Wigan boss Leam Richardson speaks out on West Brom manager link
Wigan boss Leam Richardson has refused to listen to rumours linking him with the vacant West Brom job after the Latics’ 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
Football Insider reported on 11 October that the 42-year-old is believed to have admirers in the West Brom boardroom after guiding Wigan to the League One title in the 2021/22 season.
However, Richardson was dismissive of questions regarding the vacant position at The Hawthorns and insisted his focus remains on Wigan.
“I don’t think anyone should listen to rumours or anything else, other than how hard the lads worked,” said Richardson [quoted by Wigan Today, 12 October]
“Jack Whatmough was man of the match, Nathan Broadhead scored the goal, and Wigan Athletic won the game…that’s all that matters. You know me as a person, what do you think? Thank you very much.”
Is he the right fit?
What Richardson did with Wigan in the 2021/22 season was nothing short of remarkable. The Latics looked destined to be fighting relegation after coming out of financial ruin, but instead, they stormed to the title, in what was one of the most competitive leagues the EFL has ever seen.
However, the 42-year-old’s methods could potentially not be what the Baggies need at present. He has shown his excellent ability to squeeze everything he can out of the players at his disposal and potentially over-achieve at times.
Whether we want to admit it or not, Albion do have some top-quality Championship players, who perhaps need a free-flowing and tactically astute manager to really get them firing on all cylinders.
Jed Wallace, John Swift and Grady Diangana get into most second-tier squads. A manager with recent success in the Championship to really get the best out of these players could be what is needed right now. An appointment does need to be made soon in order to turn this sinking ship around.
In other West Brom news, one player complained regularly about Bruce before he was sacked.