[Mister AT]

There are hundreds of appropriate managers out there in the foreign leagues, plenty of which are English-speaking. It's just about having the imagination to go out there and find them.

If our structure was set up a little differently, then we are a very attractive club to take over.
No doubt, quite a stable club with a good squad of players (debatable at times).

Our biggest concern is the persistance to keep Kiely and Downing as part of the backroom staff, and im guessing the restrictions put on certain 'coaches' in regards to transfers makes the job look a little less attractive that it could be.

[maccbaggie]

If our structure was set up a little differently, then we are a very attractive club to take over.
No doubt, quite a stable club with a good squad of players (debatable at times).

Our biggest concern is the persistance to keep Kiely and Downing as part of the backroom staff, and im guessing the restrictions put on certain 'coaches' in regards to transfers makes the job look a little less attractive that it could be.

I agree. Peace needs to be willing to a) pay compensation if necessary, and b) let the new man bring in his own coaching team, letting go of Downing and Kiely

[Baggies54]

so 11 pages of comments and no one has come up with a decent replacement yet...says it all really. 

I suggested Phelan and Meulensteen, what better than the team that ran the club that was at the top of the Premiership?

[royhan]

Irvine may be a good coach but as a first team coach he has to be equally good at managing players and selecting teams. His record suggest that he obviously isn't up to this task. It may be worth moving him sideways to look after our developing players and bringing someone in at the helm.

[Bilston Dan]

Irvine may be a good coach but as a first team coach he has to be equally good at managing players and selecting teams. His record suggest that he obviously isn't up to this task. It may be worth moving him sideways to look after our developing players and bringing someone in at the helm.

To be honest I was thinking this on the bus back to work that being a very good coach and a good number doesn't necessarily make you a good number 1. Think of great players who seemed to be destined to be managers and then look at their track record. I'm not denying he's not a good coach, on the contrary, I just don't think he's management material. I'm sure he's a fantastic number 2 but I don't think he's a number 1.

[Albionic]

To be honest I was thinking this on the bus back to work that being a very good coach and a good number doesn't necessarily make you a good number 1. Think of great players who seemed to be destined to be managers and then look at their track record. I'm not denying he's not a good coach, on the contrary, I just don't think he's management material. I'm sure he's a fantastic number 2 but I don't think he's a number 1.

Brian Kidd ??

[Mister AT]

To be honest I was thinking this on the bus back to work that being a very good coach and a good number doesn't necessarily make you a good number 1. Think of great players who seemed to be destined to be managers and then look at their track record. I'm not denying he's not a good coach, on the contrary, I just don't think he's management material. I'm sure he's a fantastic number 2 but I don't think he's a number 1.

Interestingly I think Irvine would have worked well as Pepe Mels assistant.

[stever60]

Ally McCoist........he was good on Question of Sport!

[robnewbold]

No one wanted the job on our terms last summer and no one wants it now...I fear we are stuck with this doughnut until the final, fatal days of May....then and only then will be finally clear out the dross...of course we will have already been relegated so the changes of getting a decent manager and backroom staff will be even more difficult.

If we act quickly we may be able to attract someone to accept the challenge of keeping us up, with the promise of a two year contract whatever happens...the longer this endures the less chance we have of finding anyone whose dull enough.

Someone with half a brain can see this squad is good enough, its just that our current team of dimwits doesn't know what to do with them.....it would be hilarious if it wasn't so bloody tragic.

[PsalmXXIII]

No one wanted the job on our terms last summer and no one wants it now...I fear we are stuck with this doughnut until the final, fatal days of May....then and only then will be finally clear out the dross...of course we will have already been relegated so the changes of getting a decent manager and backroom staff will be even more difficult.

If we act quickly we may be able to attract someone to accept the challenge of keeping us up, with the promise of a two year contract whatever happens...the longer this endures the less chance we have of finding anyone whose dull enough.

Someone with half a brain can see this squad is good enough, its just that our current team of dimwits doesn't know what to do with them.....it would be hilarious if it wasn't so bloody tragic.

Tim Sherwood seemed to be a little sore for a while after we turned him down and couldn't bring his mates along due to big compensation packages for them. Ironic that they were sacked a week later. I assume Sherwood was pushing his luck there trying to get some jobs for the boys knowing full well they could have come for free sooner or later.

[OldburyWBA]

Tim Sherwood seemed to be a little sore for a while after we turned him down and couldn't bring his mates along due to big compensation packages for them. Ironic that they were sacked a week later. I assume Sherwood was pushing his luck there trying to get some jobs for the boys knowing full well they could have come for free sooner or later.

Or maybe Spurs were holding fire on getting rid of them hoping to get compensation and avoiding paying them off.

[Rheneas]

Tim Sherwood seemed to be a little sore for a while after we turned him down and couldn't bring his mates along due to big compensation packages for them. Ironic that they were sacked a week later. I assume Sherwood was pushing his luck there trying to get some jobs for the boys knowing full well they could have come for free sooner or later.

