Paul Robinson has backed Valerien Ismael to guide West Bromwich Albion to promotion as his appointment moves nearer.

Reports from The Express And Star have claimed that the Baggies are on the verge of appointing the Frenchman as their new boss following Sam Allardyce's departure from the club at the end of last month.

It's claimed that a compensation fee has been agreed with Barnsley and so Ismael could be formally announced before the weekend.

If Ismael is named, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has backed the Tykes boss to be a big success and believes that he has all the credentials needed to guide West Brom back to the Premier League.

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson: “Ismael has got a great record.

“He is a manager who made me stand up and take notice last year. It was unbelievable what he was able to do with that Barnsley team.

“I like the way they played. They were very direct at times and they were not apologetic about doing it.

“He got the best out of that crop of players. They all looked like they liked playing for him. He clearly had a great relationship with them.

“If he can take a club like Barnsley to the play-offs then I am pretty sure he can take West Brom up. It’s so important they bounce back up next year.

“To apply a manager of Ismael’s ilk shows real intent from the club. In the Championship you need a good man-manager and a manager who knows that league. Ismael has proven he’s both.”

The verdict

It'll be very interesting to see how Valerien Ismael gets on this term.

The Barnsley boss looks certain to be named as West Brom manager and so the hard work will begin as preparations ramp up for the season ahead.

The Baggies need to be challenging for promotion and so the Frenchman faces a huge challenge to meet those expectations - however based on his achievements with Barnsley last term it's hard to see him crumbling under the pressure.