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Sam Allardyce has been appointed West Bromwich Albion head coach following the departure of Slaven Bilic on Wednesday.
Bilic’s dismissal came the morning after a surprise 1-1 draw with Manchester City that brought them an unexpected point in the battle to avoid relegation. West Brom is second from the tail in the Premier League after scoring just seven points from 13 games, their only win coming against Sheffield United late last month. They also tied four games and lost eight.
In an earlier statement on Wednesday, the club said: “West Bromwich Albion have parted ways with coach Slaven Bilic today. Assistant coaches Dean Racunica and Danilo Butorovic and first team coach Julian Dicks have also left the club with immediate effect. .
“Albion wants to thank Slaven and his coaching staff for their promotion efforts last season and wishes everyone the best in the future.”
Bilic, who was appointed West Brom boss in June 2019 and won promotion to the Premier League last season, is the first senior manager to lose his job this season.
Speaking after Tuesday’s credible draw at Manchester City, the 52-year-old did not appear to be a man under pressure.
“To be fair, it doesn’t bother me,” Bilic told reporters. “I’m doing my job. I’m enjoying it. I’m working hard for myself, for my staff, for the players, for the club, that’s all.
“Everything else is out of my control. I’m not so bothered by what’s going on behind the scenes. I don’t care.”
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Allardyce, who has 512 Premier League games to his name, will join the club with his assistant Sammy Lee.
The club said in a statement: “At Sam we have a man who has a proven pedigree in the Premier League with a track record of improving all the clubs he has managed.
“We believe, and more importantly, Sam believes that we have a group of players who have the quality to give the club the best chance of surviving in the Premier League.”
The 66-year-old from Dudley, England, agreed to an 18-month contract and will start training on Thursday before Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa.