I think that was the assumption we all made at the time, but didn't someone post the other day saying how Les Ferdinand had said that in principle deals were agreed and that the Albion just wanted to go with AI?

[PsalmXXIII]

Or maybe Spurs were holding fire on getting rid of them hoping to get compensation and avoiding paying them off.

Probably likely too, why wouldn't they - but they could have left their posts, and the money saved not spent on compensation recycled into their personal deals quite easily. Sherwood could have been brought in and then the others brought in after Spurs innevitably let them go. I'd have thought Sherwood would have wanted to give them lot a two fingered salute after they got rid of him. Who knows.

[stubba]

I think that was the assumption we all made at the time, but didn't someone post the other day saying how Les Ferdinand had said that in principle deals were agreed and that the Albion just wanted to go with AI?

yup that's correct

[overseas baggie]

I see that Nigel Adkins has been sacked by Reading tonight.  He'd be a very good option for us.  Was very unluckily to lose his job at Saints although in their defence they kicked on with his replacements.  I think he would fit our structure well, and has always tried to play decent football.

I would expect him to be towards the top of the shortlist if Peace pulls the trigger.  Experienced PL manager with a decent record with weak sides.  We could do a lot worse  and he's a far better option than many of the dinosaurs out there.  I'd even take him ahead of Jol.

[Baggies54]

I see that Nigel Adkins has been sacked by Reading tonight.  He'd be a very good option for us.  Was very unluckily to lose his job at Saints although in their defence they kicked on with his replacements.  I think he would fit our structure well, and has always tried to play decent football.

I would expect him to be towards the top of the shortlist if Peace pulls the trigger.  Experienced PL manager with a decent record with weak sides.  We could do a lot worse  and he's a far better option than many of the dinosaurs out there.  I'd even take him ahead of Jol.

We have a learner who we are not happy with, I don't see the wisdom of going for a recent two time failure.  Baggies are not a weak side....we can hold our own with all the top clubs if we go about the job in the right manner.

[overseas baggie]

I wasn't saying or implying that Baggies are a weak side.  I was saying that Adkins has done ok in the PL with weak sides.  With us he could do a lot better.

In what way he is he a "two time failure"?  Are you suggesting he failed at Saints?

Every single manager who ever comes under consideration for managing the Baggies is likely to have failed at least once somewhere else. Either that or they will be a complete managerial novice.

[Mister AT]

Not sure I would want Adkins as manager if it came to it.

I do think he tries to play the right way, but I dont know, just something would feel right with having him here, and I think the split of fans would be 50-50 again.

If Irvine does go, the next manager needs to get the fans on his side from the start. (Mel did that and look at the support he got from the fans).

[The Black Pearl]

Irvine now has an opportunity to buy himself a lot more time, I hope he takes it for all our sakes, if the team draw back into their shell, I will be very disappointed.

[Baggies54]

I wasn't saying or implying that Baggies are a weak side.  I was saying that Adkins has done ok in the PL with weak sides.  With us he could do a lot better.

In what way he is he a "two time failure"?  Are you suggesting he failed at Saints?

Every single manager who ever comes under consideration for managing the Baggies is likely to have failed at least once somewhere else. Either that or they will be a complete managerial novice.

'Decent record with weak sides' implies West Brom fall into that category, being sacked is not exactly successful is it? Saints hirers and firers must have known what was coming had he stayed on.

There is no reason why Baggies cannot hire a decent manager, other than being too tight with the purse strings.

[seteefeet]

'Decent record with weak sides' implies West Brom fall into that category, being sacked is not exactly successful is it? Saints hirers and firers must have known what was coming had he stayed on.

There is no reason why Baggies cannot hire a decent manager, other than being too tight with the purse strings.

We don't hire managers though we hire head coaches and I think it is this more than money that restricts our attraction.

[OldburyWBA]

We don't hire managers though we hire head coaches and I think it is this more than money that restricts our attraction.

I think its a combination of the above and a ready made in house coaching staff

[caravanc58]

I wasn't saying or implying that Baggies are a weak side.  I was saying that Adkins has done ok in the PL with weak sides.  With us he could do a lot better.

In what way he is he a "two time failure"?  Are you suggesting he failed at Saints?

Every single manager who ever comes under consideration for managing the Baggies is likely to have failed at least once somewhere else. Either that or they will be a complete managerial novice.

failed twice and a novice head coach in irvines case,

[Legend]

failed twice and a novice head coach in irvines case,

Didn't fail at Preston. He comfortably avoided relegation with them after taking over while in the relegation zone then in the next season got them into the play offs on one of the league's smallest budgets. There was a reason we wanted him five years ago, he was very highly rated.

[Albertbaggie]

The list of people being mentioned as a replacement are laughable. 
As for Irvine. I'm not his biggest fan and have been very unimpressed by team selections and some of the football on show.
But I think he deserves credit for the number of clean sheets we have kept this season. Sometimes you have to build from solid foundations and maybe he will become more adventurous as the season progresses. I hope so.