West Bromwich Albion

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Chris Brunt admits it's been tough, but he can look back with satisfaction on his role as interim boss at West Bromwich Albion.

Saturday's FA Cup tie against Bournemouth is expected to be the last Albion game before a successor to Carlos Corberan is appointed at The Hawthorns.

Since stepping up alongside Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill, the Baggies have won one, drawn two and lost one.

Brunt told BBC Radio WM: "Hopefully the club will make the right appointment and I'll go back to my job and get on with it."

He admitted getting back into the day-to-day grind hadn't been easy, adding: "It's been a bit of a challenge. Credit to all the staff, everyone at the club has got round each other and supported in whatever way they can.

"It has been a draining couple of weeks but we have come out the other side with some good performances. The whole squad stood up and were counted when they were needed."

Brunt says he doesn't know what his future holds but added: "It's all experience. Some of it good, some of it tough. It's very different standing in a technical area watching a game rather than playing.

"I've learned a lot. There's a lot of stuff I'll take out and put in the bank and can draw on in future. If I do decide to go into (management) I have got some sort of experience of it."

The Baggies are back in the top-six in the Championship and Brunt added: "The goal at the end of it was to make sure we get points and leave the team no worse off than when Carlos had left on Christmas Eve. We've done that.

"It's nice to be able to hand over in a decent position and move forward after Christmas.

"If it's to be the last game on Saturday then hopefully we can get a decent result.

Albion travel to Bournemouth in the FA Cup 3rd Round and it's live on BBC Radio WM and BBC Sounds from 3pm on Saturday.

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This is the first FA Cup meeting between Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion since January 1999, with the Cherries winning a third-round tie 1-0 thanks to an Eddie Howe goal.

Birmingham City are interested in signing Rangers defender Adam Devine but could face competition from fellow West Midlands side West Bromwich Albion. (Birmingham Mail, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip here.

West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United are among clubs interested in signing Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas, with the 19-year-old impressing in his 25 Championship appearances on loan at Stoke City this season. (Daily Mail, external)

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column.

Listen to BBC Radio WM commentator Steve Hermon provide an update on West Bromwich Albion's search for a new manager to replace Carlos Corberan.

You can also listen via BBC Sounds here.

Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM commentator

Image source, BBC Sport

Albion have finalised their shortlist for a new head coach and interviews are under way.

Blackburn head coach John Eustace and Swiss manager Raphael Wicky are the latest names being linked with the role.

Despite the process of appointing a new head coach moving to the next stage, the Baggies expect to have the caretaker trio of Chris Brunt, Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill still in interim charge for the FA Cup game at Bournemouth on Saturday.

They have overseen four games so far picking up a win over Preston, two draws and one defeat, which came on Boxing Day at Derby. Those seven points have helped them maintain their place in the Championship play-offs.

However, the third-round tie at the Premier League Cherries is likely to be their last in charge, with the club aiming to appoint a new boss before the next league game against Stoke at The Hawthorns on 18 January.

West Brom returned to the play-off places courtesy of a home win against Preston on Wednesday.

Despite plenty of speculation that Swans boss Luke Williams might be the man to replace Carlos Corberan in the Baggies dugout, Chris Brunt looks set to lead Albion's interim coaching team once again for Saturday's 12:30 GMT kick-off.

Williams oversaw a 4-0 humbling at Portsmouth on New Year's Day as Swansea slipped to 12th, now six points adrift of the top-six.

• Swansea City have won seven of their past nine home league meetings with West Bromwich Albion (D1 L1), including in each of the last three seasons at the Swansea.com Stadium.

• West Bromwich Albion beat Swansea 1-0 at home earlier this season, and last completed a league double over the Swans back in the 2018-19 campaign.

• Following a stoppage-time winning goal against Luton in their final game of 2024, Swansea could win three consecutive home league games for the first time since their final three such matches of the 2022-23 campaign.

• West Brom have won just one of their past 10 Championship away games (D6 L3) and have conceded first in their last three on the road (D1 L2) - this after winning their first three away matches of 2024-25.

• Gonçalo Franco is aiming to become the first non-British or Irish player to net in three consecutive home Championship appearances for Swansea City since Joel Piroe in November 2021 (five in a row).

Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM commentator

West Bromwich Albion's search for a new head coach looks set to roll on after the latest name on the rumour mill was seemingly rubbished.

Swansea City head coach Luke Williams, who hadn't exactly distanced himself from the opening when asked about it after a 4-0 loss to Portsmouth on New Year's Day, saw his odds tumble to become favourite for the vacant role at The Hawthorns.

But it's my understanding that Williams isn't being pursued by the Baggies hierarchy who are still understood to be in no rush to appoint a full-time head coach as successor to Carlos Corberan following his Christmas Eve exit to Valencia.

Temporary management trio Chris Brunt, Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill have picked up four points from three games over the festive period to move Albion back into the play-off places. Some fans have even called for them to get the job.

But this will be Albion owners Bilkul WBA's first managerial appointment since completing their takeover 11 months ago and they want to get it right.

