[Albionic]

No, Lai is the owner.

Li Piyue is the chairman or nearest we have to it.

What Johnny says is what i meant !  Change chairman to owner, thanks for pointing out my error.
To be crystal clear, If Li Piyue is a part of this "process' then he should go as well.

BTW, I have no problem with Shan per se, I have an issue with the club hanging him out to dry. which is how I see the situation as it stands today.

[Mister AT]

For what its worth, Shan is more experienced that DM in terms of coaching. Granted doesn't have as much first team match day experience - but he's been involved with the first team throughout DM's reign, and he has years of experience coaching the youth/under 23's.

You could argue the fact he's a better choice as manager than Darren was. Afterall, we don't know who did most the work last season on a mini revival. Could be another case of Pepe Mel/Downing.

If he is to be given the rest of the season, then he just needs to continue doing what hes doing. Playing players in their positions, making substitutions which make sense and just seeing us through.

90% of the time the playoffs are decided by a moment of brilliance, once we get to those games then its up to the players to earn their money and show their 'class.'

[skyclad99]

We seem to be talking ourselves into Shan being appointed will be a good move........

It will be a gamble, a cheap option and ultimately a car crash once he hits a poor run of form, which is not fair on him.

Hopefully our board have a master plan, but there is no evidence of one at present.

Genuinely worried.

[Mister AT]

We seem to be talking ourselves into Shan being appointed will be a good move........

It will be a gamble, a cheap option and ultimately a car crash once he hits a poor run of form, which is not fair on him.

Hopefully our board have a master plan, but there is no evidence of one at present.

Genuinely worried.

I think we are all aware its a gamble, but its less of a risk in my opinion to have Shan in now till the end of the season, than for example a 'Pepe Mel' type player who would want to change the style of play. We needed someone in place for this international break in all honesty, to give them chance to make a couple tweaks here and there and spend a bit of time with the players, that hasn't happened for whatever reason so it looks as though Shan is being given the task of seeing us into the playoffs.

If this season ends in failure, then the blame lies with the owners and the board, not Shan.

[baggiejohn]

For what its worth, Shan is more experienced that DM in terms of coaching. Granted doesn't have as much first team match day experience - but he's been involved with the first team throughout DM's reign, and he has years of experience coaching the youth/under 23's.

You could argue the fact he's a better choice as manager than Darren was. Afterall, we don't know who did most the work last season on a mini revival. Could be another case of Pepe Mel/Downing.

If he is to be given the rest of the season, then he just needs to continue doing what hes doing. Playing players in their positions, making substitutions which make sense and just seeing us through.

90% of the time the playoffs are decided by a moment of brilliance, once we get to those games then its up to the players to earn their money and show their 'class.'

Agreed, If only Kevin Phillips shot had gone under the bar instead of hitting it. 

[royhan]

The longer this situation drags on the more suspicious I am becoming that there is a lot more to the three dismissals than meets the eye. Why would we get rid of Moore, such a club legend, at a crucial time of the season without having a replacement lined up? I suppose the truth will come out in the wash one day! Whatever the reason it is, as others have said, a shambolic state of affairs. We really need a football man at the helm not a business speculator such as Mr Lai who has so far been a total disaster. Our club deserves a lot better.

[TiptonThrostle]

the fans deserve a lot better than this tripe being served up by the club at the minute.

it is the cheap option as it always is at the albion with letting shan see us through the play offs and a huge gamble. we should have done our homework leading up to sacking moore, that has been proven we obviously didnt.

complete shambles by the club again. we should be appointing a manager this week who is proven and not too different of the style we are used to playing at who can work alongside Shan.

so pi**ed off with the club over this at the moment then get an email reminder about renewing my season ticket. joke.

[AlbionFan]

I woke up in a cold sweat last night, I’d dreamt Alan Pardew had been reappointed Head Coach. When I came round a bit more, I had a good chuckle to myself and suddenly stopped, started chivering and rethought myself “This is Albion” 

[divinewind]

If Shan get's us up do we give him the job full time?
We are digging ourselves another hole like we did with Moore.

