West Bromwich Albion take to the field for the final time in the 2024/25 campaign when they host Luton Town at the Hawthorns in the Championship this afternoon.
It is a game that does not mean a great deal for the Baggies, who are without a permanent manager and cannot get promoted or relegated, but they will still want to end the season on a high in front of their home fans.
James Morrison will take the team for the final time before the board decide on a long-term replacement for Tony Mowbray, and one manager who has been linked with the job is Russell Martin.
The pros and cons of Russell Martin
The former Scotland international would come in as a manager with plenty of experience in the English leagues, having managed MK Dons, Swansea, and Southampton.
Martin has also proven that he can get a team promoted from the Championship, as he won the play-offs with the Saints in the 2023/24 campaign, and that makes him an ideal candidate on paper for a West Brom team that should be aiming for promotion next term.
However, the English-born coach won just one of his 16 Premier League games, picking up five points, in charge of Southampton before being sacked with his side sat at the bottom of the table.
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This suggests that it may be a risk to go with Martin as a long-term appointment as there are concerns, given his record, about his suitability for the Premier League.
West Brom, however, have also been linked with an interest in Steve Cooper, who is also out of work at the moment, and he could be an even more exciting appointment than the ex-Saints boss.
Why Steve Cooper would be more exciting than Russell Martin
The English boss, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 system, could be even more exciting than a move for Martin because he has proven that he can compete above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Cooper was sacked by Leicester City earlier this season with his side in 16th place, and they have since been relegated from the top-flight, which suggests that they may have made a hasty decision with that call.
The 45-year-old tactician, once dubbed “tremendous” by Sam Allardyce, also kept Nottingham Forest in the Premier League after winning promotion from the second tier with the Tricky Trees.
24/25
Premier League
12
10
16th
23/24
Premier League
17
14
17th
22/23
Premier League
38
38
16th
21/22
Championship
41
76
4th (play-off winners)
20/21
Championship
49
80
4th (play-off finalists)
19/20
Championship
48
70
6th (play-off semi-finalists)
As you can see in the table above, Cooper has either finished in the play-offs in the Championship or left a team above the relegation zone in the Premier League in every season in his senior managerial career to date.
This suggests that the former Swansea boss, who won the U17 World Cup with England in 2017, would be perfectly suited to where the Baggies are as a club at this moment in time.
West Brom need a manager who can guide them to the play-offs, firstly, and then to safety in the Premier League, secondly, and Cooper has proven that he can do both of those things as a manager.
Whereas, Martin is yet to prove that he can keep a team in the top-flight, and that is why the English head coach could be an even more exciting hire for the Baggies this summer.
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