West Bromwich Albion fans here in the Tavern are fearing for their future in the Premier League, after failing to come to grips with the top-flight so far this season.
Indeed, the Midlands club look to be heading for relegation to the Championship, as they’re without a win in their last five Premier League matches. And, with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool still to come for the Baggies, it looks as if their time in the top-flight could be coming to an end.
However, a managerial change at the Hawthorns could hold all the answers to ensuring their survival, with Alan Pardew’s poor results thus far not helping their attempt to avoid relegation. Of course, still with 10 games left in the remainder of the season, bringing in a suitable replacement for the 56-year-old could be crucial to their chances of escaping.
Therefore, having witnessed the disasters under the former Crystal Palace manager so far this season, our local residents are praying that the board seek fit to replace Pardew before it’s too late. Indeed, here’s a look at THREE possible replacements who could take charge at the Hawthorns this season…
Marco Silva
The 40-year-old has earned a reputation for being one of the most highly-rated managers in English football from his time at Vicarage Road with Watford.
Marco Silva is a very clever football manager who always has his tactics perfectly altered to the opposition, and having seen Watford reach mid-table under his guidance this season, his tactical brilliance is something that West Brom could definitely benefit from in their current situation.
Although, he does remain out of contract after being sacked by the Hornets in January of this year, but a deal for Silva is something that the Baggies could look to push through if they see him as the right man.
Martin O’Neill
The Republic of Ireland national team manager is as experienced as they get in the footballing world, with previous stints at Celtic, Aston Villa and Leicester City during his long and illustrious managerial career.
However, he did fail to take the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup after crashing out against Denmark last year, so the prospect of keeping the Baggies in the Premier League could go along way to improving on November’s disasters.
Indeed, after taking Aston Villa from narrowly avoiding relegation to mid-table contenders for the next season, it’s clear to see that the Northern Irishman knows how to get it done in the Premier League. And, he’d already been in negotiations to become the new Stoke manager earlier on this season, so bringing Martin O’Neill to the Hawthorns may not be a difficult task.
Michael O’Neill
The Northern Ireland manager has produced some of the most impressive results since taking over back in 2011, with qualification for Euro 2016 taking the country to its first major finals in 30 years.
Although, Michael O’Neill did narrowly miss out on securing a World Cup spot for the summer, after coming up short in their play-off against Switzerland back in November. But, it’s been the passion shown by the 48-year-old during his time in Northern Ireland that’s attracted the attention of many of our locals, with Pardew offering little emotion for the troubling position the club currently finds itself in.
Therefore, having witnessed the heroics that O’Neill has produced during his time in international management, the Baggies will be hoping that he can replicate some of this magic in the form of Premier League survival.
