Simon Thomas reacts to West Brom footage as Mowbray arrives at The Hawthorns
Simon Thomas has reacted instantly to footage of Tony Mowbray arriving at The Hawthorns upon his return to West Brom.
The Baggies confirmed the appointment via their official channels on Friday (17 January) and, after weeks of speculation, finally found their man.
Albion supporters were expecting to see Mowbray in the stands today following the confirmation, and Sky Sports News presenter Thomas shared the scenes live from the West Midlands (18 January, 2:08pm).
He said: “Well, this is a great sight to see. Tony Mowbray back in management, less than a year after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer, he has returned to The Hawthorns almost 16 years after he left. He’s on a watching brief today as West Brom take on Stoke City.”
Tony Mowbray the man to lead West Brom back to the Premier League
Interim boss Chris Brunt has kept the ship afloat in the absence of a permanent boss and will take charge of his final game in the clash against Stoke on Saturday (18 January).
Brunt lost the first match after Carlos Corberan departed for Valencia in a 2-1 loss against Derby County on Boxing Day but has since picked up five points in the Championship from an available nine.
However, the search for a permanent boss was becoming a public circus, with a host of names reported to be in the running for the position, and even failed in negotiations with Rene Hake and Raphael Wicky in the final stages.
Once the news emerged that Mowbray was closing in on a return to The Hawthorns, the reaction from a large group of supporters was certainly not positive – now it is up to the 61-year-old to prove he is the man to guide the Baggies back to the Premier League.
His battle with cancer before his return is a fairytale story in the making and despite his return garnering mixed reactions from the fanbase there is still a lot of love for the boss in the Black Country.
He will watch on from the stands as he runs the rule over the current crops of players before his second West Brom debut away to Middlesbrough on Tuesday (21 January).
In other West Brom news, Birmingham City have sent a message to Tony Mowbray after he took charge at the Hawthorns.
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