Not currently in the running it seems, should West Brom consider former player and current Leicester assistant Michael Appleton as their next manager?
Tony Pulis during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea at The Hawthorns.
West Bromwich Albion are currently searching for a new manager following the sacking of Tony Pulis on Monday (November 20) after a record of just two wins in the last 21 Premier League matches.
As it stands with Skybet, Sam Allardyce is the current favourite to succeed Pulis at the Hawthorns, while Alan Pardew, Michael O’Neill and Derek McInnes are believed to be in the running.
Sam Allardyce looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
However, down at 25/1 is someone who has not been mentioned seriously at this early stage but could actually represent an exciting and shrewd appointment should the Baggies hierarchy turn to him.
That man is Michael Appleton, who is currently assistant to Claude Puel at Leicester City but built a solid reputation as a boss during three years in charge of Oxford United, during which time he earned promotion from League Two and twice reached the final of the EFL Trophy.
Appleton was in fact in charge of one match during a brief caretaker spell in charge of West Brom in 2011 following the dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo, overseeing a 3-3 draw with West Ham United before Roy Hodgson took charge permanently.
Michael Appleton reacts during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Leicester City.
This was because the 41-year-old ended his playing career at the West Midlands outfit before moving into coaching there and as a result has a strong connection with the club.
Appleton may not have any top flight experience beyond his brief interim stints with Albion and with Leicester this term before Puel was hired, but is also not a complete rookie in the dugout and has earned plenty of experience in the lower leagues.
Rather than turning to the same old names in Allardyce or Pardew – who are arguably no different to Pulis in that sense – perhaps more of a gamble would excite a support base that has become frustrated with perceived boring football over the past few years.
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