[Fritzl Palace]

Officially announced by the club as our new head coach on a four year contract. Great news and look forward to seeing what he brings to us in terms of style of play and results

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/albion-appoint-valerien-ismael-head-coach

West Bromwich Albion are delighted to confirm the appointment of Valérien Ismaël as the club’s new Head Coach.

Ismaël has signed a four-year contract at The Hawthorns after Albion agreed a compensation package with Barnsley. The Frenchman guided the Tykes to an impressive fifth-placed finish in the Sky Bet Championship last season.

The 45-year-old is set to arrive in the United Kingdom later this week and will follow Government COVID-19 quarantine rules prior to joining his first-team squad for pre-season training.   

Chief Executive Officer, Xu Ke, also known as Ken, is delighted to have recruited Ismaël and is confident the former Nuremberg, Wolfsburg, LASK and Barnsley boss is the right man to lead Albion into the new campaign and beyond.

He said: “I am delighted to welcome Valérien to The Hawthorns. Valérien has established a reputation as an excellent coach and I have been impressed by his professionalism, enthusiasm and hunger to succeed. His performance last season with Barnsley, and his coaching career to date, all point to a man who has a long, successful career in front of him. It is my hope that he is with us for at least the next four years.

“I am confident that by working together we will be able to achieve our goal of returning to the Premier League, but success is earned by building on strong foundations, and our plans must now look further into the future. For too long we have focused only on what is immediately in front of us. This means we have often neglected our long-term aspirations.

“We are all aware of what will be required in order to be successful and player recruitment will be of the utmost importance. Valérien and I will immediately focus on preparing the squad for the new season, working together with Ian Pearce, our Head of Recruitment, to secure talented transfer targets who will strengthen us for the challenges ahead, ensuring fans are once more proud to support this great club.

“I am excited to be working with Valérien and I am sure we will soon establish a strong relationship that will be to the benefit of the football club and its supporters.”

[AlbionFan]

Joseph Masi Tweeted

BREAKING: Valerien Ismael is Albion's new head coach. He has signed a four year deal at The Hawthorns... #wba
Joseph Masi
@JosephMasi_Star
·

[AlbionFan]

Welcome aboard the Good Ship Albion Valérien, I wish you every success

[AlbionFan]

Joseph Masi Tweeted

“I feel really proud to have accepted this challenge and after talking with Ken about the project here, and how we would integrate a new identity, I’m ready to get to work. I feel a big responsibility but I’m ready for this job and I am delighted to be here." #wba

[tambag]

On Albion’s current squad and player recruitment, the former Barnsley boss said: “We have a good mix of young and experienced players in this squad and for sure we will need some new faces in certain positions - but the only massive change here will be the way we play and the formation.

Change of formation coming then !

[AlbionFan]

Joseph Masi Tweeted

“My first task is to implement a new identity that the fans can enjoy and one where they can see the players are there for each other and give everything to win games. We have a clear plan and vision of where we want to go." #wba

CEO Ken: "I am confident by working together we will be able to achieve our goal of returning to PL but our plans must look further into the future. For too long we have focused only on what is immediately in front of us. This means we have often neglected long-term aspirations."

Ken ctd: Player recruitment will be of the utmost importance. Valérien & I will immediately focus on preparing the squad for the new season, working together with Ian Pearce, our Head of Recruitment, to secure transfer targets who will strengthen us for the challenges ahead."#wba

[royhan]

Welcome Valerien and good luck! I hope you are able to persuade the owners to part with some of their millions. You have a major rebuilding job in front of you.

[gazberg]

Welcome to the club Valerian!! Let's hope it's a successful stay

[Fritzl Palace]

Joseph Masi Tweeted

“My first task is to implement a new identity that the fans can enjoy and one where they can see the players are there for each other and give everything to win games. We have a clear plan and vision of where we want to go." #wba

CEO Ken: "I am confident by working together we will be able to achieve our goal of returning to PL but our plans must look further into the future. For too long we have focused only on what is immediately in front of us. This means we have often neglected long-term aspirations."

Ken ctd: Player recruitment will be of the utmost importance. Valérien & I will immediately focus on preparing the squad for the new season, working together with Ian Pearce, our Head of Recruitment, to secure transfer targets who will strengthen us for the challenges ahead."#wba

Nice to hear them talking about long-term aspirations instead of short term fixes as seems to have been our way of operating for quite some time now. Establishing an identity would be very welcome

[tambag]

Definatley a change in tack.  Slaven got only a two yeat contract, looks like this is more of a long term appointment.

[tommcneill]

Welcome Valerian!

Excited too see what you bring

[smethwickw]

Great to have finally appointed someone. I think this is a really exciting appointment. Good statement from Ken too with regards to having a more long term plan.

[alex1]

Gruess dich Valerien!  Viel Spass und Erfolg bei der Albion!

(just in case he's reading)

[kc56wba]

Welcome Valerien and good luck, you are going to need it 

[Baggie79]

"Why 5pm? Whats wrong with 4:37pm? Why does it have to be exactly on the hour?"

I was so so close 

[WorcsWBA]

That's a relief then - welcome Valérien! I'm highly delighted by this news and the 4 year contract does send out a statement of intent by the club (reinforced by Ken's comments). It's a shame that Valérien's abroad at present and will have to quarantine (10 days?) when he returns to the UK, but there's stilll plenty he can do during that time anyway. It'll also give some Albion fans time to learn to spell his name properly! 

Just to repost some stats for those who are concerned at the type of football we might be seeing, here are the figures for 70% of the games he's managed so far in his career:

Pld	W	D	L	F	A
183	108	30	45	386	194

I put it to you that averaging 2.1 goals for a game is unlikely to be the result of boring, attritional football.

Let's get behind him as he builds a side that we can all feel proud of! Hopefully the Board will be a help rather than a hindrance in this regard....

[Evo_Baggies]

Brilliant appointment. In Ken we trust

[gazberg]

It's refreshing to hear them talking about looking past the ends of their noses for the first time. Only took 5 years but better late than never.

[WorcsWBA]

Nice to hear them talking about long-term aspirations instead of short term fixes as seems to have been our way of operating for quite some time now. Establishing an identity would be very welcome

Indeed, I'm very pleased to see that Ken has acknowledged that and am intrigued to see what they do to progress it.

[tambag]

Joe Chapman
@ChapmanJ92
·
8m
Valerien becomes the first Albion boss to cost the club a compensation fee since Di Matteo from MK Dons in 2009. Albion have had ten managers since. #wba

10 Free transfers in 12 years !

[hardtobeat]

Anything about assistants/ backroom staff

[Barrington]

Happy that we've got the deal all sorted.

I like what I read in his first interview piece on the official site. Sounds like there's going to be a shake-up and the players will be learning a new way of playing and will have to improve their fitness and motivation.

About time we had a bit of shape up or ship out (to a degree). Let's hope for a successful few years, at least most fans seem to be behind the appointment so that's a good start

[Standaman]

Four year deal that is a long term commitment. We now looking like it is Ken and Val show for the foreseeable future. Looks like the DOF role will be split up among CEO Head Coach Head of Recruitment and Head of Academy at first glance.   

[tambag]

https://twitter.com/henrywinter/status/1408091062170787846

An interview he gave last month but I can't see it all, anyone with a Times account ?

[Albionic]

The 4 year contract will send a message to any prima-donnas at the club who think they can sit around half-bothered waiting for him to get the push.
I personally cannot see a few players fitting into a high tempo, all energy system (Phillips / Sawyers and Zohore for starters)
The rhetoric is good, lets hope he gets off to a good start as that will set the tone for his tenure.
Like his words on young players too