When you're struggling near the bottom of the Premier League, who you gonna call? Well, Tony Pulis, ideally, seeing as he's never been relegated in his career. Indeed, West Bromwich Albion have done so after dispensing with the services of Alan Irvine, the club sitting just a couple of places and a single point above the relegation zone midway through the season. The Guardian reports that Pulis has been given a two-and-a-half-year contract and will be introduced on Friday.
Tony Pulis to lead West Bromwich Albion through 2016-17
The Baggies have turned to the survival specialist after sacking Alan Irvine.
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Pulis has proven himself to be something of a relegation survival specialist throughout his career so far, leading Stoke City to promotion in 2008 and promptly overseeing their establishment as a comfortable mid-table top-flight team -- a task easier said than done. He also impressed in his half-season at Crystal Palace earlier this year, when he led the Eagles to safety after a remarkable late-season run, only to resign less than 48 hours before the start of the new season.
Because of his previous disagreements with Stoke and Palace, Pulis has reportedly demanded full control over transfers at The Hawthorns. And if a deal has been agreed, presumably he’s been handed just that. However, West Brom will not eliminate their technical director or head of recruitment positions, nor will they make changes in them.
And so, with the Welshman never been relegated as a manager, West Brom will no doubt feel delighted to have Pulis in charge. His football certainly isn’t pretty, but it’s as effective as anyone else’s in the division. For the Baggies right now, points accumulation is all that matters.
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