Former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray is back in the dugout following his health scare in 2024. And he’s returned with a very familiar club in West Brom.
First and foremost, everyone at Sunderland and in the footballing world will be delighted to see Tony Mowbray back in the dugout and looking well.
And he’s taken on a very big job, too. West Brom have hired Mowbray 15 years since he was last at the club, with the Baggies currently sitting in 7th place of the Championship table.
The 61-year-old was in charge of West Brom between 2006 and 2009, guiding the Baggies to promotion to the Premier League back in 2008.
Mowbray said he was keen to return to management after making a recovery. But how did he fare in his first game back?
West Brom fans concerned after Tony Mowbray opener
Mowbray’s first game in charge came on Tuesday night, at the same time as Sunderland beat Derby County 1-0 at Pride Park. West Brom though would lose 2-0 away against Middlesbrough.
Baggies fans had plenty to say about the game and about Mowbray too. The majority of fans understand that he’s taken over quite a difficult situation, and a team that was set up to be very defensive under his predecessor Carlos Corberan.
One fan said: “Will be amazed if we finish in the top six. Mowbray needs a lot of time to implement a new system on such a defensive side. Some big recruitment in the summer needed.”
After a poor first half, West Brom looked livelier after the break, with Mowbray seemingly giving the players a pep talk at half-time. One fan said: “You can see Mowbray has got into them at half-time, look miles better this second half.”
Another added: “Much more forward looking now! Good half-time talk by Mowbray, perhaps.” But Mowbray then let himself down with his substitutions midway through the second half.
John Swift and Jed Wallace came on shortly after the hour. They had little impact though, and Middlesbrough soon doubled their lead.
“Hopefully, Mowbray will have learnt from his substitutions. Swift and Wallace are not the answer to any question asked this season,” said one West Brom supporter. Another posted: “I know Mowbray is getting to know his players but the subs have been shocking.”
Tony Mowbray’s managerial record in the Championship
West Brom fans seem to have had a quite mixed reaction to Mowbray’s appointment. But it’s easy to forget that just a couple of seasons ago, Mowbray guided Sunderland to a very unexpected top six finish, all while playing good football.
And it looks like the Baggies squad is in need of a revamp with some Mowbray-esque signings needed to get the team playing better under his style of play.
That 2008 promotion with West Brom is Mowbray’s only promotion from the Championship. But he’s as experienced as they come in the second tier with 190 wins from 482 games in the division (39.41% wins).
West Brom host Portsmouth in their next outing on Saturday.