Baggies in turmoil as Dowling joins exodus
WEST Brom sporting and technical director Luke Dowling has left the club to continue the uncertainty at The Hawthorns.
Managerless Albion have parted company with Dowling amid a chaotic search for a new boss.
Owner Guochuan Lai vetoed a move for Chris Wilder, a favourite of the board, then David Wagner ruled himself out, despite holding extensive talks, ahead of an expected move to Swiss side Young Boys.
Former Albion player and coach Michael Appleton has also reportedly withdrawn from the race to focus on his project as Lincoln manager.
“West Bromwich Albion and Sporting and Technical Director Luke Dowling have today parted company by mutual consent,” read a club statement. “The club would like to place on record its thanks to Luke for his efforts during his three years at The Hawthorns.
“Chief Executive Xu Ke will later release a statement regarding the ongoing search for a new head coach.”
Albion have been looking for a new manager since Sam Allardyce left at the end of the season following relegation from the Premier League.
Dowling’s spell at The Hawthorns, which began after the summer transfer window of 2018, has been one of mixed fortunes. However, he has been by no means blameless.
Former head coach Slaven Bilic must also accept his share of the responsibility for what the club oversaw in terms of a recruitment drive last summer, which was largely calamitous, but it was on Dowling’s watch too as to identify targets that would equip Albion well enough to at least give them a fighting chance of staying in the top flight.
As it was, they were up against it from the first whistle and never really looked like surviving.
The previous summer had been more successful, while his January window in 2019 during the days of Darren Moore was a mixed one as he signed a decent loanee in Mason Holgate but presided over three very poor ones.
The bigger picture now, though, is that he has been unable to fulfil his role to the best of his abilities because of the ownership and it left his job untenable. While fingers can be pointed at Dowling for a number of things over the course of his time at the club, the current recruitment process has not been wholly on him.
Indeed, if he had been allowed to do his job fully, Chris Wilder would have been through the door by now and Albion would be preparing for pre-season amid another transfer push.
Wilder was the board’s first-choice option but Lai blocked the appointment of the former Sheffield United manager.
It is understood talks progressed well but Lai vetoed his appointment because of Wilder’s relationship with the owners of his former employers Sheffield United.
The outspoken Wilder had clashed publicly with the Blades’ owner, Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
It was reported over the weekend that former Albion captain Derek McInnes is interested in the role, while former Preston boss Alex Neil also held talks with the club.
As it is, Albion are desperately in need of senior personnel who can successfully steer the ship. There is no manager, and now no sporting director, while financial director Lee Cooper left the club earlier this summer too.