Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox bring you their reaction - as Tony Mowbray's return to the West Brom hotseat was returned.
The 61-year-old was unveiled as Albion's new manager on Friday, as he returns to management following a spell out through ill health.
The news has been met with an overwhelming positive reaction from Albion fans - and Lewis & Jonny look at Mowbray's superb return, and why it may well be the perfect fit for Albion.
The 61-year-old was unveiled as Albion's new manager on Friday, as he returns to management following a spell out through ill health.
The news has been met with an overwhelming positive reaction from Albion fans - and Lewis & Jonny look at Mowbray's superb return, and why it may well be the perfect fit for Albion.
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00:00Baggies fans. Welcome back to Express and start.com. My name is Johnny Drury. I'm here
00:12alongside Albion correspondent, Lewis Cox. As the news we were all hoping for this week
00:18has been confirmed. Tony Mowbray has marked a sensational return to the Hawthorn 16 years
00:26after his first spell at the club ended. There's been much talk of it this week, much excitement
00:33building, and he now returns to take over from Carlos Corbera nearly a month really
00:38after he departed Albion. It's a fantastic story. Mowbray has been out of the game for
00:45nearly a year due to health issues after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. He was given
00:51the all-clear to return to work and now he makes his return to the game with the club
00:56where he had arguably his most successful spell. Coxie, you know, we've previewed it,
01:02talked about it, discussed a potential return for Tony Mowbray this week on the podcast
01:06and it's finally happened. And it's just a heartwarming, fairy tale, superb story. We'll
01:14come on to how good of an appointment it actually is, you know, but just the whole story around
01:19it is just brilliant.
01:22Yes. Hello, Jonny. Indeed, what a day, quite a day in the modern history of this club,
01:30I would say certainly, bringing back such a much-loved, respected, popular manager so
01:36long after, you know, his departure. I mean, 15 and a half-ish years, he's nearly 16, it
01:43doesn't really happen, does it? You might get the odd examples, the sort of caretaker-type
01:49roles, you know, something like that. But this is highly unusual for any, you know,
01:54for any English-British club really, certainly in the top divisions. First of all, I think
01:59it'd be remiss not to say, and I don't want it to sound sort of cliche or anything like
02:05that, but the best news of the week is Tony's health. You know, that's first and foremost,
02:10the fact that he's been signed off. He obviously received the green light, the all-clear from
02:17the scans he had on Tuesday, late on Tuesday, in a hospital in Manchester. You know, they
02:23were optimistic and confident, as can be, about that. But obviously, you can never say
02:29until, and I believe it was Wednesday, the results were sort of, were known to everyone.
02:37Primarily, that's wonderful for Tony, his family, his friends, everyone who loves him in the game,
02:43clearly. One, that he's OK, he's well after an awful, awful illness. And from what I've
02:50obviously been speaking to a number of people over recent days, he was ill at one point,
02:55you know, obviously very seriously, you know, sort of hence why he had to step away from the
03:00game and his previous job. And two, that he's just fit, you know, he's well enough to get back to
03:05work full stop is a great thing. And obviously, that it wasn't going to be long, was it, before
03:11Tony Mowbray was snaffled up for a championship job? Let's have it right. Managers out there that
03:18are known and available, as he now is. He'd have found himself pretty high up on many a shortlist,
03:24I'd have thought. And we know what this division's like, we're going through managers,
03:27so there have been clubs out there very much having a look. And not many, though, not too many,
03:34you know, he's managed a few places, have that link and that connection with the baggies,
03:39though, do they? And what I was thinking, Johnny, I mean, you know, you and I are the same age,
03:43and supporters of our generation, you know, of which you are one, you know, Tony is,
03:51well, I mean, he's the one, really, isn't he? He's the one, he's a god, yeah. And, you know,
03:56just you're old enough to remember Megson, aren't you, the Megson era? Maybe not the start of it,
04:01but certainly the success in getting the club back up. But, you know, maybe a bit under us,
04:08but, you know, when Mowbray would have been guiding the baggies to glory and that football
04:14he bought and the players he got in, you'd have been of an age, yeah, and others watching this,
04:20where you're first, you're really, you know, getting into, connecting to the game,
04:24going to games, maybe on your own with mates, whatever, with your parents and family. And he's
04:29real memory of that, like, childhood success and some of the best footballer at the Hawthorns.
04:35And it's lovely to, it's so lovely, you know, the health thing, as I say, is the most important,
04:41but it's such a, it's a lovely full circle. It's a wonderful story. We'll get on to something,
04:47I think, because, you know, the word sentiment is clear here and many watching this will be
04:53feeling sentimental at the moment, but we need to park that and the owners will have parked that.
