West Bromwich Albion could be set to make an exciting young appointment to fill their current managerial vacancy.
What’s the latest?
According to The Daily Mail, the Baggies have Rob Edwards as part of a shortlisted that contains plenty of impressive names.
Steve Bruce was sacked just yesterday morning following a string of poor results that had his side sat in the Championship relegation zone.
Among the other names listed in the report are Carlos Corberan and Chris Wilder. Ron Gourlay will have a task on his hands picking wisely from this list.
His man management could be integral
Edwards might be the most progressive name of those noted, and despite his short and ultimately unsuccessful spell for Watford, he earned huge praise for his performances with Forest Green Rovers.
The 39-year-old was handed just 11 games at Vicarage Road, and as is always the way with the Hornets, you are never far from the sack.
At the Green Army, he managed to take a side that had finished in sixth the season prior to promotion into League One, the first time in the club’s history.
His managerial displays led to him receiving the Manager of the Year award for the division.
He has been lauded for his man-management skills during his short time as a head coach and has an ability to build incredible team spirit and a winning atmosphere aided by the confidence he has in his squad.
One of his former players Jamille Matt even noted: “Man management-wise, he’s the best I’ve worked under.”
With a side in such miserable form, likely heavily oppressed during the Bruce regime, a coach like Edwards could completely revitalise a club that had ambitions of a Premier League return this season.
His Watford sacking will likely not count against him due to the trigger-happy nature of their ownership, but he will be keen to jump straight back into management to maintain the momentum of his Forest Green success.
A move to the Hawthorns could be the perfect match, for a side desperate for an upturn in mood and a manager that specialises in such. He would enter with little pressure following his predecessor’s underperformance and could make something really special happen there.