West Brom confirm the sacking of their manager Slaven Bilic – so we look updated top six favourites to takeover at Hawthorns.
The Baggies have gathered seven points from 13 league games, with eight defeats, though they earned a surprise 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Tuesday.
Bilic, 52, signed a two-year contract when he took over at the The Hawthorns in June 2019, replacing Darren Moore.
Club statement: Slaven Bilić.
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) December 16, 2020
CLUB STATEMENT:
West Bromwich Albion have today parted company with Head Coach Slaven Bilić.
Assistant Coaches, Dean Računica and Danilo Butorović, 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 club will make no further comment at this time.
We would like to thank Slaven and his coaching staff for their efforts in achieving promotion last season and wish them all well in the future. pic.twitter.com/RR1ik0vOk8
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) December 16, 2020
So, who are the favourites to become the next West Brom manager now that they confirm the sacking of Bilic…
6) Alex Neil
Alex Neil is currently manager of Preston North End, and has been ever since he was appointed back in 2017, replacing Simon Grayson.
He guided them to a 7th place finish in his first season in charge at Deepdale, however endured a tough 18/19 season, ending up in 14th, though had a more impressive season just gone, finishing 9th.
He has been linked with many jobs during his reign, and was most recently favourite for the Bristol City vacancy.
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5) Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe has been linked with many clubs for the manager’s position for however long he stays unemployed.
The 42-year-old guided the Cherries to more than 450 games across two spells spanning more than a decade but stepped down this summer following the club’s relegation to the Championship.
Their five-year stay in the top flight ended despite a 3-1 win at Everton on the final day of the season.
Howe also made more than 300 appearances as a player in the famous red and black stripes.
Howe was initially appointed AFC Bournemouth caretaker manager in December 2008, with the club sitting on -17 points at the bottom of the Football League.
Against all the odds he secured their safety and followed it with promotion from League Two the following season.
After a brief spell in charge of Burnley, a masterstroke from owner Maxim Demin bought Howe back to Dorset, and he then proceeded to achieve two further promotions in three seasons, leading the Cherries to the Premier League, where they remained for five years.
Sky Bet odds: 12/1
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4) Marco Silva
Everton sack Marco Silva – was the music the ears of many Toffees fans in 2019, leaving Goodison Park 19 months after his arrival, having won just four of his 15 league games in charge in 2019/20 following the 2018/19 season’s eighth-place finish.
He is still out of work since departing on the 5th of December 2019, after a 5–2 defeat to city rivals Liverpool which left the team in 18th place at the time.
When managing at Everton, Marco Silva was trolled during a game as fans of his former club Watford brought along and held up inflatable snakes.
Travelling Watford, who were given a £10 food/drinks voucher by their club for making the 400 mile round trip to Goodison Park, cheekily sneaked in the inflatables in protest at Silva who was sacked by the Hornets.
The Toffees manager was in charge of Watford between May 2017 and January 2018, however, Everton approached him after they had sacked Ronald Koeman (now somehow manager of Barcelona) and that is when the Hornet’s form started to drop.
Despite Watford rejecting the approach, they ended up sacking him due to an ‘unwarranted approach by a Premier League rival’ that caused “significant deterioration in both focus and results’.
Four months after getting the axe, he was brought in by the Merseyside club, leading Watford fans to turn on him and taunt him with the inflatables and calling him a snake.
Silva also managed Hull City, appointed in January 2017 until the end of the season, replacing Mike Phelan who was dismissed with the club bottom of the Premier League table.
He came in, got four wins from his first four home matches as manager and reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
He couldn’t keep the form up however and in May 2017, the club’s relegation from top-flight football was confirmed.
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3) Nigel Pearson
Nigel Pearson was sacked back in July 2020 after a defeat away at West Ham United, yet looked to be guiding them to safety towards the end of the season.
Instead, he was axed with the club in 17th, assistants Hayden Mullins and Graham Stack took over on a caretaker basis for the final two games of the season, which then saw them drop into the relegation zone, then finish in 19th position on the final day.
Pearson has previous experience of helping a side escape deep trouble, having led Leicester to safety in 2015 when they were to the foot of the table at Christmas.
