Credit: Imago

Dan Godfrey

Thu 27 March 2025 17:00, UK

West Brom supporters will not miss the managerial search at The Hawthorns, a saga which before Tony Mowbray was appointed dragged on a lot longer than first planned.

Mowbray was finally appointed almost a month after Carlos Corberan left for his homeland and Valencia, with weeks of collapsed talks and Chris Brunt taking charge of more games than he had envisaged.

With the Baggies now on a more stable footing in that regard, one club for whom the imminent managerial decision must be spot on are located north of the border at Rangers – with a former Albion boss heavily linked.

Rangers could appoint former West Brom manager

While West Brom are underway with their new era, Rangers are currently in a very precarious position, awaiting a takeover deal to become complete from a US consortium supported by Paraag Marathe – the president of 49ers Enterprises who own Leeds United.

They have appointed Barry Ferguson to take the team on an interim deal until the end of the season and the Ibrox legend has made a fair impression, overcoming Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Europa League and winning the Old Firm derby away at Celtic.

However, a former West Brom boss has appeared on their radar to become a long-term successor, namely Sam Allardyce – who has been out of management since his brief spell at Leeds in 2023.

Allardyce took over from Slaven Bilic as Baggies boss back in late 2020, tasked with the improbable objective of Premier League survival given his strong CV on the matter. While he was unable to avoid relegation in 2020-21, West Brom attempted to keep him in charge in the Championship but he declined.

As shown by Oddschecker on Thursday morning (27 March), Betfair are offering odds of 14/5 on Allardyce, now 70, becoming the next manager to take the reins at Ibrox.

Ferguson remains favourite to become Gers manager on a permanent basis, while Neil Warnock, Russell Martin and a return for Steven Gerrard have all been mooted by the bookmakers.

Mowbray attempts to return Albion where Allardyce last managed side

West Brom have been out of the Premier League since Allardyce’s relegation in 2021, but have slowly looked like making progress in the years since.

Albion finished 10th in their first season back in the Championship, improving with a ninth-place finish the following year.

Last campaign was the first time the Baggies secured a play-off spot, only to be beaten over two legs by the eventually-promoted Southampton – to whom the top flight certainly hasn’t been kind.

The top six battle is well and truly on again, and Mowbray must ensure his side get over the line, having recently slipped back into their draw habit – albeit sometimes in tougher fixtures than those in which they would often previously be held.