West Bromwich Albion continue search for manager to guide them to play-off security

A big job ahead for the next WBA boss.

Transcript

00:00Charlie, let's look at West Bromwich Albion. Now, obviously, you know, sometimes we do

00:05struggle to find news around West Brom due to their just, you know, the ineptness of

00:12the owners with the financial issues. And they come out and said there was a lot of

00:15struggle there. And obviously, then Carlos Corberán leaves on Christmas Eve. You know,

00:21not an ideal present for West Bromwich Albion fans, you know, around that Christmas and

00:26festive period. Chris Brunt has obviously answered the questions on managerial situation.

00:32He's clearly a club legend, over 400 appearances as a player for them and adored by the fans.

00:37But I don't think he's really ready himself to make that step up. I mean, the managerial

00:43situation at a few clubs in the championship has been different this season. You know,

00:47Cardiff City struggled to get a permanent boss in. Is it the sort of same situation

00:52with West Brom? What's the sort of latest you can tell us? And is someone in there

00:56to take them? Because, I mean, the form they're showing at times this season, there can certainly

01:02be a playoff in contention come the end of it.

01:05Yeah, it's a strange situation. Obviously, with Corberán leaving on Christmas Eve, ten

01:10minutes before Christmas Day in England, definitely not ideal. West Brom fans going to sleep early

01:15ahead of Christmas and waking up to that news would have been really, well, it would be

01:19a painful one, wouldn't it, really, considering how much of a connection he had with the

01:22fan base, how successful he was in his first season, kicking away from relegations, moving

01:26to playoff contention, last year qualifying for the playoffs as well, and this year being

01:30in a similar position.

01:32Two weeks or three weeks on and West Brom still without a manager. Chris Brunt and Damir,

01:37his right-hand man, have done a fairly good job, not losing too many games. They've just

01:42lost one away at Derby County on Boxing Day. So kind of steadying the ship at an uncertain

01:48time. There have been a few contenders and a bit of speculation, but West Brom are keeping

01:53things very, very quiet. Our understanding at Birmingham World is that they are looking

01:58across Europe for a manager. They're not too bothered about Premier League or Championship

02:03experience or experience in England full stop, really. They just want someone who's got a

02:07tactical mouse to take West Brom up into those playoff positions. Luke Williams at Swansea

02:12City, kind of contradicting that point, looked as if he might be a potential contender, but

02:17he has now ruled himself out of the running. Raphael Wiki, who was recently at Young Boys

02:23in the Swiss League, he left them and he's available. He's someone that West Brom have

02:27been looking at, but once again, no talks are advanced for him. Steven Schumacher, another

02:32one who's recently in English football, potentially a contender, but I think my guess is as good

02:38as yours, Charles, in that department. West Brom, they're not quite sure who they're going

02:41to have just yet, but you can understand why they're being patient and why they're taking

02:46time to pick the right man, because it's such an important job. And as you say, they're

02:50in the playoff positions at the moment, lots of teams competing with them. There's every

02:54chance they can finish in that top six and then potentially move on to the Premier League.

02:57So they definitely need the right man at the helm.