Pearson won the Championship and League One during his time with the Foxes between 2011 and 2015.
His most recent job was with Belgian First Division B side Oud-Heverlee Leuven but lasted 17 months, left them bottom of the table with just 22 points from 24 games and there were many fan protests to get him out of the club.
A few years back, he was linked to become the new manager of QPR, Bolton and Sunderland, but he didn’t get the job.
Sky Bet odds: 12/1
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2) Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes was reported to be in talks about replacing Gomes, especially as he has a strong relationship with Reading sporting director Mark Bowen after they worked together at Wales, Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke and Southampton.
Hughes was last in charge of Southampton, they made positive signings in that season’s summer window, but made a poor start and on the 2nd of December 2018, with the club 18th in the table, Hughes was dismissed. He was replaced by Ralph Hasenhüttl.
He then failed to make Reading’s final shortlist went with Mark Bowen, yet at the time was favourite for the job at the Madejski.
👀 Mark Hughes was being heavily linked with the job this morning, but he’s priced at 12/1.#WBA pic.twitter.com/oh2ur8y1cq
— oddschecker (@oddschecker) December 16, 2020
1) Sam Allardyce
Sportsmail understands negotiations with Allardyce are progressing between himself and West Brom, and the former Bolton, Sunderland and England manager is likely to be in place in time for Sunday’s local derby against Aston Villa.
It will be his first management job since he was sacked by Everton in 2018.
Allardyce is set to be handed an initial six-month contract but it is likely there will be an option for an extra 12 months if they stay up. Is he the right man for the job?
Sky Bet odds: 1/10
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Fans reacted as West Brom confirm the sacking of their manager Slaven Bilic as we look at an updated top six favourites to takeover…
@ftbIaiden: Disgusting and that’s his farewell message.
@ClintM29: Pathetic. 3 1/2 years of embarrassment fixed by Darren Moore and Slaven Bilic who halted the decline and turned the club around to such an extent we’re back in the Prem. Sacked for overachieving.
@TaylorsTapIn: The board should be embarrassed. This is shameful. I’m so grateful for everything Slav has brought, the passion, the goals, the players. Super Slav forever
@afcsammm: pathetic
@westhamtransfer: Disgraceful.
@RobPaddockWBA: I have run out of words to describe how ashamed I am of the club today
@The60ftOctopus: Thanks for ruining Christmas.
@shukokai_mike: For the first time in all my life supporting this club, they will no longer receive a single penny from me until these odious, treacherous little toads that run our club are gone. I encourage everyone else to do the same. Never felt so embarrassed to support WBA.
@ALBIONFANTV: Joke of a decision sacking a man who was never financially backed to repliace him with a dingle!
@buddhafantastic: As always, shit rolls downhill, useless from the top, no investment to aid him. Club won’t go anywhere until the the people who need to go do
Jason Lee: Sam Allardyce among the favourites to become new West Brom manager, what a joke, merry-go-round managers.
@TheFergusonWay: Too quick a decision.
— WBA Rainbow Stand 🅙 (@TheRainbowStand) December 16, 2020
Embarrassing decision. Big Sam in what a ridiculous thing to do
— BARNEY (@barney___21) December 16, 2020
This is who West Brom have lost. A perfect gentleman who doesn’t just understand football, he understands the fans pic.twitter.com/JraQ1QCwbX
— West Ham Place #GSBOUT (@WestHamPlace) December 16, 2020
Reconnected us with our club and knocked us back down, now appointing a short term again. No long turn planning👏👏👏 well done for killing all the good feeling stone dead 👍
— Dan Shorthouse (@Deniquedomum) December 16, 2020
Club target: promotion in 2 seasons
Bilic: does it in oneSacked.
Lol. What a joke.
— AZ (@ffscout_az) December 16, 2020
We’ve been pioneers with race, inclusion and football. We have the highest ground above sea level but today we’ve sunk to our lowest point. Dragged down to new depths by a gutless, odious board and a blithering snake of a tech director. I’ve never felt more disgusted with my club
— Colin Griffiths (@_ColinGriffiths) December 16, 2020
Now you have seen who are the favourites for next West Brom manager, who would like to see replace Bilic? Let us know below!
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