Former West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Clarke is doing a fantastic job in the Scottish Premiership.
With West Brom looking destined for Championship football next season, the board look set to face a number of vital decisions that will have a big impact on whether they respond to relegation like Newcastle United have done in recent years, or how Sunderland have this season.
The Baggies are 10 points off safety with seven games left. And with the side enduring a run of eight straight defeats leading into the international break, most football fans would be forgiven for suggesting that those battling at the bottom of the table are fighting to stay out of those two places immediately above Alan Pardew’s men.
One of the most vital decisions the club faces is who is going to lead the club in the second tier. The Daily Mirror have recently reported that Alan Pardew is unlikely to still be in charge next season. That could, of course, change in the coming months, but there may not be too many West Brom fans who are disappointed if the 56-year-old’s tenure is brought to an end in the near future.
The Mirror suggested at the time that Graham Potter has been linked with the post, but any hopes of landing the Ostersunds boss have since suffered a major blow with the club confirming on their official website this week that he has signed a new four-year contract.
If West Brom are going to replace Pardew, it is difficult to see where the replacement may be coming from – especially if they restrict themselves to only those currently available – so perhaps they should be open to the idea of offering Steve Clarke the chance to return to The Hawthorns.
Clarke spent around a season and a half in charge of the Baggies between 2012 and 2013, and while his tenure ended disappointingly, he did lead the club to an eighth place finish in the Premier League in his only full season in charge.
He is now being lauded in the Scottish Premiership for the work that he is doing in his job with Kilmarnock. Clarke’s men have lost just three times since his arrival in 2017 and they remain unbeaten against Celtic and Rangers. He is one of just two managers of Scottish sides to have beaten a Brendan Rodgers-led Hoops team.
His stock has risen significantly during his time at Rugby Park, and that should catch West Brom’s eye if they decide to get rid of Pardew at the end of the campaign.
Clarke may be reluctant to return, but there is a lot of potential for West Brom if they get things right over the summer and into next season. And based on the work that Clarke has done at Killie, he may just be one of the names they should consider when they think about who could unlock that potential.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
