Spanish newspaper Sport link Oscar Garcia with West Brom in their Tuesday edition. Garcia certainly hasn’t been one of the names most linked over the past 24 hours, and isn’t in many of the betting lists, although that means little if anything, but Sport say he’s a candidate for the job.
With Tony Pulis getting the shove, and a general desire at the club for a better style of football, Garcia would fit the loose remit for the role. Having managed Brighton and Watford, Garcia has experience in English football and a reputation as someone who wants to do things the ‘right’ way.
In September, the same Spanish newspaper reported an Aston Villa approach for Garcia. At the time it seemed unlikely, because even if Steve Bruce wasn’t exactly pulling up trees at Aston Villa, Garcia’s issues at Saint-Etienne weren’t in the open.
Perhaps Aston Villa knew something the rest didn’t, but with the Championship club now 5th, Bruce seems much more secure at Villa Park.
Garcia left his role with Saint-Etienne a few days ago, on mutual terms. Despite ASSE being 7th in Ligue 1, there was clearly some frustration from the manager at how the club was progressing or not, and he decided to leave, not taking any pay off with him.
That he left his job voluntarily just a few days before West Brom parted ways with Pulis could suggest a remarkable quirk of timing.
Of all the names linked so far, this is perhaps one of the outsiders which deserves to be given consideration by West Brom. Garcia would fit in with a new outlook at the Premier League club, and try to change the style of football.
There’s likely to be other interest, although not from Aston Villa this time, unless things start going wrong for Bruce again.
