We asked AI who should become West Brom’s next manager - its suggestions shocked us

West Brom are still without a head coach more than three weeks after Carlos Corberan’s Christmas Eve exit and supporters are understandably beginning to get a little restless.

Several bosses - both employed and unemployed - have been spoken to but Albion don’t appear to be any closer to securing their man. Patience is understandable given play-off football and the chance of promotion are at stake, but time is ticking and games are coming thick and fast.

With so much talk going around over who could finally take the baton from Corberan, we thought it’d be fun to ask AI to source a solution.

Given the simple prompt to inform us of several candidates West Brom should consider as manager, our AI tool of choice crunched the numbers in a matter of seconds, providing us with a quartet of serious potential appointments.

Who was picked as West Brom’s priority manager target?

Anyone for a dosage of no-nonsense, hard-nosed and straight-to-the-point football? Our AI tool is certainly in the mood for just that with Sean Dyche listed as its ideal candidate. Recently sacked by Everton after seemingly taking the Toffees as far as he can and leaving them just above the Premier League relegation zone, the former Burnley man is out of a job.

Justifying why Dyche should join the Baggies, the robot’s transcript said: “Recently available after leaving Everton, Dyche has a strong track record in the Championship, having achieved promotion with Burnley twice.

“His experience in managing teams both in the Championship and the Premier League makes him an appealing choice for West Brom, particularly if their aim is immediate promotion or stabilisation in the top tier. His familiarity with English football could provide the stability and tactical nous needed for a club looking to push for the playoffs or better.”

Not a bad shout in fairness Mr AI, but reports linking Dyche with a swift swap from Goodison Park to The Hawthorns have been debunked with the 53-year-old eager to spend some time off management.

Who else could take on the Albion reins?

The Baggies were recently in advanced talks with Raphael Wicky but negotiations reportedly broke down over who he would bring to the club as his backroom staff. It seems the robot was on the same wavelength with the idea of Wicky, though, and it still thinks he’d be a strong pick.

“His name still comes up in discussions for the role,” the robot suggested. “Wicky's experience in Switzerland, including winning a domestic double, shows capability in managing a team, but his adaptation to the Championship's specific demands would be untested.”

An alternative to Wicky and Dyche - and likely a more popular one at that - could be Tony Mowbray, the AI believes. Formerly of West Brom and the only manager to secure a trophy for the Baggies in the last 51 years, Mowbray has been out of a job since leaving Birmingham City last February following a bowel cancer diagnosis.

With Mowbray recently given the all clear, the robot reckons he should come back to The Hawthorns. It said: “His history with the club and his successful promotion from the Championship with West Brom in the past could make his return emotionally and tactically appealing.

“His health recovery means his return might not be immediate, but his experience and understanding of the club could be beneficial if he's fully recovered.”

What about a left-field option?

After realising the AI tool had effectively nicked reports of our own and other publications’ to suggest names, we decided to ask it for a more left-field candidate. A good idea, right? Someone completely outside the box is normally a decent approach, right? Oh dear. We’re not sure the robot was quite on the same page as us here.

Introducing everyone’s favourite lonely, not-so-typical, overly chilled out boss to The Hawthorns… David Brent!

Yes, that character played by Ricky Gervais in The Office. Not some up and coming genius set to take the English coaching sphere by storm. Our AI tool of choice somehow thinks Brent, a fictional regional manager in Slough, would be the ideal choice. Because of course, right?

The robot got its thinking boots on to persuade us why Brent should become a Baggie. It said: “Imagine the team talks! Brent could bring "The Office" style humour to the pitch, turning every match into an episode of office antics. Plus, his motivational speeches might just be the comedic relief the team needs.”

At least he’s got managerial experience.