West Brom are looking for a new manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce at the weekend, and the Baggies can find an ideal replacement in Rob Edwards.
The 39-year-old, like so many others before him, was sacked by Watford recently after an extremely brief spell at the club and is currently a free agent, who will no doubt attract interest from Championship sides.
The Daily Mail suggest that the former Forest Green boss is being considered by the West Brom hierarchy, as they look for their appointment to push the Baggies up the table after a shocking start to the season, which sees them occupy a relegation spot in the second tier.
While Edwards’ time at Watford was ultimately unsuccessful, as he won just three of his 11 games in charge, his previous spell at Forest Green suggests that he could be a big success at the Hawthorns if given time to implement the same sort of ideas that saw the New Lawn outfit win the League Two title last season.
In his first season with the club, Edwards steered Forest Green to their first-ever season in League One, winning 26 and drawing 15 of his 53 games in charge of the club, which helped him to an impressive 1.75 points per game.
Edwards could be the man to amend some of West Brom’s key issues this season, which has been conceding goals and not finishing their chances.
Only three sides in the second tier have conceded more than the 18 that the Baggies have shipped in the opening 13 fixtures, so it is no surprise that they only have one win to their name.
Edwards has shown a preference for an attacking 3-4-1-2 formation during his spells at Watford and Forest Green, with the latter potent going forward and defensively sound for much of the season.
Despite some disappointing form towards the end of last season which saw them nearly miss out on the League Two title, Forest Green conceded just 44 goals in 46 League Two fixtures, while they scored the second-most goals in the division with 75.
Forest Green forward Jamile Matt labelled Edwards as “the best” manager he had worked under with regards to man-management, which suggests that the young coach could be the ideal man to get the best out of West Brom’s underperforming stars.
Playing three centre-backs could help the Baggies be more defensively sound, while wing-backs Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend would be given more license to get forward, as they have just one goal contribution between them in the Championship this season.
Having two strikers could also ease the pressure on the attackers in the Baggies’ side, as the expected goals stats suggest that West Brom should have scored far more this season, something that has proven to be one of their biggest issues this term. Indeed, having another option in attack could help West Brom realise their attacking potential.
Therefore, hiring an up-and-coming manager such as Edwards after he wasn’t given much of a chance at Watford could be the best thing for West Brom right now, as his previous spell at Forest Green emphasises how much potential he has as a manager.
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