Kevin Phillips: Sam Allardyce will step aside as West Brom manager on relegation
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips claims Sam Allardyce will “step aside” as West Brom manager at the end of the season with relegation to the Championship seemingly inevitable.
Football Insider reported earlier this month that if Big Sam fails to keep the Baggies in the Premier League, he’ll resign as there’s a break clause in his contract at The Hawthorns.
West Brom have shown some improvement since Allardyce replaced Slaven Bilic and was able to make a couple of his own signings in the January transfer window but Albion are still doomed for the drop and are 10 points shy of safety, plus the league’s worst goal difference, with nine matches left to play.
Ex-Baggies forward Phillips has warned it will take time for a new manager to make his mark at The Hawthorns if Allardyce is replaced in between this season and next.
“Sam is a proud man. He’s come in, given it his best and at times, West Brom have been the better teams in games but they just haven’t been able to get those goals to win matches,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“He’s going to step aside and let someone in and try to get them out of the Championship.
“You can look at it two ways. You have a manager there who’s there now and knows the players. He probably knows what they need to come back up.
“It’s a shame because now they have to go and look for someone that has got to come in, get used to the players and maybe implement his style of play and philosophy.
“That could take a bit of time and West Brom need to come straight back up because we all know it becomes harder and harder if you don’t.
“It’s a shame but I just hope the next manager they bring in is the right one and they can really challenge for promotion.
“If Sam was in charge, they would be there or thereabouts next season – there’s no doubt in my mind.”
Since the winter transfer window closed, West Brom have won once, drawn three times and last four of their eight Premier League matches.
While there were some good performances against Manchester United and Burnley before a win over Brighton, displays versus Newcastle and Crystal Palace have simply not been good enough.
Big Sam’s record of never being relegated looks set to be consigned to the history books in the coming weeks while his tenure as West Bromwich Albion also seems to be going the same way.
In other West Brom news, this Albion player has signed a pre-contract agreement to join another club in the summer.
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