Struggling West Brom sack Bilic - Former England boss Allardyce set to take over

West Brom have sacked manager Slaven Bilic less than 24 hours after he led the promoted side to a creditable draw at Manchester City. Having taken the reins at the Hawthorns last summer, the former Croatia and West Ham boss ended his first season at the Baggies helm with automatic promotion as Championship runners-up. West Brom have found life tough back in the Premier League and sit 19th in the standings on seven points following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Reports emerged after the match that the Croatian was set to be sacked and the West Midlands club called time on his 18-month stay on Wednesday lunchtime. Sam Allardyce, who has been out of work since leaving Everton in 2018, has swiftly emerged as the main contender to replace Bilic. The former England boss has cancelled upcoming work with talkSPORT and is reportedly set to sign an 18-month deal at the Hawthorns.

Bilic, who becomes the first Premier League manager to lose his job this season, said following Tuesday’s draw at City he was “calm” about his future with the Baggies: “I’m very calm. I love my job. I’m here and calm,” said Bilic. “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.”

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