West Brom board fly out to China to get owner Guochuan Lai's approval of new head coach
Albion's top brass are flying to China today to present their recommendations for the vacant head coach position directly to Chinese owner Guochuan Lai.
Chief executive Mark Jenkins and technical consultant Guiliano Terraneo will be holding a series of high-profile meetings with Lai and his people to kick-start the club's summer reboot now the season has finished.
Albion’s board have sounded out a number of candidates since Alan Pardew left the club six weeks ago and want to have their new man installed by the end of the week if possible.
Brentford’s Dean Smith and current caretaker boss Darren Moore are the two main candidates who will be presented to Lai.
Although other options will also be mentioned, barring an intervention from the owner, it is expected that one of those two will be given the job.
Jenkins and Terraneo will also speak to Lai about the technical director role, which needs to be filled after Nick Hammond was sacked in April.
Terraneo arrived on a temporary basis last month and is currently contracted until September.
He has been conducting a complete review of the club's recruitment arm, and recently dismissed talent scouts Andy Thorn and Simon Ford in his shake-up.
But he has also been charged with helping Jenkins find a permanent successor to Hammond, and the pair will present their recommendations for that role to Lai as well.
However, it is the head coach appointment that will dominate the talks.
Certain members of the board believe Smith ticks all the boxes because of his attractive style of football and Championship experience.
He also has previous ties with coaching staff already at the club like goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler, who he worked with at Walsall.
But Moore has made a strong case during his six matches in charge, winning three games, the same number Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew managed together from 30 league fixtures this season.
He will meet with Jenkins and Terraneo later this week once they return from China.
After yesterday's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace sent the Baggies down as the bottom club of the Premier League, Moore said: "The main thing is to learn from this season.
"Certainly, in the confines of this club is the right ingredients to move forward."
