West Brom seriously considering Alan Pardew’s future but he will remain in charge for next game against Watford
The Baggies are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and looked helpless in their 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Huddersfield
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West Brom are seriously considering Alan Pardew’s future but will not sack him this week as he continues his search for a second Premier League win since taking charge of his first match in December.
The Baggies are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and looked helpless in their 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Huddersfield, their fifth straight loss in all competitions.
Discussions between the Chinese owners and the board concluded that Pardew will take charge of their next fixture against Watford, but another defeat next week will spark further conversations about his future.
West Brom are seven points adrift from safety and with just 10 games to go, retaining their top-flight status is looking increasingly unlikely.
A key factor in deciding to keep Pardew, for the time being, is the lack of credible replacements which West Brom feel they can attract. They sacked Tony Pulis in November after a poor start and appointed Pardew nine days later.
The board and owners remain deeply concerned by the club’s league situation and are disappointed Pardew has not been able to change the side’s fortune. The Baggies have won just three Premier League games this season, one since August.
Pardew will receive support from the board while he remains in charge with the club keen to avoid further upheaval after a turbulent season on and off the pitch.
Ahead of their FA Cup fourth round game against Southampton, Jake Livermore, Gareth Barry, Jonny Evans and Boaz Myhill were disciplined for breaking a curfew in Barcelona and four players allegedly stole a taxi during the midweek trip abroad.
The events in Barcelona left Pardew feeling “let down” by his players and added their actions were “unacceptable”.
In the same week, Guochuan Lai, the club’s Chinese owner as of 2016, sacked the club chairman, John Williams and the chief executive, Martin Goodman. Williams and Goodman were key in bringing Pardew to the Hawthorns and their departure raised questions about the manager’s job security.
The club’s long-term future remains a concern for the owners who have started planning for the summer and beyond.
Boos greeted the half-time whistle at the Hawthorns on Saturday and the fans showed further frustration when Huddersfield took the lead through Rajiv van La Parra. The then visitors doubled their lead when Steve Mounie beat an offside trap to score which prompted fans to sing ”you’re not fit to wear the shirt”.
Craig Dawson scored a consolation goal as West Brom slumped to another defeat, and after the game Pardew said he “hoped” to remain in charge.
“That decision is not with me,” added Pardew when pushed on his future. “My job is to try and get ourselves up as best we can for next week and try and win away from home. That’s what I’m going to try and do.”
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