West Brom have been left in capable hands of man who was adored by Steve Clarke
West Brom have dismissed Ryan Mason after a 10th consecutive away loss in the Championship on Monday.
In a game in which both managers faced huge pressure, West Brom played Leicester City and were beaten in stoppage time.
The Baggies enjoyed countless chances in the second half, but were dealt a killer blow when Abdul Fatawu volleyed home in the final seconds.
Mason was the favourite for the sack, and that position has now been ratified after the club confirmed that they had parted ways with the 34-year-old on Tuesday.
Football Insider revealed in December that Michael Carrick is of interest to West Brom, with several other candidates also under consideration.
James Morrison to take over on interim basis at West Brom
West Brom also confirmed on Tuesday that assistant head coach Nigel Gibbs and head of performance Sam Pooley would leave with Mason.
James Morrison will now oversee the first team on an interim basis until a new head coach is appointed at The Hawthorns.
It will be the second time this year that the 39-year-old has taken charge in the wake of a managerial departure.
When Tony Mowbray was dismissed in April, Morrison led the Baggies in games against Cardiff City and Luton Town, enjoying a chaotic 5-3 win on the final day.
The former Scotland international joined West Brom in 2007 as a player, making 341 appearances over the course of 12 years.
Speaking about him in 2012, now Scotland manager Steve Clarke said: “When you work for other clubs, you notice players who play for your opponents and James is one of those.
“He’s maybe ‘unsung’ out of this club but I think the players here and the supporters appreciate James. At Liverpool, I recall we had a couple of pre-match meetings and James would come up as one of the players you would need to look after and be aware of his qualities.
“That was the reason we recently offered him a new contract and I was delighted when he signed.”
Odds favourites to take over at West Brom
Carrick is the bookies’ favourite to take over at The Hawthorns, after leaving Middlesbrough in June.
The former Manchester United midfielder took a struggling Boro to the play-offs in the 2022-23 season, and it is hoped that he could have a similar effect at West Brom.
Carrick leads at 11/4 according to one major bookmaker, with Carlos Corberan (9/2), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (6/1) and Russell Martin (6/1) also in contention.
The latter left Rangers in disgrace in October, but could be ready to start rebuilding his reputation.