There is a problem in deciding to sack managers and then giving them a final game to seal their fate. West Bromwich Albion presumably spotted Manchester City on the fixture list, assumed they would get hammered at the Etihad Stadium and that Slaven Bilic’s position would appear untenable.
Instead, they got an unexpected, creditable 1-1 draw and dismissed the Croatian anyway.
Bilic departs with an outpouring of sympathy from neutrals, West Brom fans and players alike. “The boys love him,” said goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on Tuesday.
Relations elsewhere in the club had been fractured, yet Bilic had lost games but not the dressing room. A charismatic figure can count a promotion as a success, even if West Brom stumbled over the line and he goes with a solitary win in his last 17 league games. He had looked increasingly downtrodden of late.
That he is the first Premier League manager axed this season shows that, while others may have been afforded more patience in straitened times, he has not been. The prize of another season in the top flight, plus the reality his contract was expiring next summer, created a situation where a decision was more likely.
That his replacement is Sam Allardyce shows West Brom have opted for a pragmatic approach.
Allardyce took over Blackburn and Sunderland in 19th and Crystal Palace in 17th and kept all three up. His record of never being relegated from the Premier League – his sole demotion in management came with Notts County in the 1990s – has never been under greater threat.
Albion’s return of seven points from 13 games under Bilic feels less like underachievement than a reflection of where and what they are.
The nature of Championship sides now means promotions are often propelled by loans, but it also ensured that much of West Brom's summer budget – which in itself was reduced by the implications of Covid-19 – was committed to keeping players they had last season, in Grady Diangana, Mateus Pereira, Filip Krovinovic and Callum Robinson.
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Manchester United v West Brom player ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea, 7: Couple of top saves and a clean sheet to end a week where he was overlooked by Spain as they hammered Germany. No issue with United’s goalkeeper. His crossbar saved him, though. AP -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 6: Effective defending, less so in attack, but no real problems with United’s defence. Getty -
Harry Maguire, 7: Decent in air and interceptions. Increasingly in attacking positions against a team which had only lost one of previous five at Old Trafford and unlucky to lose this one. Getty -
Victor Lindelof, 7: Fine. The goals have stopped being leaked and he’s been one of United’s better players after a ropey start to the season. Getty -
Alex Telles, 6: Saw a lot of the ball in an energetic Premier League debut after he returned from Brazil…though he tried to put the ball back there from a corner. Aimed to reach Argentina with a second effort from a corner. Reuters -
Fred, 6: Set up perfectly by Martial to get a second goal, but passed the ball on. AP -
Nemanja Matic, 6: More touches than any player, but some sloppy passes. Nutmegged by Pereira in first half. AP -
Juan Mata, 6: Started four of last five Premier League games. Not as effective as in cup games when he’s played well, but shot led to penalty. EPA -
Bruno Fernandes, 8: Shouted for ball, came deep for the ball, looked the most dangerous with the ball. Everything goes through him. Sublime ball for Mata in first half, then lucky not to have penalty awarded against him at start of second. Had his own penalty saved, then scored the retake for his 7th goal of the season. Made six key passes. No other United player made more than one. PA -
Marcus Rashford,. 6: Not enough. His best goalscoring chance superbly saved by Johnstone, but quiet. EPA -
Anthony Martial, 6: Early shot well saved by Johnstone, but he should have scored. Nice movement and dribbles later on, but as with Rashford, needs to properly get going. Reuters -
SUBS: Edinson Cavani,.7: Non-stop running, fantastic movement. Getty -
Donny van de Beek, N/A: Surprised he didn’t start with Pogba out. Reuters -
Scott McTominay, N/A: Decent cameo. Getty -
WEST BROM RATINGS: Sam Johnstone, 8: The ex-United man thwarted his old employers with a series of stunning stops, including a strong keep out Anthony Martial and a wonder-save to deny Marcus Rashford, but he was cruelly beaten from the spot by Bruno Fernandes at the second attempt. Getty -
Branislav Ivanovic, 6: Still going strong at 36, the Serbian grabbed a few goals during his time at Chelsea but he couldn’t emulate that success on this occasion, heading his effort comfortably over the bar as a rare corner for the visitors went begging. Reuters -
Kyle Bartley, 7: West Brom’s skipper produced a commanding night’s work that included a series of important interventions. He was on hand to hook away a teasing low cross with Rashford lurking and showed a strong chin after taking a Harry Maguire piledriver full in the face. PA -
