, the West Brom hierarchy are taking their time to make the right appointment next.
With promotion from the Championship high on the agenda for next season, that makes sense, but recent links to a relatively untested 33-year-old coach have not gone down well.
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Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Lee Hendrie warned clubs against hiring Eric Ramsay
Eric Ramsay, previously of Chelsea, Man Utd, and the Welsh national team in coaching roles, is now the manager at Minnesota United in the MLS.
The 33-year-old was touted as an option for the vacancy at Southampton and has now emerged as a contender for the West Brom job.
But, speaking to Football League World back at the start of the month, Lee Hendrie discussed the idea of Eric Ramsay taking over at Southampton when those links arose, and the former Aston Villa man had more than a few concerns.
He said: “I’ve touched on the Norwich situation by taking [Jack] Wilshere in there. We’ve seen so many good coaches and people who’ve been at big football clubs working below the first-team or with the first-team taking that step up.
“I think it would be a big risk because Southampton will be one of the teams that are expected to bounce back into the Premier League. So yes, [it is] a massive gamble with the lack of EFL experience, but if there’s an investment plan there.
“I’m not saying we haven’t seen anyone do so, we’ve seen Leicester do it, [Enzo] Maresca did a great job there.
“So yes for me, not having experience, but when you have investment, I think you’ve got every chance. There’s a bit of both there for me.”
It remains to be seen whether the Ramsay links have any substance to them, but we’re sure plenty of West Brom fans would share the sentiment Hendrie has put forward. Indeed, a tried and tested name is surely needed now to get the Baggies back in the top flight next season.
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Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Who else have West Brom been linked with?
As with any managerial vacancy, there have been plenty of names put forward for the West Brom role already over the last month.
We hear Dave Challinor is on the shortlist for West Brom after his impressive work at Stockport County, but there’s a chance he will be taking his team to the second tier this season via the play-offs anyway.
Ryan Mason is thought to be at the top of the list, but he is still involved with Tottenham Hotspur amid their run to the Europa League final.
Meanwhile, Marti Cifuentes was ruled out despite being put on gardening leave at QPR after expressing an interest in the job at The Hawthorns.
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