West Brom next manager: Favourite for job has already revealed his favourite Baggies player
Michael Carrick remains the favourite to take over at West Brom if Ryan Mason is sacked.
Mason’s reign at The Hawthorns has been disastrous to date, with the Baggies suffering another defeat on the weekend.
As it stands, the Black Country side are 16th in the table and a whopping seven points off the playoffs.
Therefore, Mason is one of the favourites to be sacked next in the Championship, with Shilen Patel close to being forced to make a decision.
Carrick is the current favourite to take over at West Brom, and the former Middlesbrough manager has previously been very complimentary of Alex Mowatt.
Not our day. ⏹️ pic.twitter.com/qfOuSp3VT8
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) December 20, 2025
Michael Carrick: Alex Mowatt is terrific
Previously, Mowatt had joined Boro on loan during the 2022-23 campaign.
This saw the midfielder make 31 appearances at the Riverside Stadium, as Middlesbrough were eventually defeated in the playoffs.
As a result of this success, Mowatt has since returned to The Hawthorns and become a star player for the Baggies as they seek to return to the Premier League.
Now, with the potential of Carrick taking over Mason at The Hawthorns, the former Man United star will be looking to reunite with his old player.
- Carrick was Middlesbrough manager between 2022-25
- The former Man United star left at the end of last season
- Carrick has since been linked to the West Brom job
Previously, Carrick has heavily praised Mowatt, particularly for his performance in the 5-1 victory over Norwich in April 2023.
“I was impressed but wasn’t surprised because over a period of time as I keep saying to you the boys have trained so well and how good a group it is,” said Carrick of Mowatt’s performance to The Yorkshire Post on 18 April 2023.
“He’s kept himself at a really high level and deserves the performance and the praise because he played terrifically well.
“It’s not easy, especially with the weather conditions, to come into a game like that, but I thought he was terrific.
“As much as we can say to the squad they’ll get their chance, they have to be ready, it’s not always easy so credit to Alex and the other boys who maybe haven’t had as much as they’d have liked, the way they’ve trained and applied themselves and supported the boys – even the ones in their positions.
“Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to come on and do what Alex did the other night, it’s impossible. If you’re not keeping yourself at that level you can’t expect to suddenly spiked when you’re called upon.
“So in terms of his character and attitude and professionalism, I can’t fault Alex one bit.”
Ryan Mason continues to be backed by West Brom
Despite the recent downturn in form, Mason is continuously backed by West Brom.
The former Tottenham coach had a great start at The Hawthorns and had the Black Country side in the playoffs.
However, a run of three wins in 12 matches have seen the manager lose a lot of credibility among the fanbase.
Nevertheless, ahead of Boxing Day’s game against Bristol City, West Brom’s sporting director has pledged his support for Mason in this difficult time period.
“The solutions we have implemented are with a long-term view and we hope to see greater benefits from this in the months ahead,” Andrew Nestor told West Brom on 23 December.
“We are not interested in change for the sake of change, and we remain committed to our process, entrusting individuals with high integrity, skill and work ethic to move us forward.
“The turnover in personnel for our men’s first team has been considerable in the past 18 months, and we believe we need to apply patience in our planning to allow the playing and coaching staff to settle.”
“Time and consistency are important ingredients for success, particularly after periods of sweeping change.”