Will Tony Pulis get sacked soon?
Will Tony Pulis get sacked soon? What are the long-term ambitions of West Bromwich Albion? Is Tony Pulis the man to take them to the next level? The sacking of managers in the modern Premier League era is not uncommon.
West Bromwich Albion, renowned for their organized match tactics and strong defensive displays, have been falling short in recent times. This has been a trademark of theirs under current manager Tony Pulis. The Welshman certainly knows how to get a result out of fixtures that you would expect his team to generally lose. Things are a bit different this season as West Brom find themselves in 16th spot in the Premier League. The pressure is on as The Baggies have only won 2 matches in 11 fixtures and losing 3 matches on the trot.
Their top goalscorer, Jay Rodriguez, has a lowly 2 goals, with The Baggies having scored 9 but conceding 14 goals. Poor displays and a lack of scoring have been far short of the usual West Brom we are accustomed to. The lack of winning ties has put pressure on the manager. Pulis can be thought of to be the next manager to get the sack if he does not win soon.
Pulis has come under criticism after bringing back Gary Megson to the club as assistant manager. Megson returns to the club 17 years after he was appointed in the first rescue of the Club from relegation to the third tier. He then inspired a dramatic revival which took Albion to the Premier League. It is therefore highly likely that Megson would take over the reigns if Pulis should get the sack. Could that be the change needed to see Albion improve their form, finish in the top half of the league table and go on to win silverware?
A mountain to climb
The next two fixtures are crucial to West Brom and they would look to come together and get a result. They host Chelsea on 18th November and travel to Wembley Stadium the week after as they face Tottenham. Their opposition would look to secure victory to keep the pressure on league leaders Manchester City. It will certainly not be smooth sailing and players will need to step up, come together and play for the manager. Losing these two fixtures may be the end for Pulis.
After those two fixtures, life does get a bit easier with matches against Newcastle, Crystal Palace, and Swansea. Whether or not Pulis would still be manager by then is only up to the results of the next two fixtures. Although not impossible, it is certainly a hard task to achieve. If we could see the West Brom of old step onto the pitch and fight for a result, Tony Pulis’ job might be safe.
Time to step up
With almost certain defeat imminent to Chelsea and Tottenham, it really is a matter of time before we know what the clubs board decide on. Perhaps Pulis has already been given an ultimatum and is on borrowed time. Who would take the reigns if he does get the sack? It would also be an ideal time for the board to decide on the clubs future ambitions. The Baggies are considered a stable mid-table Premier League team but might want to start aiming higher. The comfortability of mid-table could easily account for the apparent complacency and current form.
As much as the manager is first to be scrutinized for poor results, the players have a role too. Poor player performances are not only down to managerial influence but also the level of professionalism from the players. All round improved player performances are needed from each and every player. Influential players that need to step up include Matt Phillips, Chris Brunt, Jake Livermore and Nacer Chadli.
All of them are capable of influencing a match like they used to last season and help save their manager getting the sack. Their top scorer from last season Salomón Rondón has only scored once this league campaign. In what can be said to be subpar performances so far, he would need to up his game massively to have any chance of scoring more than 8 goals this season.
Don’t be surprised if Pulis does get the sack as soon as the weekend, or even the next. This, however, is entirely dependent on results. A draw or two could be enough to give some breathing room until easier opponents come along. Time will tell if Pulis will survive to turn things around against the easier fixtures.
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