Carlton Palmer reckons Valerien Ismael should be worried about West Brom job
West Brom are on the verge of appointing Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael as Sam Allardyce’s replacement after both clubs held talks over the weekend.
According to the Telegraph journalist John Percy, Albion has agreed a compensation fee with the Frenchman’s club.
It is widely excepted that Ismael will arrive at the Hawthorns in the coming days, and former West Brom star Carlton Palmer has warned him that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
“The worry is for me, why so many people are turning down the job,” the pundit told Transfer Tavern.
“It’s a massive club, big opportunity for somebody to take on. Alarm bells started ringing with me when Sam Allardyce turned the job down straight away because Sam’s not going to be offered too many more jobs.
“Why wouldn’t he have taken that job on if there was the opportunity to bring them back? All these other managers turning the job down, seeing the director of sport Luke Dowling resign, there has to be an issue with how the club is run and how they want to run things going forward.”
Should Ismael be worried?
Michael Appleton and David Wagner both rejected the chance to become West Brom next boss despite the prospect of Premier League football that comes with it.
The German moved to Young Boys while the former opted to remain in the League One with Lincoln City [Rob Dorsett].
We really do not know what happened behind the scenes, but Luke Dowling’s presence could have played a huge role in their decisions.
Ismael was earlier on West Brom’s radar, but the erstwhile sporting and technical director reportedly opted against his appointment due to his Barnsley’s style of play [The Athletic].
Dowling was probably the stumbling block all along, and while owner Guochuan Lai has his flaws when it comes to running the club, that he has promised to back the incoming manager in the transfer market [The Telegraph] speaks volumes.
Palmer is not entirely wrong to have fears over the Baggies, but Ismael seems like a risk-taker who is ready to take up the huge challenge ahead of him.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies want four quality new signings once Ismael is hired.
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