Slaven Bilic set to be SACKED as West Brom boss despite draw at Man City with Sam Allardyce in contention to take charge of Premier League strugglers

Slaven Bilic is set to be sacked as West Brom manager.

talkSPORT understands the Baggies will announce his departure on Wednesday, with Sam Allardyce among the leading contenders to succeed him in the Hawthorns hotseat.

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Bilic took charge of West Brom against Man City on Tuesday night but that is set to be his last game at the helm

West Brom put in a battling display against Manchester City on Tuesday night and impressively held Pep Guardiola’s side to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

But Bilic’s fate had been sealed ahead of the match with the club having decided a managerial change is needed to provide them with the best chance of Premier League survival.

Bilic, 52, succeeded Darren Moore on a two-year contract last summer and led the club to promotion in his first season in charge.

However, West Brom have won just one of their 13 top-flight games this term and remain two points adrift of safety.

It is understood West Brom spent Tuesday looking at potential managers to replace the Croatian – and survival specialist Allardyce is firmly on their radar.

Nigel Pearson and Mark Hughes are also under consideration but Allardyce is their number one target.

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Allardyce looks set for a return to the dugout

Big Sam has been out of the game since leaving Everton in the summer of 2018 following a six-month spell on Merseyside.

He has huge experience in the game, having bossed Bolton, Blackburn, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Sunderland and West Ham in the Premier League – as well as Everton – and has never been relegated from the top-flight.

No approach has been made for the 66-year-old but West Brom are set to move once Bilic’s departure is confirmed on Wednesday.

The former West Ham and Croatia manager will feel unfortunate to lose his job having guided the Midlands side back into the Premier League.

He will be the first managerial casualty in the Premier League this season.

Quizzed about the speculation over his future following the draw with Man City, Bilic replied: “I’m very calm. I love my job. I’m here and calm.

“To be fair, I’m not bothered. I’m doing my job. I’m enjoying it. I’m working hard for myself, for my staff, for the players, for the club, that’s all.

“Everything else is out of my control. But to be fair, I’m just doing my best. I don’t think about other things.

“I’m not really that bothered what’s happening behind the scenes and all that, I don’t care.”

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Bilic is on his way out of West Brom after 18 months

Asked if the result showed West Brom were still playing for him, Bilic said: “I do not like that cliche.

“The players are playing for themselves but they are listening to our game plan and it’s really good to see your players fighting like this.

“We are having this kind of atmosphere, this working atmosphere, throughout the whole season and it didn’t drop.

“Sometimes you win games, sometimes you lose them, sometimes you play better and sometimes worse, but we never had a problem with attitudes.”

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Speaking earlier on Tuesday, talkSPORT host Simon Jordan described the pressure on Bilic as unfair, given the lack of resources available to him.

“I don’t get the impression from Slaven Bilic that his players aren’t responding to him, he’s just got a certain amount of tools,” Jordan said.

“I don’t think West Brom are a bad side, they looked in good nick at Man United, they were brave and ambitious.

“I think it’s a bit harsh.  Bilic is imminently sackable because of what happened at West Ham.

“West Brom are having the same thing, and I don’t think it’s fair.

“They’re probably where they should be, given the investment and the games they’ve had.”