West Brom fans will love what Raphael Wicky has already signed off on
Raphael Wicky is said to have given the thumbs up to the recruitment setup and youth investment at West Brom ahead of his expected appointment at The Hawthorns.
West Brom’s managerial search is edging closer to a conclusion, with Wicky finalising the finer details to become the new Baggies head coach [Sky Sports].
The Championship play-off chasers have been without a manager since the departure of Carlos Corberan over Christmas, but Wicky appears to be the chosen man and supporters should be optimistic about the dealings he has already signed off on.
BBC journalist Chris Lepkowski, speaking via The Liquidator podcast [12 January], said: “He’s very keen on the youth set-up. He wants to see investment in that.
“He’s got total buy-in, or declared total buy-in, into the process that informs the recruitment system that we know is going to be integral to the club, now that we’ve had the takeover in recent months.
“We know how they want to do things, they want to source players. Wicky has given the thumbs up to that. I think he’s identified that this is a good squad, it does have weaknesses.”
Recruitment will be integral for West Brom under Raphael Wicky
While Wicky is somewhat unknown in England, he shares a very similar trait to many other managers in the sense that he must be backed by the signings of players to suit his play.
The recent update suggests that the Baggies will do just that and it seems like that may have played a crucial role in his seemingly imminent appointment.
As mentioned by Lepkowski, there are weaknesses in the squad that need addressing but the core of the team is a very strong one and providing those concerns are addressed, West Brom have every chance of maintaining their hopes for a play-off position at the very least.
The mention of the youth set-up is another key component given the level of talent in the West Brom academy that has perhaps not been afforded as many opportunities to thrive as it could have.
Additional investment on that front will only strengthen the club going forward both on and off of the pitch and it looks set to be an exciting period for the Baggies.
In other West Brom news, an update emerged on Chelsea’s rumoured move for one Baggies star.
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