Break offers Baggies moment of reflection
WEST Brom and the clubs’s head coach, Sam Allardyce, will soon be at something of a crossroads.
This extensive stretch of the season without any competitive football has proven to be rather frustrating for all parties.
Albion went into the international break on the back of a poor result at Crystal Palace which, barring a miraculous recovery, has all but sealed an immediate return to the Championship.
The club’s hierarchy will inevitably have one eye on next season. There is expected to be another significant turnover of players and the man who will lead them into the new campaign is also far from guaranteed. Allardyce, 66, agreed an 18-month deal when he replaced Slaven Bilic in December, though it has been widely reported there is a break clause inserted into the contract which would permit a parting of the ways this summer should either party wish to end the relationship.
There are pros and cons to any eventuality. For example, Allardyce has won promotion from the second tier of English football with both Bolton and West Ham, though he hasn’t managed in the division for almost ten years.
Is he the right man for the job and the rebuild that lies ahead?
We know, going on the addition of Okay Yokuslu, that he and the Baggies’ recruitment team can clearly succeed in the market, but would the Championship budget suffice?
Would Allardyce staying on affect the club’s long-term planning? Quite simply, yes.
He would be into his final 12 months so there would be another decision to make next summer at the very latest.
Does Allardyce want to hang around, is quite clearly another question that needs answering.
He has spoken previously of how he doesn’t feel a first relegation on his CV will affect his reputation too much. It’s a fair point. Look at David Moyes and where he sits in the Premier League table with West Ham. Allardyce was coy when asked about his own situation.
“The planning has started, but not with me yet, player-wise, that’s at the top end of the club, they need to start budgeting for the Premier League and not for it and what does it look like,” he said. “That’s very important at this stage.
“So when the final game is played, they know exactly what the budgets are going forwards, depending on what position they’re in. Only then can that plan, in terms of players, be implemented.”