On Sunday, Guochaun Lai, West Brom’s Chinese owner, experienced the sense of malaise that has built around the Hawthorns for himself. Once considered one of the toughest, most awkward, places in the Premier League to visit, now the West Midlands venue has become a gimme for visiting sides, demonstrated by the weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea.
There was no fight, no game plan and as it was decided, no way forward for Tony Pulis as West Brom boss, with the Welshman sacked on Monday morning. It had been coming, with the Baggies in the midst of an atrocious run of form, but nonetheless, the dismissal of Pulis marked the end of an era for the West Midlands club. The security that the Welshman brings, having never suffered relegation from the top flight, was deemed insufficient.
Now, Lai and West Brom’s Chinese ownership group must plot the way forward. Alan Pardew has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Pulis, with Michael O’Neill and Sam Allardyce also named as potential candidates. But perhaps the Baggies should look north, instead. That’s where they could find the perfect man for the job.
Derek McInnes has been the subject of much speculation of late, with Rangers widely reported to be interested in making the Aberdeen manager their next manager. However, their efforts to lure McInnes to Glasgow have stalled, for whatever reason, with many speculating that the Ibrox club simply don’t have the money to pay the necessary compensation.
This, of course, wouldn’t be an issue for West Brom. McInnes is a former player for the club, but his suitability for the job goes beyond that. This might give him an instant connection with the Hawthorns faithful, something Pulis lacked towards the end of his tenure, but there is reason to believe that the Scot would also be a good stylistic fit.
At Aberdeen, McInnes has forged a reputation for himself as a master organiser. The Dons have established themselves as Scottish football’s second force over the past few years and that has come as a result of the work done on the structure of the side. Pulis has left behind a team that would allow him to arrange the Baggies in the same way.
Of course, Pulis wasn’t sacked purely on the basis of results, but on the manner of his football, his style of play. The Hawthorns crowd grew tired with the insipid, direct nature of Pulis’ ideology, and with good reason. This tends to suggest that McInnes, even with his background at the club, might not be the most popular appointment, but the Dons boss has shown that there is more to his coaching philosophy this season.
Aberdeen faced a watershed in their recent history over the summer. Their two most productive attacking players Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn left Pittodrie, leaving McInnes with an almighty hole to fill in his team. McInnes himself was a target for Sunderland, with the 46-year-old even travelling down to the Stadium of Light for discussions. In the end, he stayed at Aberdeen and embarked on building a more complete side.
Indeed, the Dons are far more interchangeable, and ultimately more potent, in the final third this season than last. McInnes has shown that he is just as adept at organising an attacking side as he is a defensive side. He can claim to be the complete coach, also demonstrating himself to be a shrewd transfer market operator over the summer.
West Brom must be smart with their next appointment. Get this wrong and the club could very easily fall over the cliff and into the Championship. Of all the names linked with the job so far, McInnes appears to be a better fit than most.
