West Brom sack Alan Irvine and line up Tim Sherwood as first choice to replace himIrvine, who was a surprise appointment last summer, failed to convince club or its fans he was up to job 
West Bromwich Albion have sacked Alan Irvine and are now considering a second approach to Tim Sherwood. Irvine’s difficult spell at the Hawthorns was finally ended on Monday night, after seven defeats in nine games, and
Albion are now searching for their fourth head coach in just over a year. Jeremy Peace, the chairman, has been growing increasingly concerned by the slump and finally decided to terminate Irvine’s contract after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke City, which left the club just one point adrift of the bottom three.
Albion held a board meeting on Monday and opted to part company with the Scot, bringing his six-month spell to a premature end. Sherwood, who was interviewed for the post in June, is back on Albion’s radar while Tony Pulis, the former Crystal Palace manager, is also expected to come under consideration.
Peace had delayed making a decision on Irvine in the hope of a revival but Albion’s dismal form, and the sheer level of hostility from supporters towards the 56-year-old, has forced Peace into a review of the situation.
Relegation to the Championship would be a nightmare for Peace, who hinted in an interview with the The Telegraph in October that he would be prepared to sell up.
Albion could now return for Sherwood, who left Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season, even though he expressed reservations over the structure at the Hawthorns.
The 45-year-old is available and also a potential target for Newcastle United, following Alan Pardew’s exit to Palace,
and the prospect of managing in the Premier League again would undoubtedly appeal. Michael Laudrup, the former Swansea manager, has been discounted as a possible contender.
West Brom’s defeat at Stoke on Sunday leaves them perilously close to the relegation zone ahead of the tough trip to West Ham on New Year's Day.
They then face non-league Gateshead in the FA Cup at home but Irvine has paid the price after a turbulent spell in charge.
He was appointed in June despite huge opposition from supporters, after he was sacked at both his previous clubs as manager at Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday.
After a tricky start he masterminded wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley but damaging defeats to Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup and Newcastle, West Ham, QPR and Stoke in the league have proven costly.
Irvine and assistants Rob Kelly and Keith Downing were all targeted by supporters at the Britannia Stadium to force Albion into reluctantly making a change.
Kelly and Downing’s futures remain uncertain but Albion could allow the new head coach to bring in his own backroom team in a bid to secure top flight survival.
While it has proven another turbulent season there is a feeling that Irvine should not be carrying the can for all the club’s problems.
Ever since the exit of Dan Ashworth to the Football Association, there has been scrutiny on the recruitment department and technical director Terry Burton, who was appointed in the summer.
There was a necessary, if misguided, trolley-dash in the summer, in which Albion signed ten players at the end of last season to present Irvine with an uphill task from day one.
Many of the new additions, including £10million record signing Brown Ideye, Georgios Samaras, Sebastian Blanco and Jason Davidson, have failed to impress.
Ideye was allegedly Burton's pick, ahead of other choices such as Emmanuel Riviere and Leonardo UIloa, and the Nigeria striker again looked well off the pace at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday.
Conspiracy theories abound over how many of the ten recruits were made with Irvine's approval yet he was the one that had been charged with building a competitive squad.
Irvine is not blameless, of course, but Albion's problems this season suggest a wider issue at the Hawthorns and one that needs addressing swiftly if they are to avoid annual relegation battles.
After dismissing Steve Clarke, Pepe Mel and now Irvine in just over 12 months they now face a huge decision as they attempt to secure their top flight status.
There is also likely to be huge speculation over the future of England under-21 international Saido Berahino, who is a January target for Liverpool and Spurs.
Berahino, who was called up to the senior England squad by former Albion manager Roy Hodgson in November, is attracting interest from both clubs and a bid next month is expected.
However, there is also frustration within Albion over Berahino’s attitude and conduct since his call-up, with sources claiming he has “taken his eye off the ball” since his promotion.
Albion will demand over £20million in the event of any interest but appointing Irvine’s successor is undoubtedly a more pressing matter.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-bromwich-albion/11316859/West-Brom-sack-Alan-Irvine-and-line-up-Tim-Sherwood-as-first-choice-to-replace-him.html [ 此帖被羅力亞在2015-01-02 14:39重新編輯 ]