04:57That's something important to say, isn't it? Because he's still, in recent years, prior to
05:01his ill health last year, such a capable, talented manager at this level. I mean, his most
05:07recent job prior to Blues, to Birmingham City, where he managed, I think, just eight games at
05:13St Andrews. We saw his Sunderland team down at the Hawthorns, didn't we? And, I mean, they swept
05:20Corbann's Albion aside, really, didn't they? Let's have it right from memory. And, you know,
05:24this would have been a Tony 61 now, would have been 60 at the time, then 59, you know, he's
05:30just got it still. And that's part of this, isn't it? It's what can he bring? What success can he
05:37sort of regenerate at the Hawthorns this second time around? It's a wonderful thing on many,
05:42many counts. And we kind of saw that, I think we've seen in the last couple of days as this
05:48has gone on, as reports have grown, and then obviously we were able to bring the sort of
05:53confirmation, sort of yes, yesterday evening, the yes talks had resumed and that they were going
06:01well and parties were working towards a conclusion. And I said today that there was, you know,
06:05real optimism that it'd be getting done, you know, either prior to the Stoke game or after.
06:12And we've just seen on, you know, online, speaking to other supporters, just the
06:19the collective sort of unity within it all. You know, we spoke on videos and podcasts earlier,
06:25haven't we, about how this is an appointment that will really galvanise the fan base and bring them
06:28together because of memories, because of love for the guy, because of passion, well-wishing.
06:35And it's all that. And it's a wonderful thing to see. And it's going to be,
06:40I mean, some occasion at the Hawthorns against Stoke, because, you know,
06:44he'll either be there in one particular role or another. And, you know, the atmosphere and
06:53everything that comes around the stadium will be mega, really, won't it? He'll have a special feel
06:58about it, it really will, something special in the air. And then obviously, you know, you couldn't
07:02write it, could you, with the stars aligning up at Middlesbrough. What a connection he's got with
07:06that club up on Tuesday night and what a reception I well imagine he will have from all four corners
07:13of the ground at the Riverside. So, I mean, yeah, it's a brilliant thing, seeing nostalgic videos,
07:19doing the rounds, you know, him taking on from the Chris Brunk caretaker role. It's just proper
07:26full circle stuff, isn't it? You know, Morrison still being around. It's quite an incredible
07:31story, really. It is just a phenomenal story. And yeah, it's going to be a pleasure to watch
07:37how it unfolds. Yeah, it certainly is an incredible story. But the other question,
07:40and the other kind of point is, you referenced it there, he still is one of the best managers
07:46at this level. Yes, I know some fans have said he's coming into a very different album. He certainly
07:51is. The squad is completely different. It's a completely different era. You know, all the
07:55variables around that are different. However, he is probably a better, more well-rounded manager
08:03than the one we had back in the early noughties. Still a very good manager with a great team,
08:08still a very good manager now with a side that's probably got a little bit more to go in it. And,
08:14you know, Mowbray's gone into clubs and got the best out of players. We saw that at Blackburn,
08:18seen that at Sunderland. You know, this side, I think people can see this side has a bit more
08:22potential maybe than what it has arguably shown at different stages this season.
08:29And he could be the man to get the best out of certain players and just continue the work that
08:33Carlos Guggenheim has done. Yeah, I mean, first of all, you know, Tony was relatively
08:41more inexperienced in his managerial career when he came here the first time.
08:45Yeah, it was his first job in England. Yeah, well, exactly. You know, when he arrived,
08:49what are we looking at? Best part of two decades ago, done so much since. I mean,
08:55I need to have a look. What would he have managed since hundreds and upon hundreds of games
09:00at this level? Obviously, you know, he went obviously up to Celtic and what a pressurised
09:04melting pot that is. And he'll have... We've had the pleasure of seeing him over the years,
09:09haven't we? Visiting the Hawthorns, going away, Sunderland, Blackburn. Where was he? Coventry,
09:14Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough before that. I remember, and me and you were speaking about
09:19it off camera, weren't we? The Brunton-Morrison Legends game, you know, a few years ago when he
09:24was sort of back in the dugout there and spoke so fondly after that. But you make a great and
09:30really interesting point, I think. Yeah, what we spoke about within Carlos Corbijn's reign,
09:37certainly towards the back end when there was a slight bit more tension but unease,
09:43the division among the supporters. There's a, you know, as we said throughout, Corbijn's
09:50pragmatic, you know, sort of defence-minded, organised to a T. And I'm not saying that
09:57Mowbray isn't that, but clearly he's known for the football he plays, you know, going back
10:03all those years, those couple of decades, the attack-minded football he plays.
