West Brom backed to appoint ex-Middlesbrough man if Ryan Mason is sacked | OneFootball

The former Middlesbrough manager has been tipped to take over at West Brom

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Brom have been advised to look at appointing Michael Carrick as their next manager if Ryan Mason is relieved of his duties.

The Baggies have suffered a disappointing 2025/26 campaign thus far, sitting 16th in the standings after 24 matches.

Hopes were high at the Hawthorns heading into the season, with new manager Mason backed to provide a fresh injection of energy into Albion.

That hasn't been the case, with West Brom losing almost half of their first 24 games. Worse than that, performances have also been inconsistent, leading some supporters to question whether the former Tottenham coach has what it takes to guide them to success in the Championship.

After a 2-1 defeat against Bristol City on Boxing Day, pressure continued to mount on Mason, with reports beginning to emerge over who his potential successor could be if the Baggies did decide the time was right for a managerial change.

West Brom backed to make Michael Carrick appointment

One of the names that has been continuously linked with vacant managerial roles in the Championship this term has been Michael Carrick, who left his position with Middlesbrough at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

As per Football Insider, the 44-year-old has been identified by West Brom as a potential successor to Mason, if they decide to part ways with their current boss in the upcoming weeks.

Birmingham City are also believed to hold an interest in the former Boro boss' services too, if they decide to make a switch in the home dugout at St. Andrew's.

When queried on whether Carrick would be a welcome replacement for Mason, Football League World's West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, believes that there would be few complaints from him if that decision was made.

"If Ryan Mason is relieved of his duties as Albion head coach, I think that Michael Carrick would definitely be one I'd like to see take over at Albion," stated Callum.

"I think that he did fairly well over the duration of his time at Middlesbrough, he definitely played attacking-based football.

"I think that there might have been a slight disappointment that he wasn't able to get his Middlesbrough side into the top six again after the first season, but you look at some of his work with young players such as Hayden Hackney and I think that you can't really dispute the job he did there.

"Carrick is definitely a very good Championship manager and someone I'd like to see take over at Albion if he's willing to take on the job."

Michael Carrick would provide West Brom with more experience in the dugout

If West Brom do make the decision to part ways with Mason, then Carrick could offer a potential improvement in some departments.

Having previously tackled numerous Championship campaigns in charge of Middlesbrough, the former Manchester United midfielder knows what it takes to compete in the second-tier.

This would serve him well when going in at the Hawthorns and potentially allow the Baggies to begin creeping up the table.

Therefore, if Mason is relieved of his duties, Carrick might be one of the best appointments Albion could make.