Aston Villa chief hails two new arrivals at West Brom
Tony Mowbray will bring “good things on the horizon” at West Brom after his reappointment as manager, according to Steve Hopcroft.
The former Albion academy chief posted on his X account (19 January) praising Mowbray and assistant manager Mark Venus, with whom he previously worked during their first stint from 2006 to 2009.
Hopcroft, who since moved to Aston Villa, has claimed the returning Mowbray is the “best” manager he ever worked with during his time with the Baggies.
He shared: “Tony was probably the best first-team manager I worked with at West Brom.
“Great with young players, staff, parents – very warm and generous with his time. Gave Chris Wood his debut.
“Mark Venus is the perfect foil for him as well. Can only see good things on the horizon for the Baggies.”
Tony Mowbray can get the best out of inconsistent West Brom side
Mowbray’s appointment brings with it a feeling of nostalgia for all but the most recent generation of West Brom supporters, and it is a unified wonderful mood around the whole of English football to see him back in the game.
Those with a vivid memory of the late 2000s will remember the times under his original stewardship at The Hawthorns, including the promotion campaign of 2007-08 which also yielded an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Albion currently sit just inside the top six in the Championship, while having won just nine of their 27 league matches played. With a whopping 14 draws supplementing their points total, Mowbray will be an instant hero by tilting those fine margins his side’s way.
Despite the intense competition and ever-rising standard of England’s second tier, points are very regularly dropped in the upper echelons of the division, and poor runs of form or inconsistency can quite often be forgiven by an improved run.
If Mowbray can get a tune out of such a talented array of players, he can ensure a promising promotion run for the Baggies this campaign.
In other West Brom news, Tony Brown scalds Karlan Grant after a moment involving Jed Wallace against Stoke City on Saturday.
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