West Brom still looking for a new manager after Sam Allardyce's departure; Talks broke down with former Huddersfield boss David Wagner; Chief executive Xu Ke: "While we have not yet formally offered the job to any candidate, it is fair to state we have faced setbacks."
Monday 14 June 2021 21:03, UK
West Brom sporting director Luke Dowling has left the club in the midst of their search for a new manager.
Former boss Sam Allardyce quit the Baggies at the end of last season following the club's relegation to the Championship.
The club's owners decided not to pursue former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder for the role and then talks broke down with former Huddersfield boss David Wagner, who is expected to take charge at Swiss side Young Boys.
And Dowling has now departed, while chief executive Xu Ke has admitted that West Brom have 'faced setbacks' in their search for a new head coach.
Xu said in a statement on the club website: "I would like to thank supporters for their patience during what has been a frustrating period for us all.
"Like all fans, I understand having a vacant head coach position can lead to uncertainty, but this is not a simple search, and we must appoint the correct person, who shares our passion for the future of the football club.
"Our aim remains the same - to earn promotion back to the Premier League as soon as possible.
"We will have a healthy budget in order to succeed in the Championship and, with the right person as our head coach, I believe we will have a strong opportunity to be promoted.
"As we all know, the Championship is a relentless, difficult league, but we have succeeded there before, and I am hopeful we can do so again.
"While we have not yet formally offered the job to any candidate, it is fair to state we have faced setbacks and, with that in mind, I do not think it is wise to set a precise deadline by which an appointment will be made.
"As I have referenced already, the quality of our next head coach is of far greater importance than how soon they can be appointed.
"We are working tirelessly behind the scenes to identify the right person and we will share this with you as soon as an appointment has been made."
On Dowling, Xu said: "I would like to thank Luke for his work behind the scenes at The Hawthorns during his three years with us. Luke's departure provides us with an opportunity to reassess how our football operation functions and I will provide a further update on this subject in due course."
