Saturday 18 November 2017 20:42, UK
West Brom manager Tony Pulis admits his future is out of his hands after the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea left his position looking increasingly perilous.
One day after Pulis said he could understand if the board wanted a new manager, the club's Chinese owner Guochuan Lai watched the joint-heaviest defeat since Pulis took charge. He heard the home crowd greet the final whistle with chants of 'Pulis out'.
The result means West Brom have now gone 11 games without a win and will drop into the bottom three on Sunday if West Ham beat Watford.
Pulis was realistic about his prospects after the game, saying: "The big thing is, this is not about me, the chairman, the owners or anything like that, it's about the football club and what is the right decision for the football club.
"The club will be here long after I've gone, it's about doing the right thing for the football club. I've been in the game long enough to know if you get bad runs then that's what happens.
"They have to make a decision. I met with the Chinese owners on Friday night, they are wonderful people but I know, as well as everyone else, you have to get results, that's what it's about.
"I think the important thing is the decision made is the right decision for the football club. That's not going to be my decision, that's going to be obviously the owners' [decision].
"It's not my decision whether I think [I'll stay] or don't think, it's what happens."
Pulis spoke with chairman John Williams in the dressing room after the match but would not reveal the nature of the conversation.
He then planned to return home to Bournemouth on Saturday evening without further discussions with West Brom's owners.
The 59-year-old had earlier written a staunch defence of his record at The Hawthorns in his programme notes before the team went on to be easily beaten by the defending champions.
Alvaro Morata, Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso all scored inside 21 first-half minutes before Hazard scored again in the second half. Chelsea eased off the gas in the latter stages ahead of their midweek trip to Qarabag in the Champions League.