10:07You're right, different squads, different times. However, I think there's this... Going back to the
10:13start of the season, we're waxing lyrical about this admin squad, aren't we? Then a couple of
10:16months into the season, we're saying, well, there's no depth to it. There's nothing to it.
10:20You know, X, Y, Z aren't performing. But the attack here, Carlos isn't getting anything out of
10:26attackers other than Fellows and Maggia. You know, they're not providing any goals, any assists.
10:30But there are clearly some players at this club that sort of, it feels like they've hit a dead
10:37end. You know, time might be coming to an end. Big names in this level, big earners.
10:42Tony Mowbray, the profile he is, the way he manages, I'm sure the man-manager he is in terms
10:50of galvanising individuals, getting things out of them, giving a rocket if required. I can see that
11:00having a real positive effect on some of the individuals. Hopefully, as a collective, that's
11:05what everyone wants, isn't it? But some of the individuals that have really struggled this season,
11:09really struggled last season as well, you know, it's clear who we're referencing to here,
11:13who haven't been able to offer or even play nearly enough this season, that hopefully there can be a
11:20spark there. And what I've been just outside the playoff places, as we speak, ahead of Stoke,
11:25and there's massive, massive games ahead. You know, the Stoke game was always a big game,
11:30wasn't it? Returning to league action after the break and the way Swansea finished last
11:35time out. But now, the whole place will be so galvanised now, won't it? There's so much
11:42spirit and well-wishing behind it that it could really crank Albin up a force or two. We must
11:50remember, Tony comes into a situation without Albin's best player and top scorer available
11:56in Madrid, and that's what, for the best part of two months, we think. But we don't want to get
12:00bogged down in all of that, but this is a little reminder that, look, whatever side Albin are able
12:05to pick at the moment, it's missing a big part in it. And also worth saying, as we speak, it's
12:10January the 17th. There's just under half of the window remaining, and Albin need to do business.
12:16Tony will, more than anyone, know that. And there's business there to be done.
12:22So, but you're right, John, it feels like, how often have we had it at the Hawthorns, where
12:29there's this division, this get-off-the-leash, start playing more free, it's only 1-0,
12:35it's cost Albin a draw, and all of this. It doesn't quite feel like there'll be that
12:42sort of issue now under Mowbray. Look, granted, we haven't seen a side of his play consistently
12:48for 46 games because we don't report on Sunderland and Blackburn. However, we've seen enough of them
12:52when Albin have faced them, through clips, highlights, and how well he's done at those clubs.
12:59That, to be confident, he can bring it here. And he just, I was speaking to someone earlier in the
13:03week, the desire he has for the ambition, commitment to make that step again, to get
13:11up again, to manage where he feels he can manage again. At the top level, people that have listened
13:17to our podcast this week will have heard that. It burns brighter than ever. And perhaps, look,
13:22I can't speak for Tony, I don't know this, but the illness he's had, I'm sure,
13:27will have put everything, including work-related stuff, into perspective and really made him think
13:32about what he wants with the job and stuff and how ready he is to come back. And how exciting
13:38is that? I'm so excited to see what he can bring, what he can do with a manager when he's fit,
13:41what he can do with a Fellows, a Johnston, a Molumbia, a Stiles, a Higgum. It really
13:49gives you a lot of optimism, doesn't it? But it's a wonderful feeling, a story appointment
13:56gives you that warm feeling. Well, I just want to say finally, before you ask whatever else,
14:02the sentiment thing I mentioned at the start, I put that in a tweet last night. I think
14:06we can't all fall into the trap of thinking, you know, Bill Cook football, Albin's owners have
14:12done here what supporters would have wanted for a few memories, you know, a bit of feel-good
14:17factor there. And what a week it's been here. It started with Raphael Vickie, didn't it? And
14:23the breakdown there and Albin not getting their first choice. And that's how it was. And Mowgrave
14:29was interviewed and Albin decided to go down a different path and the stars have aligned.
14:34But I think it's important to say they wouldn't have aligned through sentiment alone. You know,
14:39Albin's owners are proper decision makers, proper sporting people who will make what they see to be
14:48the best decisions for the side, for the club and its prospects this season and beyond. So
14:56it's funny, isn't it? Because it was such a big appointment for them, such an important one,
15:00one you get judged by, remembered by, and it'll be remembered that bit more now,
15:04won't it? Because it brought Mowgrave back to the club.