West Brom: Tony Mowbray claim made as club close in on Carlos Corberan successor | OneFootball

West Brom were keen on appointing Tony Mowbray as their new head coach, but the former boss turned it down.

West Brom did speak to Tony Mowbray about a return to The Hawthorns, but the former boss didn’t feel it was the ‘right job’ for him at the moment.

The Baggies have been on the lookout for a new head coach since Carlos Corberan decided to leave for Valencia on Christmas Eve.

Sporting director Andrew Nestor has been leading the search, and it appears Albion have found their man, with ex-BSC Young Boys boss Raphael Wicky poised to take over.

Tony Mowbray turned down West Brom return

That came about after an extensive search, and TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook claimed that Mowbray was a name that was under consideration, but the 61-year-old wasn’t keen on the vacancy.

“Looking like Raphael Wicky will be the new WBA boss. As well as Rene Hake, I understand the Baggies also spoke to former manager Tony Mowbray but he did not see this as the right job to return to.”

Mowbray’s last job in football came with Birmingham, but he was sadly forced to step back due to health issues, with Blues eventually appointing Chris Davies as their new head coach.

If Albion had managed to bring Mowbray back, it was likely to have gone down well among the support, as he enjoyed a successful period in charge of the Baggies after taking over in 2006.

Under his guidance, Albion won the Championship title in 2008, but it wasn’t just the results, with Mowbray building a stylish, attacking side that were a joy to watch, even if they were relegated from the Premier League following their promotion.

West Brom will hope Raphael Wicky can inspire promotion push

In truth, it would’ve been a surprise if Albion had turned to Mowbray, but it makes sense that they spoke to him, as he has a good CV at this level, and he obviously knows the club well.

But, Wicky’s appointment, which now seems inevitable, is an exciting one, and he is inheriting a squad in a healthy position after the fine work that Corberan has done over the years.

Whilst attention is on the FA Cup this weekend, Albion are in the play-off places, and there will be belief that they can seal a return to the top-flight, even if it will be a difficult task.

Of course, with the January window open, they will no doubt be in the market for a few new recruits, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out, and Wicky’s input into that.