Middlesbrough’s Championship rivals weigh up next manager moves

Middlesbrough’s Championship rivals weigh up next manager moves



Boro are undertaking their own review as they look to get to the bottom of the issues that led to last season’s disappointing 10th place finish.

The outcome of the review is not yet clear, but the focus over the summer will be on improvement and a fresh promotion push next season.

But several of their rivals look set to have new faces in the dugout. Here’s the state of play with Championship managerial movement and uncertainty:

WEST BROM

Tottenham are braced for an approach for first-team coach Ryan Mason over the vacant West Brom job, the PA news agency understands.

West Brom have been on the hunt for a new manager since Tony Mowbray was dismissed on April 21.

Mason has emerged as a leading candidate for the role, but Spurs’ rollercoaster 2024-25 campaign only ended on Sunday days after Europa League success in Bilbao.

Uncertainly remains over the future of Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou and yet a coaching restructure at the Premier League team could occur regardless of if the Australian is kept on by chairman Daniel Levy.

Highly rated coach Mason held talks with Belgian club Anderlecht in October before a mutual decision was made to remain at Spurs, which enabled the 33-year-old to play his part in the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

After two previous caretaker stints across a seven-year coaching spell at Tottenham, Mason has long been tipped for a future in management and could land his first role at West Brom.

West Brom finished ninth in the Championship but dismissed Mowbray after their play-off hopes ended in April.

Mowbray had only been hired in January to replace Carlos Corberan, who left to take over at Valencia in December.

After Mason progressed through Spurs’ academy, he played once for England during a decade-long playing career before he was forced to retire at the age of 26 in 2018 after he sustained a fractured skull in a Premier League match for Hull away to Chelsea.

Mason’s contract at Tottenham is understood to expire next month.

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NORWICH CITY

Norwich have been without a boss since sacking Johannes Hoff Thorup prior to the penultimate game of the season, with Jack Wilshere placed in temporary charge.

Wilshere felt ready to move into management on a permanent basis but Norwich wanted to look elsewhere in their search for a head coach, which led to the departure of the former Arsenal midfielder.

And it now looks like the man who’ll be in charge of the Canaries next season is current Bristol City boss Liam Manning.

The Robins received an approach from Norwich for Manning earlier this week and the noises coming out of both clubs suggests the move is now extremely likely to happen.

Norwich will reportedly pay compensation in the region of £800,000 for Manning and they’re expected to also take Chris Hogg and James Krause, members of the head coach’s staff, to Carrow Road.

Former Boro midfielder Gary O’Neil and ex-Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders are said to have held interviews with Norwich before the Canaries turned to Manning.

BRISTOL CITY

What’s not clear at this stage is where Bristol City will turn, if, as expected, Manning departs.

His exit will be a major blow for the Robins on the back of their sixth-placed finish and qualification for the Championship play-offs for the first time in 17 years.

Although the play-off campaign ended with a record-breaking 6-0 aggregate defeat to Sheffield United, Bristol City have still made good progress under Manning, who has been a popular figure with supporters.

QPR

Marti Cifuentes is yet to be officially relieved of his duties at QPR but the Spaniard was placed on gardening leave in the final week of the season after reportedly holding talks with West Brom.

It now appears Cifuentes won’t be heading for the Hawthorns, and it’s not yet clear who take his place at Loftus Road, though ex-Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup is the strong favourite.

If Thorup does indeed get the job, he’ll be keen to prove a point after feeling harshly treated with his sacking at Norwich.

He said: “I always say we didn’t have enough time. We have obviously worked with a long-term perspective, and we also knew that the first season would have bumps in the road. That’s why we also made some decisions based on a longer-term view. That’s why we can be surprised how things can change all of a sudden.

“If the communication from the start had been that we were going to reach the top six and be one of the playoff clubs, we would probably have made some other decisions along the way.”

LEICESTER

Their miserable Premier League season is now over but there remains uncertainty as to who will be at the helm as Leicester try to get back out of the Championship at the first time of asking.

Fresh reports earlier this week claimed the Foxes were set to sack Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Dutchman’s disappointing spell in charge, with Russell Martin reportedly lined up to take charge.

But talk of Martin’s appointment doesn’t appear to have gone down too well with Leicester fans, who chanted against the former Southampton boss during their final day defeat at Bournemouth.

Martin has also been strongly linked with the vacancy at Rangers and, appearing as a pundit on Sky Sports for the play-off final, confirmed he is ready to return to management.

He said: “I hope so [to return soon]. I honestly haven’t got a clue at the moment, but I hope so. I miss it.

“Days like today [the Championship playoff final] definitely make you miss it—not even just moments like this, but being involved in something with a team.

“Looking at the coaching staff and the players, yes, you miss that. I’ve enjoyed the break but yes, I hope to be back in a dugout at some point soon.”

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

Danny Rohl remains Sheffield Wednesday boss as things stand, but will that still be the case come the start of the season?

The German has done nothing to dampen talk about his potential Hillsborough exit this summer.

He said at the end of the season: “I will not forget this place. It doesn’t matter what happens now.

“To have such a relationship so quickly, such a belief, such hope, such a respectful togetherness – I can’t have expected this when I took over.

“It will be part of the bottom of my heart.”

Rohl has made his frustrations known at the running of the club and is said to have already held talks with Werder Bremen this summer.

But the Bundesliga club were reportedly priced out of appointing Rohl, whose exit clause is said to be a mouthwatering £5m.

One to watch as the summer progresses.

SOUTHAMPTON

Rohl is one of the managers who has been on Southampton’s radar over the last year or so, but Saints confirmed the appointment of ex-Sunderland target Will Still at the weekend.

Still was in the stands for Southampton’s final game of their miserable Premier League campaign against Arsenal.

And after leaving Lens, the 32-year-old is tasked with leading Southampton back to the Premier League.

He said: “Walking around the training ground this morning, just the infrastructure, whether it be the stadium or Staplewood, it’s massive and you can do so many things and create the right environment for everyone to be in.

“But then also, players-wise, there’s a lot of talent. Southampton has always had the reputation of bringing very good players through the ranks. So the possibilities are sort of endless. And it’ll be up to us to get the best out of everyone and use all this infrastructure and use all these good people to be as competitive and win as many games as we can.”



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