THE BEST PERSON TO REPLACE TONY PULIS? ER...TONY PULIS

SO WHAT kind of manager do West Brom need to succeed Tony Pulis (below)? Someone with experience of Premier League relegation struggles, obviously. A manager with a track record of successful firefighting, who will organise a team of limited talents and hold his nerve under pressure — not one who will see the way out as a £100million January spending spree. They need a pragmatist, a coach who will not place aesthetics or his personal reputation above the immediate needs of the club; someone who will not care what the critics think, and if that means winning ugly or scrapping for a point, then so be it. The fans may be willing to sacrifice elite division status for a more open, entertaining style, but no owner agrees. Right now, West Brom need a manager who will dig in and drill his players to do the same. And there is the dilemma for owner Guochuan Lai: the ideal man to replace Tony Pulis would appear to be Tony Pulis. If they hadn’t just sacked him, he would be a cert for the job.