AI names who Birmingham City and West Brom should appoint if they sack Chris Davies and Ryan Mason | OneFootball

Blues and Albion have both struggled for consistency so far this season

Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion have both endured an inconsistent first half of the 2025/26 season, which has led to increasing pressure on the shoulders of both Chris Davies and Ryan Mason.

Blues and Albion had been tipped for progressive seasons under their respective chargers, who had previously worked alongside each other as assistants to Ange Postecoglou during the Australian's stint at Tottenham Hotspur between 2023 and last June.

However, whilst there are so many obvious similarities between Davies, Mason and the two West Midlands sides which they lead on a daily basis, one which is particularly unwanted is that they both reside on 31 points after the first 25 rounds of Championship fixtures.

Birmingham have endured a run of seven games without victory stretching back to December 1st, whilst the Baggies' woes have, like their local rivals, been particularly apparent away from The Hawthorns, losing nine successive away league games.

At present, it is the side from St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park who have the finest of edges in the league table, as only goal difference separates them and Albion at present, with the aforementioned duo under severe pressure.

Across various points of the season, Davies and Mason have become the subject of sack talk from various outlets due to their sides' inconsistent performances, although they continue to be backed by their respective owners in the form of Tom Wagner and Shilen Patel.

However, the modern footballing landscape has meant that loyalty is a dying art, and one, or both of the aforementioned Americans could be forced into a major call should results not improve.

As such, Football League World asked AI-based chatbot, ChatGPT, who Birmingham and West Brom should appoint if one of, or both Davies and Mason were relieved of their duties.

Birmingham City - Michael Carrick

AI has taken an approach based on recent reports when it comes to assessing who could replace Davies in B9, opting for the choice of former Middlesbrough head coach, Michael Carrick.

There are certainly some similarities between how Davies operates Blues as to how Carrick set out his squads at the Riverside Stadium. However, if he was to be appointed, there would also be an expectation that the former Manchester United midfielder would be a success at St. Andrew's beyond his introductory period, which, to an extent, failed to be the case on Teesside.

Boro were transformed from relegation candidates to play-off semi-finalists in the opening months of his two-and-a-half year tenure before missing out on the top six in his two full seasons, despite receiving ample backing from Steve Gibson.

Wagner's millions have provided Davies with similar resources. Although, again, question marks have certainly been raised when it comes to Blues' summer recruitment, making the current transfer window pivotal.

Carrick did have the briefest of stints at Birmingham as a youngster in the 1999/00 campaign under Trevor Francis too, making two appearances on loan from West Ham United.

West Bromwich Albion - Steven Schumacher

Although Carrick has also been linked with the Albion post, for variance, AI named Bolton Wanderers boss, Steven Schumacher, as an ideal replacement for the under-fire Mason.

Despite currently operating in League One at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, the Liverpudlian has certainly brought an identity back to the Trotters in his first full season, with plenty of his summer recruits - particularly in the loan market - making an impact.

AI believes that whilst Schumacher is a recognisable name at second tier level through stints at Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City, where many believed he was harshly sacked in September 2024, the fact he isn't the most 'elite' of names could see him land the job.

The 41-year-old has demonstrated the ability to transform sides in the short and long-term, which is exactly what West Brom require at this moment in time given their stature in the division and the fact they have had to repair the financial damage inherited by Patel after he acquired the club in February 2024, with star names such as Torbjorn Heggem and Tom Fellows leaving last summer to help balance the books.

All things considered, there are plenty of reasons why a move for Schumacher IF Mason was to eventually depart would be particularly shrewd. However, given his current employers' position in the League One promotion race, he may be in no rush to seek a departure anytime soon, having already seen that the grass isn't always greener when initially 'moving up the food chain'.