West Bromwich Albion’s disastrous run of form in the second half of the season has confirmed their place in the Championship for next season before the final game.
The Baggies have only won one of their last nine matches in the division, losing five of those games, and are five points off the play-offs with one match left.
West Brom opted to part ways with Tony Mowbray and are now in the market to find a new head coach for next season, with QPR’s Marti Cifuentes reportedly in the frame.
The latest on West Brom’s interest in Marti Cifuentes
TalkSPORT recently reported that the Spanish head coach is looking to move on from Loftus Road, after less than two full seasons at the helm in West London.
The outlet claimed that the QPR boss has entered into talks with the Baggies over a potential move to the Hawthorns, but it remains to be seen whether or not he would be willing to accept a move to the Midlands.
Cifuentes has guided the R’s clear of relegation in both of his seasons at the club, but has lost more Championship matches (28) than he was won (26) in that time.
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Russell Martin, who is currently out of work, was recently touted as one of the managers on the club’s shortlist, and West Brom could forget about Cifuentes by swooping for the former Scotland international.
Why West Brom should swoop for Russell Martin
As aforementioned, the QPR head coach has presided over a team battling relegation and one that is used to losing more than winning, which may not suit the club’s ambition to earn promotion from the Championship.
Martin, on the other hand, is a manager who has won promotion from the second tier before, with Southampton, and that could make him an ideal candidate to push West Brom forward.
The English-born coach was sacked by the Saints after a dismal Premier League run, picking up one win in 16 matches, but he did earn some admirers during his stint in the top-flight and won more matches than he lost overall in his time at St. Mary’s.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described his style of play as “successful” and a “joy to watch”, and Pep Guardiola was impressed by Martin’s coaching as the Manchester City boss claimed he would “learn” from the Southampton manager.
|
Russell Martin’s attacking style of play |
||
|---|---|---|
|
23/24 Championship |
Southampton |
League rank |
|
Pass accuracy |
87.7% |
1st |
|
Passes into the penalty area |
594 |
1st |
|
Progressive passes |
2556 |
1st |
|
Shot-creating actions |
1255 |
1st |
|
xG |
79.8 |
2nd |
|
Points per game |
1.89 |
4th |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
As you can see in the table above, Martin delivered an exciting, attacking, style of play during Southampton’s promotion-winning campaign, via the play-offs, last season.
The 4-3-3 manager could bring some excitement back to the Hawthorns, a stadium that has only seen 28 goals scored in 22 matches so far this season, with a style that looks to dominate matches and consistently create high-quality chances.
Martin is a proven quantity, who has won promotion from the league, and has a demonstrable style of play that impressed both Arteta and Guardiola, which is why he could be a fantastic alternative to Cifuentes this summer if the Baggies can convince him to come to the Hawthorns.
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