[divinewind]

The longer this situation drags on the more suspicious I am becoming that there is a lot more to the three dismissals than meets the eye. Why would we get rid of Moore, such a club legend, at a crucial time of the season without having a replacement lined up? I suppose the truth will come out in the wash one day! Whatever the reason it is, as others have said, a shambolic state of affairs. We really need a football man at the helm not a business speculator such as Mr Lai who has so far been a total disaster. Our club deserves a lot better.

I was only saying this today. Something has gone on behind the scenes to cause the mass sackings.

[Baggies]

I was only saying this today. Something has gone on behind the scenes to cause the mass sackings.

I don't think there is any grand back story which has resulted in the spate of sackings over the last 15 months, it is just the sign of a poorly run club, not making good appointments or decisions, on a downward spiral.

This managerial search is proving to be a farce. May as well have kept Moore.

[caravanc58]

we don't half make hard work of it. I'm not sure the club knows what it wants to do. would sooner get the long term option in now and if we fail to get up at least he's had a chance to see what he's got and what s needed. Don't see any point in appointing someone til the end of season.

[BoingFlyer]

I was only saying this today. Something has gone on behind the scenes to cause the mass sackings.

I'm still convinced that fell out over the rubbish window. Murphy is the best of a bad bunch, johansen has been no where near the team and in my opinion was not needed. What was needed was two very good wide players.

[wimbledon baggie]

What I don't like is that JS has been at the club more than a decade (has overseen Harper and Edwards and Field etc come through the academy) and that long term stability is being put at risk by asking him to take on immensely important games at the business end of the season.

If there is a guarantee that he will revert to his existing role after the season end whatever the outcome then I am less concerned but if there is a possibility that he will have to leave the club if he 'fails' then that would be a shambles in my view.

[sammyg]

What I don't like is that JS has been at the club more than a decade (has overseen Harper and Edwards and Field etc come through the academy) and that long term stability is being put at risk by asking him to take on immensely important games at the business end of the season.

If there is a guarantee that he will revert to his existing role after the season end whatever the outcome then I am less concerned but if there is a possibility that he will have to leave the club if he 'fails' then that would be a shambles in my view.

A right jimmy shanbles!

[gerry m]

I believe a poster said on here regarding hiring a coach and offering them a £2m bonus for getting us promoted. Surely this amounts to peanuts for the money we would accrue for being in the Premiership. To my mind anything less would mean a lack of ambition from the board.

[Barrington]

I don't believe there was any unknown conspiracy behind the sackings of Moore and Jones.

I think that the board just believed that their methods were actively making us worse than would be achieved through just using a 'default' simple set up and tactics. I'm with them too. Moore and Jones kept trying to make a failing method of play a success when it was proven to be unsuccessful time and time again. They could have literally appointed any one of us with half a brain and let us simply tell the players to revert back to basics, and I believe we couldn't have been any worse than the pairing of Moore and Jones.

They let them go and we've won 2 on the bounce. Probably best to just keep it simple now for the final run in and tell the players that if they want to be Premier League players again, just go out there and try to win every remaining game of the season.

Not sure bringing in a new man with a whole set of new ideas is going to help too much at exactly this stage. We needed rid of Moore and Jones though.

Just my opinion.

[richjonawba]

I don't believe there was any unknown conspiracy behind the sackings of Moore and Jones.

I think that the board just believed that their methods were actively making us worse than would be achieved through just using a 'default' simple set up and tactics. I'm with them too. Moore and Jones kept trying to make a failing method of play a success when it was proven to be unsuccessful time and time again. They could have literally appointed any one of us with half a brain and let us simply tell the players to revert back to basics, and I believe we couldn't have been any worse than the pairing of Moore and Jones.