Darnell Furlong, 7: Like Ajayi, he wasn’t afraid to carry the ball forward, but he became the latest victim of the ruthless new handball rule which regrettably cost his side a point. He responded well though and halted Martial with a remarkable challenge in stoppage time. EPA -
Semi Ajayi, 6: The former Rotherham almost gifted the hosts the lead when his stray pass was intercepted by the scampering Harry Maguire on the half-way mark, but beyond that he produced another steady display. PA -
Conor Townsend, 7: Showed excellent judgement to put himself in the right place to hook away Mata’s squared pass after remarkable play from Bruno Fernandes. He threatened to cause chaos at the other end too and forced a fantastic stop from David de Gea. PA -
Romaine Sawyers, 6: Arguably his side’s quietest performer, he never really got going in a contest that, in truth, he had very little impact on. Getty -
Conor Gallagher, 7: Another man who has already caught the eye this season, the Chelsea loanee arguably ran the show against Spurs and he impressed no end in the first-half here, picking the pocket of Fred before later combining well with Diangana.Getty -
Grady Diangana, 6: He was involved in a neat passing exchange with Conor Gallagher but the Congo man saw his effort deflected behind by Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He started the second half brightly, but was withdrawn just past the hour-mark. AFP -
Matheus Pereira, 7: The Baggies winger returned to the starting XI having missed the home tie against Spurs and he produced a delightful nutmeg and threaded pass to unleash Karlan Grant in the box, but survived a penalty shout after making contact with Martial. AP -
Karlan Grant, 6: There can be no doubting his work ethic in a decent display, but he couldn’t quite finish off a superb move when his intelligent run ended with the forward drawing a smart save from De Gea low to the goalkeeper’s right. PA -
SUBS: Filip Krovinovic, N/A: Brought on for Branislav Ivanovic as Slaven Bilic rolled the dice in a change that mirrored the lack of fear shown by his side in a positive performance, but he didn’t really have much time to make an impact. EPA -
Hal Robson-Kanu, 6: Replaced Grady Diangana in a double-change in the 62nd minute, but the Wales international couldn’t rescue a point for his side. Getty -
Callum Robinson, 6: The substitute has enjoyed a new lease of life this season and he almost struck a sensational equaliser when he rattled woodwork from distance with De Gea beaten comfortably. Getty
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That Karlan Grant, Bilic’s preferred striking signing, has a sole goal is damning while Branislav Ivanovic, the veteran free transfer at the back, erred badly for Newcastle’s opener after 20 seconds on Saturday. West Brom have not been good enough in either penalty box.
The capitulation to Crystal Palace, in a 5-1 defeat, was embarrassing. Indiscipline has been costly: West Brom have twice conceded five after having a player sent off, whether Pereira against Palace or Kieran Gibbs at Everton.
They only let in one goal on each of their trips to Manchester, but have the division’s worst defensive record, even though the excellent Johnstone has made the most saves.
Allardyce can feel the ultimate organiser but his previous rescue acts have come with stronger foundations.
Arguably this West Brom squad is weaker than the group that came fourth in the Championship in 2018-19, which had the firepower of Jay Rodriguez, Dwight Gayle and Harvey Barnes, plus the services of Craig Dawson, Gareth Barry, Mason Holgate and Ahmed Hegazi, whose sale to Al-Ittihad this season upset Bilic.
And whereas Tony Pulis bequeathed Alan Pardew plenty of Allardyce-style players in 2017, many have gone in the subsequent three years. Bilic’s team had more aesthetic appeal. Some of his technical midfielders should brace themselves for a spell on the bench even though Conor Gallagher, borrowed from Chelsea, has been their brightest player recently.
Direct and dull towards the end of their last stint in the Premier League, West Brom were recast as attackers and entertainers in the second tier. Now they seem intent on shifting identity again in a bid for survival. After the departure of the Croatian Bilic, the Hawthorns will again look the spiritual home of the old British manager.
It is not a failsafe policy: West Brom were relegated in the season they replaced one, in Pulis, with another, in Pardew. They may sense a happier precedent in Roy Hodgson, who took over a team in 17th and steered them to safety.
But now they feel more imperilled, after only beating Sheffield United, with only the Blades beneath them and a fifth Premier League relegation on the cards. Allardyce’s record may offer optimism, even if a boyhood Wolves fan is unlikely to be rapturously received by West Brom supporters, but this could be a job too far, even for him.
