Steven Schumacher is a candidate to replace Steve Bruce as manager of Championship outfit West Brom after leading Plymouth Argyle to the top of the League One table, according to The Sun.
When Ryan Lowe left Home Park for Preston North End, many an Argyle supporter would have been forgiven for wondering if this was the end of an era. An end to the club’s hopes of a return to the second-tier after over a decade away.
A run of 11 wins in 14 games at the start of 2022/23, however, has turned pessimism back into optimism. Plymouth, after thumping MK Dons 4-1, are four points clear of Ipswich at the top of the League One table.
What’s more, no one in the division has scored more than their 28 goals.
When you consider that excitement and consistency has been in very short supply at West Brom for the best part of 12 months – Steve Bruce’s stupefying tactics doing little to enliven a fanbase already disillusioned following the failure of the Valerien Ismael era – Schumacher’s place on the Hawthorns radar is easy to justify.
Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher a West Brom target
Just eight months after handing the reigns to a 61-year-old Bruce, West Brom appear to have gone full circle; from experience to exuberance. Schumacher is the latest up-and-coming, EFL-raised tactician on the Baggies’ radar, following Russell Martin (who made his name with an eye-catching possession-based style at MK Dons before taking over at Swansea City) and Leam Richardson (who led Wigan to the League One title in 2021/22).
“What I’m so impressed with him about is his temperament,” former Plymouth forward Jamie Mackie tells Sky Sports of 38-year-old Schumacher. “I love character in a manager and he has definitely got that. You can see how happy he is with his team and the hard work they are putting in.
“He just seems very calm. I think the players will all know where they stand with him. He’s very in touch with the players.
“He has got talented players like Morgan Whittaker buying into his identity without the ball. And that’s a really promising sign for a young coach.”
Whether West Brom can lure Schumacher away from Home Park – with promotion and a league title up for grabs – only time will tell. Tellingly, Schumacher rebuffed any interest from fellow Championship outfit Huddersfield Town only a month ago.
“I’m not interested about going anywhere else,” he said at the time. “I love this job. I’m incredibly fortunate to be in this role at such an early stage in my career.”
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