Gordon Strachan and Micky Adams are expected to be among the leading candidates to become the next manager of West Bromwich Albion following the departure last night of Gary Megson.

Megson's exit from The Hawthorns, after a 4½-year spell that saw him twice take the club into the Premiership, had been on the cards for some weeks.

Not only had his increasingly fractious relationship with the West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace become irreparable, the team's performances had also made his position tenuous.

The team have won one game out of nine since returning to the Premiership and the nadir was reached at Crystal Palace last Saturday with a display Megson described as the worst he had witnessed since succeeding Brian Little in the spring of 2000.

Nevertheless, there was nothing straightforward about the parting of the ways. Megson had earlier revealed that he had informed the club's board that he intended to leave in the summer when his contract was due to expire.

He is now likely to claim he has been sacked and seek compensation, while the club claim that, by making it clear he would not prolong his stay, he had effectively resigned.

A statement issued by the club read: "Gary Megson today informed the board of West Bromwich Albion by letter that he wishes to leave the club at the end of his current contract in approximately eight months' time on 30th June 2005.

"The club accepts this letter as a resignation and the Board believes it is now in the best interests of West Bromwich Albion that Gary Megson no longer remains in charge of team affairs. As such, he has been relieved of his duties while contractual matters are resolved.

"This is a crucial period for the club and the board regards the timing and manner of Gary Megson's announcement as extremely unhelpful, particularly following the team's disappointing performance at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

"Nevertheless, the board intends to move swiftly to appoint a new manager who will be fully focused on the job of taking the club forward in the Premiership. Until such time, Frank Burrows will act as caretaker manager. The board would like to acknowledge Gary Megson's major contribution during his term as manager and wishes him well in the future."

The 45-year-old Megson has been expecting the sack for some time now - indeed some believe he courted it so he could take over as manager of Leicester City or Wales - and he effectively forced Peace to act by making his intentions clear.

"I think it's important that we all know where we stand," he said earlier yesterday.

"I won't sign a new deal at West Brom when my current contract finishes. I have sent a letter to the chairman and the board. All this does is make the situation clear. The current situation is doing nobody any good, I have made my mind up but I will keep doing my job until my contract finishes."

Megson's statement presupposed that Peace would have offered him a new deal, which in itself was unlikely.

Now Strachan, who has taken a break from football management since leaving Southampton last January, is understood to be Peace's favoured candidate.

Adams, who resigned as Leicester City manager earlier this month, also meets with the board's approval, as does Crystal Palace's Ian Dowie, a less likely recruit as he has just signed a five-year contract. Other out-of-work managers expected to be interested in the position include Glen Hoddle, Gerard Houllier, John Gregory and Bobby Robson, a former West Brom player.

Megson, meanwhile, is understood to have expressed an interest in succeeding Mark Hughes as manager of Wales but taking control at Leicester City appears the likelier option.