West Bromwich Albion are considering approaching former caretaker boss Nigel Pearson about a potential return to The Hawthorns.
It appears inevitable that Alan Pardew’s men will see their relegation from the Premier League confirmed in the weeks following the international break with the side 10 points off safety and only seven games left to put some kind of great escape together.
West Brom went into the break off the back of eight consecutive defeats, so any sort of form following the resumption of the domestic season would represent a significant turnaround for the club. Long-suffering Baggies fans would certainly be forgiven for expecting their side to be playing in the second tier next year.
And it appears that a change of manager could be on the cards if they do go down, with The Sun on Sunday (25th March 2018; page 63) reporting that Pearson is popular amongst the Baggies hierarchy and his resolve to stay in Belgium with OH Leuven may be put to the test with an offer to make a return to The Hawthorns 14 years after he came in as Bryan Robson’s assistant.
The Sun on Sunday adds that the 54-year-old may be allowed to appoint some of his own staff if he does get an offer in the coming months.
Could Pearson get West Brom back on track?
Pearson – who also served as Baggies caretaker manager back in 2006 – may not have been the manager to lift the Premier League trophy, but he received a lot of praise when Leicester City stunned everyone by winning the title one year after his departure.
He guided the Foxes to the Championship title – five years after leading them out of the third tier during his first spell – and subsequently kept them in the top flight with an incredible late run in the season.
That knowledge and experience of getting promotion may make Pearson the kind of candidate that the Baggies fans want to see considered after a torrid campaign that few probably anticipated after such a promising summer.
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