Chris Lepkowski claims Michael Appleton would be perfect fit for West Brom
Chris Lepkowski has made his case abundantly clear – West Brom should look to Michael Appleton as Sam Allardyce’s successor.
Big Sam has won just two games out of a possible 17 since taking over the reigns from Slaven Bilic in December and Albion are hurtling towards Premier League relegation under his watch.
Therefore it would be a surprise to see him remain at the club next season and former Birmingham Mail journalist Lepkowski has proposed former Albion coach Appleton as his replacement on The Liquidator Podcast [15/03/21].
He said: “I’ve always been really impressed by Michael Appleton. He’s a very progressive coach, he doesn’t rest and he’s not a [Tony] ‘Pulis’, he has evolved as a manager and introduced different styles.
“The big question about Michael Appleton is this would be the biggest job he would probably be pitched in for…he’s always gone into clubs at the right time and maybe just maybe this might be the right time.
“I know he’s worked with Luke Dowling before, quite harmoniously I believe which certainly helps his credentials in that respect.
“I wouldn’t be unhappy to see Michael Appleton take over, I would be quite excited to see what he would offer.”
Risky return?
Appleton would certainly represent an emotional move given his years spent at The Hawthorns as a player and coach but his managerial career has been up and down to say the least.
He endured unsuccessful stints in the Championship with Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers earlier in his career but he has done well to rebuild his reputation, first at Oxford United and now at his current club Lincoln City who are riding high in third place in League One.
At 45-years-old Appleton is still a relatively young manager but he has already accrued years of experience and has been lauded for his attacking principles, unlike former Baggies boss Pulis.
Furthermore, his years spent as a youth-team coach at Albion combined with his familiarity with a number of their existing talents such as Alex Palmer, currently on loan at the Imps, could see him gain an advantage over other candidates.
He may have recently signed a new contract at Lincoln but that would be unlikely to dissuade him from making the move back to the West Midlands.
In other West Brom news, Big Sam explains lack of game-time for Albion outcasts.
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