Journalist Lewis Cox has claimed on The Baggies Broadcast that Chris Wilder will likely be near the top of West Brom’s managerial shortlist.
After deciding it was time to cut their ties with Steve Bruce having claimed just one win in the Championship all season and found themselves sitting inside the bottom three, the Baggies are now on the hunt for their third manager in just 12 months.
It had been suggested that Roy Keane could have been someone that was liked by West Brom, but the pundit admitted on Monday Night Football that it was ‘nonsense’ linking him to the vacancy.
Meanwhile, Wilder would be an intriguing choice given he was thought to be the unanimous choice of the board to replace Sam Allardyce in 2021 before his appointment was blocked by owner Guochuan Lai.
Although nothing appears to be imminent at The Hawthorns, Cox believes Wilder will be someone near the top of the club’s list when it comes to appointing a new boss this time around.
He said: “Wilder, for me, is probably up there just lagging behind [Sean] Dyche in terms of who I think would come and do well. I was just always so impressed with him at Sheffield United.
Would Wilder be a good appointment for WBA?
Yes!
No!
“Now I realise obviously, the history, and how he was a target before, and how that didn’t play out and how he ended up not at The Hawthorns, but I’m just going by who I think out there would be good and do well at Albion. He’s right up there, for me.”
TIF Thoughts on Wilder to West Brom…
It would be a major coup for West Brom on paper if they could lure Wilder to The Hawthorns, however, it would be a slightly similar appointment to Bruce’s given he has failed in his previous jobs – though he may be seen as a good option given his Championship experience.
Therefore, Ron Gourlay will have to ensure he does his due diligence on the club’s next appointment, as if he gets it wrong, the Baggies could well be engulfed in a relegation battle instead of making a surge towards the play-offs.
The financial aspect of dropping into League One just a few seasons after being in the Premier League would be catastrophic for a club such as West Brom, and we feel the next manager needs to realise how important it is to hit the ground running with this group of players.