West Bromwich Albion are set to dump their Sporting Director model, following the departure of Luke Dowling yesterday [Football Insider].
The Lowdown: Baggies endure rocky start to 2021/22
The Baggies have endured a bumpy start to 2021/22, as they search for a new manager to mount a Sky Bet Championship title challenge.
This time last week, David Wagner was almost certain to inherit the Hawthorns hotseat after advanced talks with the club [Express and Star].
However, talks eventually collapsed as the German-American elected to take the BSC Young Boys managerial role instead [BBC].
Despite links with Frank Lampard, Michael Appleton and Chris Wilder, there has been no progress on the head-coach front [GIVEMESPORT].
In light of this, West Brom look to have shuffled their deck as pre-season draws ever closer.
The Latest: Sporting Director model scrapped; Dowling will not be replaced
Following weeks of drawn-out talks with multiple candidates, Dowling has left the building and will not be replaced as Sporting Director [Football Insider].
Intriguingly, a club source has revealed that West Brom are looking to pass most player recruitment responsibility on to their prospective new boss.
Inheriting a squad requiring major surgery, they are seeking a “traditional” manager with strong connections within football [Football Insider].
The Verdict: Short-termism?
This approach may go against the grain of modern footballing practices. With more clubs moving into a structure that includes a director of football, some onlookers may treat the news with scepticism and see it as a short-term fix.
On the other hand, West Brom are facing a race against the clock as they look to assemble a promotion worthy outfit. Short-term gain is imperative not only on the pitch but from a financial standpoint.
For 12 months, it may just be worth the risk if they can recruit the correct manager to make a real go of life in the English second-tier, and perhaps revert back to a recruitment chief model once short-term goals are achieved.
In other news, a pundit is unconvinced by a reported West Bromwich Albion managerial target.