West Brom manager Slaven Bilic left facing the axe
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Slaven Bilic is expected to be sacked by West Brom on Wednesday with Sam Allardyce lined up to replace him.
Bilic oversaw a spirited 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Tuesday night but Albion’s Chinese owners had already determined they needed a change in direction to preserve their top-flight status.
They will hold talks with Bilic on Wednesday to discuss his departure and will turn to former England boss Allardyce to lead them to safety. Allardyce, now 66, has performed similar tasks at Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton and is likely to bring in trusted assistant Sammy Lee on a deal, initially, to the end of the season.
Slaven Bilic is expected to be sacked by West Brom on Wednesday despite 1-1 draw at Man City
Sam Allardyce (above) is set to take over the reins at Hawthorns with Sammy Lee as his No 2
Albion expect a backlash from supporters following their promotion from the Championship and their prudent spending but they have held reservations about performances and results since February.
Allardyce is viewed as coach of proven pedigree and track record of escaping relegation battles. They hope he will be in place before Sunday’s Midlands derby against Aston Villa at the Hawthorns.
Sportsmail reported last Thursday that Bilic’s job was under serious threat, with the weekend defeat by depleted Newcastle United doing nothing to dampen relegation fears. Albion have won just one of their opening 13 matches in the top flight since gaining promotion last season.
Bilic tried to deflect questions about his future on Tuesday night but admitted the situation was out of his hands. ‘I’m very calm,’ said the 52-year-old. ‘I’m doing my job. I’m not bothered about (my future). I can’t be more proud of what my team showed tonight. The other things are out of my control and I’m not bothered.
‘I’m really proud of the boys. We asked them to work hard, to frustrate them and to wait for our chances and we’ve done everything. We helped each other and we counted of course on (goalkeeper) Sam Johnstone.
‘But that’s what you need when you come to Etihad if you want to get anything from the game.
A deflected effort from West Brom’s Semi Ajayi (centre) was enough to earn a point at City
‘Every point counts. For me it would mean more than a point, the knowledge of what we have to do now in every game. If we go like crazy and fight for each other then we are going to have a good chance (of staying up) no matter how we play.’
City manager Pep Guardiola was frustrated by his team’s inability to score, with Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling both missing late chances to secure three points.
‘It is a setback,’ admitted Guardiola. ‘We cannot score goals. It’s difficult for managers to find solutions. You don’t have to be so clever to notice that the margin is a bit away from two years ago. We are struggling a little bit more.’
Bilic’s side earned a valuable point at the Etihad on Tuesday night but have won just one match
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