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Slaven Bilic has become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season as West Brom resorted to a drastic measure in an effort to climb out of the relegation zone.
Sam Allardyce is the main contender to fill the vacancy, with West Brom believing the 66-year-old can guide the club to safety thanks to his experience and know-how. Allardyce, a native of Dudley, has managed seven Premier League clubs and never been relegated. He had been due to host a tea-time show on TalkSport on Wednesday but pulled out of the engagement.
The club confirmed the decision to dismiss Bilic in a curt statement. “West Bromwich Albion have today parted company with head coach Slaven Bilic. Assistant coaches, Dean Racunica and Danilo Butorovic, and first-team coach Julian Dicks have also left the club with immediate effect.
“The Baggies are currently 19th in the Premier League table with seven points from 13 fixtures. Albion would like to thank Slaven and his coaching staff for their efforts in achieving promotion last season and wishes them all well in the future.”
The timing of the decision is surprising insofar as it came after Tuesday’s commendable 1-1 at Manchester City, during which West Brom showed defensive qualities that they had lacked for much of the season. However, the board evidently decided that improvement was unlikely to last under Bilic, whose relationship with senior figures in the club’s hierarchy has been strained for several months.
The situation has been clouded by uncertainty regarding the club’s owner, Lai Guochuan, who has been reported to be keen to reduce or even end his involvement.
Bilic was given relatively little transfer funds after winning promotion, with an initial £20m spent on squad reinforcements in preparation for a Premier League campaign that was always likely to be a battle against relegation. The manager made his unhappiness known in October when the centre-back Ahmed Hegazi was sold against his wishes and contrary to assurances he said he had been given. Two recruits for whom Bilic had lobbied hard, Branislav Ivanovic and Karlan Grant, have yet to prove their worth.
West Brom, who have won once in the league, are only two points from 17th place but a key factor in their survival push will be the extent to which they are willing to support Bilic’s replacement with investment in January. – Guardian