West Bromwich Albion's search for a new head coach will come down to a straight choice between Tony Pulis and Tim Sherwood after Alan Irvine was sacked on Monday night. Although Sherwood has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite, the early indications are that Pulis, because of his achievements at Crystal Palace last season and the experience he has accumulated across a managerial career in which he has never been relegated, is the club's preferred option.
Albion do not anticipate widening their search further and hope to be in a position to confirm Irvine’s replacement by the end of the week, with Rob Kelly and Keith Downing, two of the Scot’s backroom staff, placed in charge of the team for the New Year’s Day fixture at West Ham United.
Irvine was effectively a dead man walking after Albion lost 2-0 at Stoke on Sunday – the club’s seventh defeat in nine matches – and his dismissal, only six months after being appointed, was confirmed in a statement late on Monday night. Terry Burton, Albion’s technical director, described the decision to part company with Irvine as a matter of “regret but necessity” because of a poor run of results that has seen the club drop to 16th place, only one point above the relegation zone.
With Premier League survival seen as imperative, Albion are willing to compromise in some areas when it comes to choosing Irvine’s successor. Pulis, in short, will not be overlooked in any way because of his style of football or his reputation for wanting total control. The board are believed to be of the view that results are much more important than performances and Pulis is seen as a sure ticket to survival, as he was by Crystal Palace last season.
Backroom staff will also not be an issue for either candidate – something that is believed to have been a sticking point when Sherwood was interviewed for the job in the summer. Sherwood, who has been out of work since he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season, claimed that Albion offered him the position but that he opted not to accept because there “were just a couple of ingredients missing”.
On the back of such a turbulent 12 months, there is an acceptance within Albion that this is a decision they cannot afford to get wrong. Steve Clarke was sacked last December, Pepe Mel lost his job at the end of last season and the writing was on the wall for Irvine for some time. An unpopular choice, the former Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday manager was fighting a losing battle from day one. A run of three wins in the space of eight days in late September briefly brought some respite but supporter frustration and anger was never far from the surface.
Sunday’s result at the Britannia Stadium, where Albion fans turned on Irvine and his staff, proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Irvine was informed 24 hours later that he had been relieved of his duties and placed on gardening leave.
“Securing a sixth season in the Premier League is the over-riding target and sometimes unpleasant decisions have to be taken to serve that imperative,” Burton said. “Alan has impressed everyone with his manner, dedication and diligence but he knows that results have simply not been good enough.”
