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Former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will commence talks with managerless Premier League outfit West Brom later this week, according to the Birmingham Mail. In fact, Pardew’s odds of becoming the new Baggies boss have shortened to just 4/11, with the ex-Crystal Palace boss now the favourite for the job
The Baggies parted company with experienced boss Tony Pulis on Monday after the club had recorded just two wins from their last 21 games in the English top-flight. The poor run of results has seen the Baggies drop to 17th place in the table, just one point above the dreaded drop zone.
Pulis had come in for heavy criticism from the fans and even his own players for his style of football and management style.
Pardew is a highly experienced Premier League boss. However, his last job in the English top-flight saw the 56-year-old sacked as Palace boss in December 2016.
The Eagles were in the same position in the table as West Brom when he left the club, as they had won just six of their previous 36 league games.
Pardew’s most successful spell in the Premier League was at Newcastle. He led the north east side to fifth-place in the table in 2012, narrowly missing out on the lucrative Champions League spots. The experienced boss is no stranger to controversy, though, as he has been involved in a number of incidents both on and off the field. However, Pardew still retains a decent managerial reputation, despite those aforementioned controversial incidents and his Palace sacking.
The Baggies had previously been linked with a number other of high profile figures in their hunt for a new boss.
One of those linked to the job and one-time favourite is Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill. He had done a sterling job guiding his team to Euro 2016, where they suffered defeat in the last-16 of the competition. The former Shamrock Rovers boss has held discussions to become the boss of the Scotland national team. However, the sad passing of his mother interrupted those talks.
There are also reports from Ireland that O’Neill is set to be offered a new six-year deal by the IFA to remain as Northern Ireland boss. The 48-year-old is reportedly ready to snub the offer though in favour of a new challenge elsewhere.
Another high-profile figure mooted as a possible replacement for Pulis is former England boss Sam Allardyce. The veteran boss has a reputation as a managerial firefighter, who saves clubs from relegation. Allardyce has never suffered relegation from the Premier League. Like Pulis, his style of play has come in for criticism, though. The ex-Crystal Palace boss recently turned down a short-term deal with another struggling Premier League club Everton.
He reportedly wanted a longer contract and would not be prepared to come out of retirement for such a short-term contract. Allardyce is still the second favourite for the job and could still be in the running.
The message boards and West Brom forums suggest that Alan Pardew would not be a popular appointment among the Baggies fans. However, it now seems likely that the 56-year-old will be the next West Brom boss.