They want a tactically astute leader, who can motivate players but bring an expressive style. Williams ticked boxes, particularly with his work at previous club, Notts County, where he successfully competed with Wrexham to secure promotion back to the EFL via the 2023 play-offs before leaving for South Wales a year ago.

However, speculation is led by agents wanting to drum up interest in their clients, as would appear the case here and also with sacked Southampton head coach Russell Martin, who worked with Williams at MK Dons and Swansea previously.

So, for now the search continues - and Brunt, Abella and Myhill will lead Albion into their next game, Saturday lunchtime's trip to Williams' Swansea.

As for Corberan, he takes charge of his first Valencia game tonight - at home to 15-times European champions Real Madrid. 'Buena suerte' with that Carlos!

Image source, Rex Features

West Bromwich Albion's Callum Styles has confirmed his first goal for the club was not a planned training ground move.

Styles scored Albion's second in their 3-1 win over Preston on New Years Day after connecting with a Mikey Johnston corner which was pulled back to the edge of the box before firing home through a flurry of North End defenders.

"I do want to say it's a good training ground routine but it wasn't," the 24-year-old admitted to BBC Radio West Midlands.

"I think it was just he [Johnston] spotted me last minute, I gave him like a little, 'I'm here in space' so do what you want to do.

"I don't think he's meant to whip it as hard as he has but its gone on to my right and I've converted it."

After a relatively slow start to his time at the Hawthorns, Styles has found a new home for himself at left-back and under new interim boss Chris Brunt has been allowed more freedom to get forward and support winger Johnston in attack.

"I was in a lot of space, and I would have preferred it on my left, but I've scored so he's got an assist and I've got a goal, so, happy days," Styles added.

Image source, Rex Features

West Bromwich Albion have recalled Caleb Taylor from his loan spell at League One leaders Wycombe Wanderers.

Taylor, 21, started 18 times in the league for the Chairboys during a successful period at Adams Park after signing a season-long loan deal for Matt Bloomfield's side in August.

"We are pleased to have Caleb return to us after such a rewarding spell at Wycombe, where he made a great contribution to their ascent to the top of League One," Baggies sporting director Andrew Nestor told the club website.

Taylor's only goal for Wycombe came in the 4-1 rout of Shrewsbury Town on 14 December.

Image source, PA Media

West Bromwich Albion interim boss Chris Brunt has laughed off suggestions that he will be offered the job on a permanent basis following his side's emphatic 3-1 win over Preston on New Year's Day.

The Baggies raced into a 3-0 half-time lead at The Hawthorns on Wednesday but the Northern Irishman played down his chances of replacing Carlos Corberan, who departed for Valencia on Christmas Eve, for the long haul.

"I don't know, I think I'm relatively inexperienced for anything like that," Brunt told BBC Radio West Midlands.

"I'll do my best as I always did as a player for this football club until, hopefully, the right person is appointed and I'm sure that the football club will do that."

Since their narrow defeat to Derby County on Boxing Day, the Baggies have picked up four points from an available six and now sit above Blackburn inside the play-off places on goal difference.

"It's an attractive job for anybody, we're a big club in this country," the 40-year-old added.

"Until I'm told otherwise, I'm not sure what the script is from above just yet, but we'll just keep soldiering on and we'll try and get as many people out there ready to go on Saturday."

Image source, Rex Features

Aston Villa have recalled young front man Lewis Dobbin from his season-long loan at West Midlands neighbours West Bromwich Albion.

The 21-year-old, who joined Villa from Everton for a reported £10m in the summer, was sent out on loan to the Championship club in early August but made only one league start for Albion, the 1-1 draw against Preston in November, as well as 16 substitute appearances.

But he was not in managerless Albion's matchday squad for the New Year's Day 3-1 home win over North End - and joint-caretaker boss Chris Brunt confirmed that the two clubs have come to an agreement to terminate the loan.

"Villa have asked to call him back," Brunt told BBC Radio WM. "He's not played as much as they'd have wanted for a loan player coming out of a Premier League club.

"We'll just have to roll with it and move on, but it's an opportunity for our younger players."

While Dobbin has gone, Albion have had better news on midfielder Alex Mowatt and defender Mason Holgate following scans on groin injuries.

"Hopefully, it's not as bad as initially feared," Brunt added. "It's too soon to say about Saturday - but the more the merrier in terms of bodies going to Swansea. It's a hard old slog at this time of the season and you have to manage it the best you can."

After losing Carlos Corberan to Valencia on Christmas Eve, then starting with a Boxing Day defeat at Derby, the three-man caretaker management team of Brunt, Boaz Myhill and Damia Abella have now picked up four points from two games - a draw at Sheffield United and now the Baggies' first haul of more than two goals in a home match since beating Preston 3-0 last May.

But Brunt laughed off the idea that he might now be in danger of keeping the job.

"I'm relatively inexperienced for anything like that," he said. "But I'll carry on trying to give my best for the club, as I always did as a player, until hopefully the right person is appointed. I'm not sure what the script is from above but we'll just keep plodding away until we're told otherwise."