[graka]

10 weeks until the season starts. 
A small ageing squad to rebuild.
Players out of contract now so the better freebies will be snapped up.
A host of our higher paid players to move ,on.
Assess the players who want to stay and build a team to suit the new managers style of play.
Do we really expect our useless board to get all this done.
Fearing the worst this season

[Topman]

I actually worry we will be at the wrong end of this league this year

[TheJacko2000]

Mickey Mellon has just gained a second promotion with Tranmere. What are the odds on his phone ringing on Monday morning? 


Former player and shoestring budget - he ticks all the boxes

Just... Don't.

[Hunnington Baggie]

I actually worry we will be at the wrong end of this league this year

many said that last year... infact some say that every year.

[Blowee]

Soon to be into our 4th month of careful and considered deliberation in the quest to find our new leader. No stone unturned. I just hope having taken all this time we are not underwhelmed by their choice. 

[BB74]

Have we sounded out Dave Jones this time as part of our due diligence?

[Standaman]

Mickey Mellon has just gained a second promotion with Tranmere. What are the odds on his phone ringing on Monday morning? 


Former player and shoestring budget - he ticks all the boxes

As well qualified as the brothers grim, a management career of over 500 games 48% win rate  and 5 promotions on his CV.  Not saying we should but if you think Dan Cowley is a reasonable appointment (I don't) then Mellon is worthy of consideration.

[royhan]

As well qualified as the brothers grim, a management career of over 500 games 48% win rate  and 5 promotions on his CV.  Not saying we should but if you think Dan Cowley is a reasonable appointment (I don't) then Mellon is worthy of consideration.

I have no comments on your Mellon suggestion because I don't know a lot about his managerial career. However, I don't think we should fall into the trap again of appointing someone just because he has played for the Club. The new manager should be the best available that we can afford irrespective of what clubs he may or may not have played for.

[Nathan]

As well qualified as the brothers grim, a management career of over 500 games 48% win rate  and 5 promotions on his CV.  Not saying we should but if you think Dan Cowley is a reasonable appointment (I don't) then Mellon is worthy of consideration.

I'm not understanding your constant criticism of the Cowley brothers? They have won two consecutive league titles, what more can they do?? They have obviously got a winning formula regardless of how it's achieved. This is the big thing for me. You can't compare it to Pulis, he set out not to lose games, not to win them. Winning football is entertaining football in my eyes. Getting the best out of what you've got at your disposal is top quality management.

[Adder]

I'm not understanding your constant criticism of the Cowley brothers? They have won two consecutive league titles, what more can they do?? They have obviously got a winning formula regardless of how it's achieved. This is the big thing for me. You can't compare it to Pulis, he set out not to lose games, not to win them. Winning football is entertaining football in my eyes. Getting the best out of what you've got at your disposal is top quality management.

I guess you are correctly saying that there is more to management than tactics and style of play (though they are important obviously). There's the various tasks and people relationships that go into being a good manager of players, and being a figurehead that everyone at the club relates to or has respect for. For the record I prefer us to play progressive passing football rather than direct stuff.....but we don't really know how adaptable a manager like Cowley or similar can be given a different set of players.

[lewisant]

Gary Monk's coming in at second favourite today on PP and Sky Bet. I suspect somebody just put a bet on him but it's something to talk about isn't it?

For me, i would be ok with him. He has a 39% win rate which includes Premier League season with Swansea and a taking over at a struggling Blues where he seemed to get them doing  little better.

His style at Swansea was great to watch but i'm not sure if that was more inherited than his own doing.

[gazberg]

Cowley brothers compo cost is 1.5million Alan Nixon has reported so that may end our interest.

[overseas baggie]

I have a mate with his level 4 UEFA coaching badges who knows the Cowley brothers very well. Much as he’d love to see them get their chance at a higher level, he says they would be disastrous for West Brom as our fans would never accept their style of play which “certainly isn’t pretty”.  He also doubts that players in several larger Championship clubs like us would have enough respect for their lack of backgrounds in the game as players, and not knowing anything other than lower league management.   He doesn’t want his mates to fail, and is very confident that we are not the right fit at all for the Cowleys.

[zippyandbungle]

Soon to be into our 4th month of careful and considered deliberation in the quest to find our new leader. No stone unturned. I just hope having taken all this time we are not underwhelmed by their choice. 

Or one week since he board Knew which league we were going to be in and therefore can make a considered judgment on who to appoint for the stragetgy that we will now implement (I await 12 trying to be funny replies from people mocking the "strategy" word cause they are all comedians)
To me appointing the next manager is like knowing you are going to get a promotion at work and the two options are north and south....until you know where ,, you can't purchase the house....or you can if you are mad

[Standaman]

Why I don't like Cowley is 100% down to the style of play. Coaches have a base style and you should never hire a coach in the vague hope that in different circumstances that the style will change. I would also suggest that the pragmatic style in general is capped in what it can achieve and that cap is promotion from the Championship and even there I would always back a passing team over those that don't.

 Those advocating Cowley seem to be doing so on the strength of a record of sucess with Lincoln as a non-league club followed by his promotion from league 2, which is fine I was making the comparison with Micky Mellon purely on the grounds that his record is at least as impressive over a longer period. On the limited evidence Mellon's Tranmere play a decent brand of football given the limitations of League 2 .

It is purely coincidence that Mellon played for the Albion (a couple of seasons back in the day) but given that there is no long term Albion style of play that is neither here nor there. I equally don't understand why some fans think that a playing career with the Albion bars them from the role.

I am not making the case for Mellon just pointing out the case for him is no worse than for Cowley.

