Forget Gary O’Neil and Steve Cooper - West Brom’s next manager choice is obvious

West Bromwich Albion’s search for a new head coach continues following the parting of ways with Tony Mowbray on Easter Monday.

The Baggies relieved Mowbray of his duties just three months into a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Hawthorns after the 61-year-old won only five of his 17 matches, losing eight and drawing the other four. The 3-1 defeat to relegation battlers Derby County proved to be the final straw.

It was a great shame it didn’t work out for Mowbray after he was welcomed back for an emotional return 16 years on from his initial exit. His historic first stint included a Championship title, still reminisced about by many in the present day. When Mowbray rejoined Albion, he had only just been given the all-clear after recovering from the bowel cancer scare that had ended his time at Birmingham City prematurely.

Albion chairman Shilen Patel took all emotion out of his decision to sack Mowbray, instead looking at the situation in black and white, assessing that a failure to secure play-off qualification from such a strong position was unacceptable.

West Brom still have two Championship matches to play before the end of the campaign but a new permanent manager won’t oversee those, with James Morrison taking on the duties during the interim. The hunt for a new long-term head coach is very much underway, however no clear frontrunner has emerged at this stage.

Former Tottenham Hotspur man Ryan Mason is the bookies’ favourite as it stands, while ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil and ex-Nottingham Forest gaffer Steve Cooper follow closely behind. But what if West Brom were to look outside the box a little and show some real ambition with a big-name appointment?

Steven Gerrard could be West Brom’s man

It may be a bit of a controversial call, but we at Birmingham World believe Liverpool legend and former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard could be an excellent appointment for West Brom.

Unemployed since January 29, when he left Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard is available for hire without a compensation fee. The 44-year-old is ready for a return to the UK and is determined to prove doubters wrong following a failed spell at Albion’s local rivals, Aston Villa.

Granted, Gerrard didn’t do himself any favours at Villa Park where he won just 12 of his 38 Premier League matches, losing 18 and drawing the other eight. That sorry tenure does mean he’s more likely to take a drop down to the Championship, though, perhaps helping the Baggies’ chances.

Gerrard did brilliantly at Rangers before going to Villa as he spent three and a half years at the Ibrox Stadium, winning one Scottish Premiership title and averaging 2.15 points per match over 192 fixtures. The Liverpool icon led the Gers to 124 wins in that period, losing only 27 and drawing the other 41.

Yes, the Scottish Premiership is a far easier division than the Premier League or Championship, but it’s still an impressive achievement to beat Celtic to the title. It was a historic one, too, as Rangers dethroned Celtic for the first time in 10 seasons.

It was a bit of a project job, too, as Gerrard made 42 signings during his time in Glasgow. Among his best were Calvin Bassey, Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo, while the likes of Steven Davis, Alan McGregor and John Lundstram were useful additions.

Gerrard wasn’t working with a huge budget at Rangers and it would be a similar case at The Hawthorns. A huge rebuild is needed this summer with the likes of Grady Diangana, John Swift and Semi Ajayi set to leave on free contracts and other first-team players heading into their final years. Mowbray said during his final press conference that it was essential West Brom get their summer business right; Gerrard could utilise his experience in that department, although it’s unlikely he’d have the final say.

Not only is Gerrard good at navigating the market, but he’s naturally a very strong leader from his legendary playing days. Young players would look up to him, too, while his preferred 4-3-3 formation would be a good fit for the attacking, free-flowing football Albion are after.

Competition from Rangers possible

One hurdle West Brom may have to overcome if they are to sign Gerrard as manager is interest from Rangers in a reunion. There have been widespread reports across Scotland in the past week or so that the Gers are eyeing an approach to make Gerrard their new manager in the summer.

As it stands, Rangers are without a permanent boss as Barry Ferguson has been in interim charge since the end of February. The Ibrox club decided it was best to wait until the end of the season to appoint a new permanent head coach following the dismissal of Philppe Clement.