Michael Appleton: I'd be amazed if West Brom don't finish in top two

The former Baggies player and coach, who has previously worked alongside Darren Moore at both Albion and Blackburn, is confident the fledgling boss will guide his former team to the top two.

Appleton acknowledged that Albion's squad was strong for the division, but he believes Moore is the right man to work under that sort of pressure.

"He's got a fantastic squad and he knows that, there’s a lot of pressure on him and he also knows that, but he’s big enough and strong enough to be able to deal with that pressure," Appleton told the NTT20 Podcast.

"I’ll be amazed if they don’t finish in the top two this year with the front two they’ve got with Gayle and Rodriguez.

"But ultimately you’ve still got to go and do it, you’ve got to deliver every week, and I’m sure he will.

"He is the proverbial gentle giant, a massive giant of a man. He has done his time as a youth team coach now for a number of years, so he’s had that education.

"I think what he did last year in the six games that he had was great. Football is all about timing and getting that opportunity with a group of players at that right time can be crucial."

Appleton was at Albion for a decade before he was given his first managerial job at Portsmouth.

He later took Moore to Blackburn with him as first team coach, but he is currently without a club after leaving Leicester, where he was an assistant, in the summer.

“I would prefer to go back in as a manager if possible," he added. "I feel that’s what suits my personality and my abilities.

"It was interesting - when I first came out of the game, a lot of people see me as a coach and someone being on the grass which I’m more than happy to do.

"I love being on the grass but I actually quite enjoyed [the management side of it] being in the boardroom and dealing with managing above and - when I’ve been out the game I’ve been involved in a couple of business opportunities as well, so I enjoy that side of it.

"I wanna go back in as a number one if possible. For me, it’s not about the level, if I’m being honest.

"I would love the opportunity to manage in the Championship just to put a few ghosts to bed. To prove a few people wrong.

"But I’m not obsessed with that. For me it’s about the club, and I’ve said that to a few managers at LMA Events over the last couple of months.

"Whatever you do, don’t pick the level, pick the club. Because ultimately, if you want to be a Championship manager, there might be a club in League Two right now that’s more than capable of doing that in two seasons."