Nigel Pearson and Alan Pardew in the frame to be the new boss at West Brom after Tony Pulis was sacked with quick phone call
- West Brom were defeated 4-0 by Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League
- The Baggies have sacked Tony Pulis after club's owner witnessed the thrashing
- Guochuan Lai acted due to a run of two wins from 21 Premier League games
- Supporters chanted repeatedly for Pulis to go in Chelsea loss at the Hawthorns
- Club have dismissed suggestions talks have taken place with Michael O'Neill
Tony Pulis was ruthlessly sacked over the telephone by West Bromwich Albion.
Chairman John Williams delivered the news during a call on Monday morning while Pulis was at home in Dorset.
Sportsmail understands Pulis would have preferred a face-to-face meeting after three years in charge.
West Brom have sacked Tony Pulis following their 4-0 thrashing by Chelsea at the weekend
Owner Guochuan Lai was seen with Premier League chief Richard Scudamore (right) Saturday
Lai has acted due to a run of two wins from 21 Premier League games under Pulis
West Brom are now searching for a manager who can guide them clear of relegation danger having dismissed the survival specialist — the side are in 17th, one point above the drop zone.
Premier League experience is the main criteria desired by West Brom's hierarchy, with Sam Allardyce featuring highly in discussions over Pulis's successor.
However, Sportsmail understands the former England manager has no interest in taking over at the Hawthorns.
The 63-year-old held recent talks with Everton but withdrew from the running when a contract offer failed to materialise.
Nigel Pearson's name has also been mentioned. The 54-year-old is currently in charge of Belgian second-tier side OH Leuven but his last Premier league involvement saw Leicester pull off a great escape by winning seven of their final nine games in 2015.
Pearson was a coach under Bryan Robson when West Brom achieved their own miraculous survival in 2005 and bringing him in with former assistant Craig Shakespeare would make an appealing option.
The atmosphere among fans, who chanted repeatedly for Pulis to go, was a contributing factor
Alan Pardew, meanwhile, would come with a ringing endorsement from West Brom's technical director Nick Hammond, who worked with the former Palace manager at Reading.
Gary Megson has been placed in temporary charge and will address the media on Tuesday afternoon. Megson, brought in by Pulis this summer when No 2 Dave Kemp retired, is popular among the Hawthorns faithful for two Championship promotions a decade ago.
A new manager could be in place for Saturday's trip to Wembley to face Tottenham. West Brom acted after the 4-0 loss to Chelsea made it two wins from 21 Premier League games for Pulis, who admitted he faced the axe in his post-match press conference.
Owner Guochuan Lai was in attendance to witness the febrile atmosphere, with fans repeatedly calling for Pulis to go, and came to the decision after holding discussions with Williams on Sunday.
Williams called Pulis, who drove down to Bournemouth after the Chelsea defeat, on Monday morning and club sources stress the offer of a meeting was made.
The club's Chinese owner made the decision after witnessing West Brom lose to Chelsea
Pulis spent big in the summer, signing Oliver Burke (centre), but they have struggled since
But Pulis wanted to know his fate immediately. Williams said: 'These decisions are never taken lightly but always in the interests of the club. We are in a results business and over the back end of last season and this season to date, ours have been very disappointing.
'We would like to place on record our appreciation of Tony's contribution and hard work during a period of transition for the club which included a change of ownership. We wish him well in his future endeavours.'
The 59-year-old, who signed a contract to 2019 last summer, departs with a pay-off worth £2.5million and has already emerged as a contender for the Swansea job with Paul Clement in jeopardy.
On Friday Pulis joked he was 'too young' for the vacant Wales manager's position. Pulis, who was appointed on New Year's Day 2015 and guided the club away from relegation fears to 13th, 14th, and 10th in successive campaigns, said: 'Our final league position over the last three seasons has represented the accomplishment of our targets as a club; sustaining our status in the Premier League and delivering stability, throughout the club's transition of ownership.
'Expectations have risen and although we are disappointed with some of our results, one thing I would never question is this group's work ethic and application. I would like to thank them for their efforts and wish them the very best in the future.'
West Brom have dismissed suggestions talks have taken place with Michael O'Neill
Saido Berahino, who was sold by Pulis, liked West Brom's Instagram post confirming the news
Pulis' assistant Gary Megson will take take charge of first-team affairs in the interim period
Supporters have long grown frustrated at the style of play at the Hawthorns and a number of empty seats against Chelsea spoke of growing apathy.
Pulis has, by wide consensus, established the club's best squad since returning to the Premier League but this season failed to extract the most from players earning up to £100,000 per week.
West Brom now want a manager who can find the team's potential, but first and foremost guide the club to safety.
As well as Allardyce, Pearson, and Pardew, Ronald Koeman has top-flight know-how and would represent an ambitious move.
Chris Wilder also has admirers at West Brom should the club decide to look beyond the top-flight. Wilder has exceeded expectations at Oxford, Northampton, and has Sheffield United second in the Championship following promotion. Links to Michael O'Neill have been dismissed.
The Premier League strugglers are only one place and one point above the relegation zone
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