[baggiejohn]

Or one week since he board Knew which league we were going to be in and therefore can make a considered judgment on who to appoint for the stragetgy that we will now implement (I await 12 trying to be funny replies from people mocking the "strategy" word cause they are all comedians)
To me appointing the next manager is like knowing you are going to get a promotion at work and the two options are north and south....until you know where ,, you can't purchase the house....or you can if you are mad

Like you, I'll take Luke Dowling's word that he/they will have competed discussions with the four candidates by this coming Friday.
At the moment, I'm pretty relaxed about the final outcome
With the emergence of Labbadia as a potential candidate, I get the feeling the appointment could well be left field.

[Windmill Baggy]

Why I don't like Cowley is 100% down to the style of play. Coaches have a base style and you should never hire a coach in the vague hope that in different circumstances that the style will change. I would also suggest that the pragmatic style in general is capped in what it can achieve and that cap is promotion from the Championship and even there I would always back a passing team over those that don't.

 Those advocating Cowley seem to be doing so on the strength of a record of sucess with Lincoln as a non-league club followed by his promotion from league 2, which is fine I was making the comparison with Micky Mellon purely on the grounds that his record is at least as impressive over a longer period. On the limited evidence Mellon's Tranmere play a decent brand of football given the limitations of League 2 .

It is purely coincidence that Mellon played for the Albion (a couple of seasons back in the day) but given that there is no long term Albion style of play that is neither here nor there. I equally don't understand why some fans think that a playing career with the Albion bars them from the role.

I am not making the case for Mellon just pointing out the case for him is no worse than for Cowley.

Exactly. There are plenty of managers in the lower divisions with records of multiple and even back to back promotions. I've made similar points to those shared by overseas baggie and still maintain that Cowley would be a terrible and (in my opinion) baffling choice.

As to his style of play, there are plenty of teams in the bottom division who play passing football, perhaps more than play any kind of 'hoofball' style tactics. Cowley played an unattractive style of play despite having a decent budget for that level and I'd expect him to continue this at whatever level he manages at.

[CL3MO]

The ever-reliable John Percy reporting that we will hold talks with Bruno Labbadia on Monday, with the other contenders set to be approached later in the week.

Can't see it happening myself and I'm not sure how I feel about it but at least it isn't somebody on the usual managerial merry-go-round.

[Blowee]

Or one week since he board Knew which league we were going to be in and therefore can make a considered judgment on who to appoint for the stragetgy that we will now implement (I await 12 trying to be funny replies from people mocking the "strategy" word cause they are all comedians)
To me appointing the next manager is like knowing you are going to get a promotion at work and the two options are north and south....until you know where ,, you can't purchase the house....or you can if you are mad

But surely, having had such a long time to deliberate you would have two short lists of candidates (one for Premier League and another for staying in The Chanpionship?). Granted, other names (such as Hughton) would be considered as they become available but I would hope the process started before one week ago.

[gazberg]

Would love it if we can get him but probably the longest shot we are interviewing. If he's willing to come for talks then obviously open to it. I imagine he will certain guarantees regarding spending.

[OldburyWBA]

But surely, having had such a long time to deliberate you would have two short lists of candidates (one for Premier League and another for staying in The Chanpionship?). Granted, other names (such as Hughton) would be considered as they become available but I would hope the process started before one week ago.

The process should have been started the day they decided to sack Darren Moore. The club have become a laughing stock.

[baggiejohn]

The ever-reliable John Percy reporting that we will hold talks with Bruno Labbadia on Monday, with the other contenders set to be approached later in the week.

Can't see it happening myself and I'm not sure how I feel about it but at least it isn't somebody on the usual managerial merry-go-round.

Careful!!!!!!!    Percy said "other contenders" NOT "the other contenders"

Sorry to be pedantic, but "the other contenders" suggests we haven't spoken to anyone yet, whereas Dowling said we'd be speaking to some in the week just past.

[baggiejohn]

The process should have been started the day they decided to sack Darren Moore. The club have become a laughing stock.

How do you know it didn't?

Tomorrow afternoon either Frank Lampard or Dean Smith will have been as successful as James Shan/Darren Moore. One of them will still be the Manager of a Championship Club.

Derby County or Aston Villa will be in a lot more trouble than us financially, who will be a laughing stock then?

[RedHead_Baggie]

How do you know it didn't?

Tomorrow afternoon either Frank Lampard or Dean Smith will have been as successful as James Shan/Darren Moore. One of them will still be the Manager of a Championship Club.

Derby County or Aston Villa will be in a lot more trouble than us financially, who will be a laughing stock then?

Villa have no financial issues currently to my knowledge, be interesting to see what happens with Frank Lampard's Derby though.  I do wonder how much influence Moore or Shan really had to be honest, neither should have been considered for the job.  If it wasn't for Barnes and Gayle we would have been below half way up the league.

[zippyandbungle]

How do you know it didn't?

Tomorrow afternoon either Frank Lampard or Dean Smith will have been as successful as James Shan/Darren Moore. One of them will still be the Manager of a Championship Club.

Derby County or Aston Villa will be in a lot more trouble than us financially, who will be a laughing stock then?

You would think they would ,but also be aware that other candidates will become available as the season wore on (and some would become less desirable)
I am absolutely happy and would have probably followed the same plan...
I think it's also worth noting that fans are getting touchy about the "lack of commas from the club" , well those seals down the road had doctor ding dong on twitter all the time and that was bloody embarrassing...
I think we may be about to get a really left field progressive manager and rebuild, sometimes one step back to go 3 forward is the best way ....the other lot down the other road would testify