Players root for Moore to be given top job at Albion
WEST Bromwich Albion’s board are understood to be considering Darren Moore for the manager’s job long-term after transforming the club’s fortunes.
Moore, who was at Wembley on Monday night to watch Saturday’s opponents Tottenham, stopped the rot of eight successive losses under Alan Pardew.
The eight points collected during his unbeaten tenure have given the Baggies a glimmer of hope in their fight for Premier League survival.
Moore’s galvanising impact has impressed West Brom’s Chinese owner Guochuan Lai and chief executive Mark Jenkins, who returned to the club in February.
Jenkins is heading a detailed review of the Albion’s commercial and football operations with a restructure planned in the summer.
And while a radical overhaul is mooted, the decision makers are not ruling out the prospect of hiring a head coach from within.
Goalkeeper Ben Foster, who has vowed to stay even if the club are relegated, would be keen for Moore to get the nod.
“I would like him to get the job, to be honest,” the 35-year-old said. “He’s been absolutely top class and all the players would say exactly the same thing.
“He’s just a real good guy and you just want to work for him and do the best you can for him. You’re more than happy to lay your life on the line because you know it means so much to him.”
Moore has made a phenomenal start to life as a manager, leading Albion to successive away wins for the first time this season.
But the club’s top brass will most probably move for a manager with greater experience than Moore, who will likely be retained as part of the coaching team.
West Brom-born Dean Smith, who has worked wonders with Walsall and now Brentford, is high on the list of potential candidates. Derek McInnes, Chris Wilder, Michael Appleton and Lee Johnson are also in the frame.
The turnaround under Moore, who has been shortlisted for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for April, has been hard to comprehend.
But Foster said it was pretty easy to fathom the key change under ‘Big Dave’ and his coaching staff.
“Darren has brought a lot more unity back to the team,” he said. “Mooro has been around the place for a long time, he knows what works with the team and it’s a very simple kind of recipe really.
“The make-up of the team is very similar to what we’ve had all season, but he’s just got us all working for each other and that’s about it.
“It’s all about respecting your fellow team-mate, not that we didn’t do that before. It’s about realising we are all in it together, sticking with each other, getting behind each other, and wishing the best for your team-mates.
“It sounds very odd and over simplistic, but that’s literally all it is. Myself and most of the lads would pay massive credit to Darren and his staff.
“They’ve brought us all together at a really difficult time.”
As well as Moore, midfielder Jake Livermore has been recognised for his efforts over the last month. He has been shortlisted for Premier League Player of the Month.