Former Reggae Boy Darren Moore Scoops Premier League Manager Of The Month Award
Top accolade for ex-Reggae Boyz ace as WBA interim boss
Darren Moore’s Tuesday proved to be topsy-turvy as the caretaker manager of Premier League (PL) outfit West Bromwich Albion.
The former Reggae Boyz player, thrown in at the deep end as interim boss following the Birmingham-based club’s parting with manager Alan Pardew, suffered both joy and disappointment within a matter of hours.
He kicked off the day by winning the prestigious PL Manager of the Month award, but ended it knowing that his team had been relegated to the Championship – the second tier in England and Wales.
The 43-year-old had guided WBA, an outfit he had played for 116 times, to an unexpected unbeaten run in April. And since taking over the hot-spot of the then-basment team has overseen a trio of victories and two draws.
WBA were rock bottom of the PL when Moore took the reins, and were in with a shot of escaping the drop until their fate was sealed by Southampton’s slender 1-0 success at Swansea that made it mathematically impossible for West Brom to stay up.
Moore’s managerial stint has been dramatic, which included the sensational 1-0 triumph over Manchester United that helped Manchester City seal the PL title.
On picking up April’s Manager of the Month award delighted Moore said: “It’s been a wonderful joint effort by everybody here at The Hawthorns.
“We’ve just brought some unity here, and it’s helped the players put the performances together on the pitch.”
WBA had been expected to simply go through the motions in their handful of games under Moore, but the Baggies interim boss has instilled new.found confidence and a never-say-die attitude – something that shocked visiting Tottenham Hotspurs over the weekend with a 1-0 result.
Moore is only the second manager from the CONCAF region to take the helm in the PL, following in the footsteps of former US national coach Bob Bradley who was briefly Swansea City boss.
And Moore, who represented Jamaica twice in 1999 and made over 100 appearances for West Brom, is now a serious contender to take over the role permanently after moving up from assistant manager.
However, this is his first taste of management at the top level so nothing is assured despite being so successful as well as popular with players and fans alike.
Moore has masterminded a revival at WBA, which ended their unwanted 10-match winless streak, and will be aiming to sign off the season with maximum effort and at least a draw in his final game in charge to retain his unblemished record in the top flight.
He will end this season’s campaign at Crystal Palace – managed by ex-WBA player and former England boss Roy Hodgson.
Regardless of the result in London on Sunday, Moore has made an impact and next term could be among the most exciting young managers in the Championship.
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