Steve Clarke deserves his accolade

Whenever a manager steps out of the shadows and into the limelight, more often than not it ends in despair. The number two isn’t quite ready to become a number one and they fall into mediocrity, out of the spotlight and are cast away into the catacombs of a football fans’ mind, never to be spoken of again.

However, there is one man who read the history books under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, Gianfranco Zola and Kenny Dalglish and thought ‘You know what? I can do this’. That man is, of course, Steve Clarke. The Scot took over the reins at West Bromwich Albion over the summer following Roy Hodgson’s decision to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager.

The Baggies may well have succumbed to defeat over their last three games, but the work the 49-year-old has performed at the Hawthorns has already seen fans and pundits alike take a shine to West Brom.

Currently sixth in the Premiership, level on points with top four chasing duo Everton and Tottenham Hotspur,  it’s difficult not to like the Midlands outfit, unless you support Aston Villa or Birmingham City, of course.

Nevertheless, with West Brom currently flying high in the Premiership, all credit must go to Clarke, who rightfully deserves his manager of the month award. They may have a tough encounter against West Ham United upcoming, but there is no reason as to why they can’t pick up maximum points against Sam Allardyce’s side on Sunday and pick up their first win in four games. 

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