Alex Crook says West Brom have Championship rivals’ on notice with Steve Bruce talks
West Brom holding talks with Steve Bruce to be their next manager has caught the attention of rival sides at the top of the Championship, says Alex Crook.
The talkSPORT journalist reports that the talks are “advancing quickly”, with the former Newcastle manager is expected to be appointed the new boss at the Hawthorns in the next day or so.
And the move is apparently piquing the interest of the teams around the Baggies in the top half of the league.
Writing on his personal Twitter account Crook said: “Talks between Bruce and WBA advancing quickly. Interested to see the make-up of his backroom team.
“He gets a lot of stick but other clubs at the top of the Championship are paying notice to this appointment.”
Polarising figure
The news that Bruce is in line to take the reigns at the Baggies has been met by a combination of disappointment, and a grudging acknowledgement that his back-catalogue of work might mean it makes sense.
The fact that he has a good record of gaining promotion to the Champions League makes the attention from rival sides understandable.
He’s a man who knows how to navigate the Championship, having gained promotion previously with Hull City and Birmingham City, while also reaching the Playoff Final with Aston Villa.
He was also briefly manager of the team directly above West Brom, Huddersfield early in his managerial career.
With The Telegraph’s John Percy reporting that is an 18-month deal on the table, it looks like new CEO Ron Gourlay is looking short-term with a view of reaching the top tier.
The former Manchester United captain’s history as a boss in the Premier League has been less successful so he, like Neil Warnock, may be seen as the go-to man for making the leap but not much after that.
Considering his history of taking charge of local rivals, 10th-placed Coventry might be paying attention in case he ends up in charge there soon, as one of the few Midlands clubs he hasn’t managed yet.
In other West Brom news, news on the appointment is reportedly not expected before the end of the day.