West Brom Latest Club to Fire Alan “The Silver Fox” Pardew

 5 years, 11 months ago 0 Comments

It appears Alan Pardew won’t be dancing along the touchline again any time soon.

West Bromwich Albion finally made the break with Pardew on Easter Monday after enduring a truly grueling run of form with the Londoner at the helm. Pardew’s West Brom managed to steal as many taxis during his reign as they won league games (one each, by the way.) Pardew originally took charge of the Baggies with the Midlands club hovering just above the relegation zone. Twenty-one league games later, West Brom now sit rock bottom of the Premier League –– ten points adrift from safety –– and are all-but-guaranteed to be relegated to the Championship.

So much for the supposed new-manager boost.

Pardew’s most recent sacking is the culmination of years of uninspiring managerial work. Not only have West Brom capitulated on the pitch, but under Pardew’s care they’ve completely fallen apart off it as well. Dwindling attendances and meager performances have at last forced the West Brom board to take action –– belatedly at that.

The truly troubling element of Pardew’s brief spell at West Brom had to be his treatment of young midfielder Sam Field. According to a report in the Express and Star, Pardew lambasted the promising winger before a game against Manchester City, and repeatedly tried to unsettle him in the locker room. It’s one thing for a player to need to visit the physio or an orthopedic surgeon after a football match; it’s quite another to be emotionally scarred as a result of a “motivational” team talk.

Indeed, Pardew’s actions over the past few years have separated him from the merely mediocre crop of British managers currently infecting the top-flight. Instead, he’s defined himself as a truly despicable figure. From headbutting David Meyler during a match, to abusing Field in the locker room, to –– you guessed it –– dancing on the touchline like an idiot after Crystal Palace took a short-lived lead against Manchester United in the FA Cup Final –– his behavior is nothing short of embarrassing. It’s almost as if he’s gone out of his way to prove every Newcastle fan who branded him a fraud four years ago absolutely right. Though, if Newcastle fans really want to indulge in a good bit of schadenfreude, they don’t need to look very far.

West Brom will look to finish their season with a modicum of respectability, and hope for better luck in the Championship next season. As for Pardew, only time will tell where he’ll next pop up. Though, the odds of it being in the Premier League must be considerably longer now.

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