Former Preston North End boss Alex Neil is one of the remaining candidates for the West Bromwich Albion job after the Championship talks missed out on David Wagner, as reported by the Athletic.
A month after Sam Allardyce announced his intention to leave, it is fair to say the Baggies have made a meal of finding the 66-year-old’s successor.
Owner Guochuan Lai allegedly turned his nose up at both Chris Wilder and Michael Appleton due to concerns over the former’s tendency to speak out against his owners and the compensation fee required to take the latter away from Lincoln City.
West Brom also decided against paying a substantial fee to snare Valerien Ismael and Steve Cooper away from Barnsley and Swansea City respectively, while a deal for ex-Huddersfield Town tactician David Wagner fell apart on Thursday.
Wagner has instead opted to remain closer to home, signing a deal with Swiss champions Young Boys.
Who next for West Brom after David Wagner disaster?
This means that, on the day Euro 2020 begins, West Brom still do not have a manager in place.
The Athletic adds that the Midland giants would ideally like a coach who 1) has a track record of success in the Championship and 2) is available for free.
Enter Alex Neil.
The 40-year-old Scot has thrived in the second tier before, leading an exciting Norwich side to promotion in 2016 before turning Preston into perennial dark horses.
And, unlike Appleton, Ismael and Cooper, Neil is available for absolutely nothing, having departed the Lilywhites at the end of last season.
His tendency to play a forward-thinking, attractive brand of football should go down well, too, with the fans who fell in love with Bilic-ball.
Interestingly, Neil was one of the leading candidates to take over in 2019 too before Bilic’s arrival (Telegraph).
But, after talks with Wilder and Wagner fell apart like a house of cards on a bouncy castle, West Brom fans won’t be too surprised if Neil ends up slipping through their fingers too.
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