Tony Pulis sacked by West Brom with Baggies just a point clear of relegation zone
TONY PULIS has been sacked by West Brom.
The Baggies are just a point clear of the relegation zone and have not won a match since August 22 - a run of 11 matches in all competitions.
West Brom chairman John Williams said in a statement: "These decisions are never taken lightly but always in the interests of the club.
"We are in a results business and over the back end of last season and this season to date, ours have been very disappointing.
"We would like to place on record our appreciation of Tony's contribution and hard work during a period of transition for the club which included a change of ownership.
"We wish him well in his future endeavours."
NEXT WEST BROM MANAGER - SUNBETS ODDS
- Michael O'Neill 3/1 (pictured)
- Sam Allardyce 5/1
- Nigel Pearson 6/1
- Gary Megson 7/1
- Martin O'Neill 8/1
- Alan Pardrew 10/1
- Chris Wilder 10/1
- Dean Smith 12/1
- Slavisa Jokanovic 12/1
- Claudio Ranieri 18/1
- Neil Lennon 20/1
- Ryan Giggs 22/1
- Walter Mazzarri 22/1
- Craig Shakespeare 25/1
- Jurgen Klinsmann 25/1
- Alan Stubbs 40/1
Pulis had won just THREE Premier League matches since February.
Assistant boss Gary Megson, who was West Brom boss between 2000 and 2004, will take charge at The Hawthorns until further notice.
TAKE THE MIKE Tony Pulis sacked: Michael O’Neill is the bookies’ favourite to replace Pulis in the West Brom hotseat
Pulis is said to have clashed with director of football Nicky Hammond, with the signing of Jay Rodriguez a bone of contention.
Pulis wanted the Southampton man - who has scored just two goals since joining for £12million - while Hammond was keen on former Watford striker Odion Ighalo.
The Nigerian eventually moved to the Chinese Super League.
The most recent defeat came on Saturday, a hapless performance against Champions Chelsea at home.
West Brom were smashed 4-0 by the Blues, their fourth defeat in a row.
The loss was watched by Chinese owner Guochuan Lai, who cut a miserable figure in the stands.
Pulis spent nearly £50million in the summer to improve a squad that finished 10th last season.
Who is Guochuian Lai?
- The Chinese billionaire remains a mystery figure, with his age estimated at between 42 and 44
- He was general manager of Palm Eco-Town Development Company Limited for more than 20 years
- He helped the company grow from a plany nursery into one of the country's most successful landscape and construction firms
- Lai stepped down in 2014 to focus on private investments
- His wealth has been estimated as at least £2.8billion
- Lai spent around £200million to buy West Brom, with the takeover completed in September 2016
But the new signings - Jay Rodriguez, Kieran Gibbs and Gareth Barry among them - have failed to impress.
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill is the favourite to take over from Pulis, with Sam Allardyce, Nigel Pearson and Alan Pardew all believed to be in the running.
A SunSport poll over the weekend found 74 per cent of readers thought it would be a good decision to sack the former Stoke and Crystal Palace boss.
Pulis took over at The Hawthorns in January 2015, after his surprise decision to leave Crystal Palace on the eve of the 2014-15 season.
West Brom were struggling under Alan Irvine, who had been their fourth manager in 12 months.
Pulis led West Brom to safety that season, finishing 14th, then 13th in 2015-16.
Last season the club enjoyed a relatively strong start and were pushing for a place in Europe -but picked up just two points in the final three months of the season.
The poor form carried over into last season, leaving Pulis with just three Premier League wins in his last 24 matches stretching back to the end of February.
