Slaven Bilic fired by West Brom, Sam Allardyce set to replace him as head coach | Football news

Slaven Bilic has been fired by West Brom, with Sam Allardyce likely to replace him as head coach at The Hawthorns.

Bilic was fired on Wednesday despite his team winning a 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Tuesday night.

“Albion would like to thank Slaven and his coaching staff for their efforts to achieve promotion last season and wishes them all the best in the future,” a statement from the club read.

Negotiations are ongoing between West Brom and Allardyce, but the 66-year-old is expected to be named Bilic’s successor before Sunday’s game against local rivals Aston Villa.

It is slated to be his first managerial position since he was fired by Everton in 2018.

Bilic leaves West Brom after less than two years in charge. He initially enjoyed success at The Hawthorns, guiding the club to promotion in his first season as head coach.

However, the Baggies have struggled on their return to the top flight, winning just once in the Premier League, against last club Sheffield United.

West Brom is still the second bottom of the table, despite the draw against City, but it is only two points behind Burnley, who are in 17th place.

‘West Brom hierarchy did not support Bilic in summer’

Sky Sports expert and former West Brom forward Don Goodman:

I don’t think the West Brom hierarchy was sufficiently supportive of Slaven Bilic this summer.

I understand that there are budgets but you look at the recruitment … Diangana, Pereira – players who were already in the club; Krovinovic is on loan again.

Gallagher is a quality player but he was in the Championship last season. The forward is the most important piece of the puzzle, but Karlan Grant has also been predominantly in the Championship. It has been a great request for Bilic.

Analysis: fractured relationship with Bilic joint costs

Sky Sports Gerard Brand:

For weeks he has been the favorite for the first Premier League dismissal of the season, but going after a spirited draw at Man City has surprised many.

No one denies that West Brom is in a relegation fight and probably will be for the rest of the season. Their best performances have come against Chelsea, Tottenham Manchester United and Manchester City, but it is the results against the teams around them that have ultimately cost Bilic.

The board will point to defeats at Newcastle and Fulham, plus the capitulation to Crystal Palace, but a fractured relationship between the club’s hierarchy and Bilic has also contributed.

Bilic’s initial budget upon returning to the Premier League was around £ 25 million; in the end his spending came to £ 42 million with add-ons included, a figure that Bilic clearly felt was negligible. His team lacks experience in the Premier League.

In October, Bilic criticized the board for selling Ahmed Hegazi to Saudi Al-Ittihad for £ 4 million just 24 hours before his trip to Brighton, suggesting that the club had broken promises about the defender. “I’m really disappointed because we need players,” he said at the time.

Tuesday’s performance showed that the players haven’t lost tools at Bilic, but if the board and the manager aren’t working together, little else matters.

‘Etihad irony, but Allardyce is a great character’

Rob Dorsett of Sky Sports News:

The irony is that Slaven Bilic will probably be very convinced that West Brom had his best performance and result of the season against Man City.

It will be sad news for many West Brom fans. Bilic was a popular figure. He had his heart on his sleeve and you’ll feel like you didn’t get the resources in the summer transfer window to get stronger.

Slaven Bilic was frustrated that he couldn’t achieve his main goals, but West Brom’s bosses thought they were going above and beyond to support him in the marketplace and gave him more money than they had originally planned. There was definitely a difference of opinion there.

But the results speak for themselves: just one win this season, second to the bottom of the Premier League. West Brom bosses clearly felt that the only way to mount a realistic survival challenge was to change managers.

How would the appointment of Allardyce go with the fans? He has a wealth of experience and a brilliant record of keeping teams in the Premier League. It’s that easy.

They may have some concerns about the style of play. Allardyce has never apologized for that, he focuses on winning football. But there are a lot of creative players on this side and one of the problems West Brom has had is not scoring enough goals. That is a problem that needs to be addressed.

The congested roster means it may not be easy to change tactics too quickly, but the team that went to Etihad showed great strength of character and that will give the team, and the new coach, great confidence. Allardyce has been out of the game for a while, but he’s a great character and a very talented manager, and he’ll make West Brom that much harder to beat.

I don’t think Allardyce will take this job unless he thinks he can keep West Brom in the Premier League. He sees himself as a Premier League coach. If you thought they were sure to fall into the Championship, I don’t think you would be interested. But you’ll want to know that they have the resources in January.

The rebound effect?

Adam Smith from Sky Sports:

Between 1992/93 and last season, 19 of the 74 clubs have fired or lost their coach in the first season after promotion to the Premier League, usually during the hectic holiday calendar or towards the end of business.

But did those changes achieve the desired rebound effect? Well, only six of those 19 clubs stayed in May. On average, there was a 0.18 point per game increase after bringing in a new boss, but the changes are significant.

Crystal Palace’s form skyrocketed after firing Ian Holloway in October 2013, and the Eagles stayed awake. But Cardiff suffered a notable downfall after firing Malky Mackay in December of the same year and was relegated.