Kevin Phillips backs West Brom to hire Chris Wilder as next manager
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips has backed West Brom to hire Chris Wilder as their next manager if Sam Allardyce leaves his post at The Hawthorns.
With relegation to the Championship becoming increasingly inevitable, Big Sam is expected to call time on his spell as Albion boss at the end of the season due to a break clause in his contract [Football Insider].
According to the Daily Star, former Sheffield United manager Wilder will be offered the Baggies job if Allardyce calls it quits on his stint at the Black Country club.
Wilder was sacked by the 20th-placed Blades earlier this month but it is understood his unemployment could be brief amid interest from West Brom.
Lincoln’s Michael Appleton has been linked with succeeding Big Sam at the Albion [Football Insider] but ex-Hawthorns striker Phillips would rather see his former club make a move for Wilder due to his recent success at Bramall Lane.
“Yes, definitely. I would certainly look at Chris Wilder over Michael Appleton at the moment,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“That’s no disrespect to Michael, who has connections with the club. But Chris has that Premier League experience, he took Sheffield United up and kept them up. He worked wonders there on the budget he had.
“I like his style. He’s almost a no-nonsense manager who plays attacking football which Baggies supporters have been used to over the years but not so much as of late.
“I suppose under Slaven Bilic there was a little bit but I think Wilder could come in and implement an attacking style which we saw in Sheffield United’s promotion season.
“I would certainly back that shout for Chris going there. Definitely.”
Wilder has proven himself to be a promotion expert during his managerial career.
The 53-year-old has won promotions at Alfreton, Oxford United, Northampton and Sheffield United, completing a clean sweep of promotions throughout the EFL.
He’s also an LMA Manager of the Year winner and helped take the Blades to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League last season.
While it’s all fallen apart this term in South Yorkshire, Wilder remains someone who has a pedigree of getting the best out of players and turning them into serious promotion contenders.
If he’s hired to replace Big Sam, we won’t be disappointed at all.
In other West Brom news, Filip Krovinovic and Matheus Pereira have reacted to Kieran Gibbs’ agreement to join Inter Miami.
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