They let them go and we've won 2 on the bounce. Probably best to just keep it simple now for the final run in and tell the players that if they want to be Premier League players again, just go out there and try to win every remaining game of the season.

Not sure bringing in a new man with a whole set of new ideas is going to help too much at exactly this stage. We needed rid of Moore and Jones though.

Just my opinion.

I agree with what you say, but I do feel sorry for Shan being chucked in at the deep end and I would like to see us employ someone to help him out, I think Shakespeare would be a good choice.

I am also disappointed, though not at all surprised, that the board didn't have any plan before sacking Moore (which they had been considering since November). What if Shan had lost the last two games? Who would have got the job then? The Under 10s coach?

[Baggy nerd]

If we were mid table I could see the sense in keeping Shan to the end of the season and then looking for the best manager. With the play-offs so likely it is too much of a gamble to stick with him and what would happen if he somehow got us up?

[baggiejohn]

If we were mid table I could see the sense in keeping Shan to the end of the season and then looking for the best manager. With the play-offs so likely it is too much of a gamble to stick with him and what would happen if he somehow got us up?

IMO, you could argue that a mid table position is good grounds to install a new manager with a view to a promotion bid next season.
The fact that we still have a good chance of promotion this year, makes the selection of a new manager more complex, as we don't know what division we'll be in.

As others have said, I'm not sure what a new manager, who doesn't know the players, can bring to the party at this stage of the season.

Looking at James Shan's pre & post match interviews, I don't think he would expect it to be a full time appointment & especially in the EPL.
I'd be disappointed if JS  isn't retained in some capacity at the end of this process.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a left field appointment when JS's experienced help is named.

[Baggy nerd]

IMO, you could argue that a mid table position is good grounds to install a new manager with a view to a promotion bid next season.
The fact that we still have a good chance of promotion this year, makes the selection of a new manager more complex, as we don't know what division we'll be in.

As others have said, I'm not sure what a new manager, who doesn't know the players, can bring to the party at this stage of the season.

Looking at James Shan's pre & post match interviews, I don't think he would expect it to be a full time appointment & especially in the EPL.
I'd be disappointed if JS  isn't retained in some capacity at the end of this process.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a left field appointment when JS's experienced help is named.

A new manager could bring a lot to the party in the play-offs that Shan wont be able to.

[WBArgo]

Lets back Shan until the end of the season. It's not ideal but based on early days he's actually done very well and in the immediate short-term has improved on the rut which Moore had found himself in.

Who knows, he could turn out to be excellent, if not then it's the clubs fault and not his.

[baggiejohn]

A new manager could bring a lot to the party in the play-offs that Shan wont be able to.

Could you give some examples?

[Wigmore]

Considering that we don't know too much about what has happened (and what is now happening) at the club there seems to be some emotive language and harsh judgements flying about.

Shambles?
Really? I would reserve that for the time when WBA have such a run of results (and zero morale) as we suffered when the dad dancing charlatan was in charge.

Lack of progress in signing a new manager?
Although WBA have not achieved this objective, can anybody confirm who has been approached and what was their response, as all the so-called ITK clickbait journo's seem clueless and/or contradictory?  If not all this talk about cheap options and incompetence is mere uninformed speculation. I have not seen one syllable about Shan's future within the club after his caretaker role, but he is being promoted (negatively) as a long term appointee or alternatively being flung out on his ear.

Crisis?
When we face a 12 point deduction for FFP failures, or the players haven't been paid or the club faces administration, I will agree with the use of the word. Until then I will allow myself to be disappointed with the unfolding saga - nothing more.

[baggie82]

Not appointing anyone is ridiculous IMV. Why not sack what’s left of the coaching team and let the players manage themselves? The past two games should have no bearing. If you choose your management on two matches that would be one hell of a constant merry go round. Why not just appoint Jokanovic and be done with it? Theresa May levels of dithering from the board. Pretty sure it’s going to backfire big time and leave the boardroom looking like gullible idiots.