Twist in West Brom manager search involving Raphael Wicky is not a good look for the Baggies | OneFootball

West Brom have been left embarrassed having to turn back to previous managerial candidates after failing to appoint Rapheal Wicky.

West Brom were dealt a blow in their managerial hunt as discussions for Raphael Wicky to take over at The Hawthorns broke down earlier this week.

It was reported in the last few days that the Baggies were at an advanced stage of talks for the Swiss coach, with an announcement of his arrival expected early this week.

But in recent developments, the deal has been called off, with Express & Star reporter Lewis Cox revealing the two coaches Wicky planned to bring to the club alongside him couldn’t make the move.

This has put Albion in a difficult situation, who planned to have a new manager in place for their clash at The Hawthorns this weekend against Stoke City.

This has also caused a delay to their activity in the January transfer window, which may hinder a promotion push as the club currently finds itself occupying a top six spot.

The Baggies will now begin to reopen talks with alternative candidates who weren’t first choice for the job, and it isn’t a good look for West Brom, who should have kept speculation surrounding the vacancy firmly behind closed doors.

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Since the news broke about Rapheal Wicky, links have been flying around again about who West Brom will be considering to replace Carlos Corberan.

As the Wicky story began to develop, it was revealed by journalist Alex Crook that Albion had discussions with former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray, who is working himself back to full fitness after a long-term illness.

At the time, it was stated Mowbray wasn’t ready to take on the job, but the 61-year-old has since opened up about getting back into work, provided he is given the final all clear in the coming days, so the Black Country outfit may return for further talks if all goes according to plan.

Liverpool World have also claimed West Brom are eyeing a move to hire Sean Dyche after he was sacked by Everton last week, but it is unclear at this stage whether Dyche would be tempted back into management so soon after being relieved of his duties on Merseyside.

Meanwhile, Birmingham World reported early into the saga that the club had chatted with former Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City manager Steven Schumacher, so there appears to still be plenty of suitors for the hotseat at The Hawthorns.

Raphael Wicky blunder is a steep learning curve for West Brom owner

With the events unfolding recently, it’s clear Albion should have been more protective over the Wicky deal, and not leaked any developments to the media until every minor detail had been agreed.

Covered by both local and national outlets, other managerial candidates who originally wanted the job at Albion now know they weren’t the prime choice, which could force some of them to withdraw their interest in the position.

It’s turned into a bigger headache for the hierarchy, particularly with the January transfer window ticking down, and there is a significant lack of stability at the club in such a crucial point of the season.

Luckily, there will still be plenty of interest registered in the position given they’re in a promising place to return to the Premier League, but the scenario could have been so much different if Albion were fighting towards the opposite end of the table.

It’s a learning curve for the new owners at West Brom, and they must get this debacle sorted as quickly as possible, so the playing squad can focus on cementing their place inside the top six and push for promotion back to the top flight.