Deliver or you’ll be next, Pardew
ALAN PARDEW’S job as West Brom manager is safe for now despite a day of sackings at the Hawthorns. Chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman were axed yesterday as Chinese owner Guochuan Lai flexed his muscles in the wake of Albion’s slump to the foot of the table. Pardew’s performance is expected to be reviewed in the summer, although he could come under serious pressure if his side fail in a crucial series of six Premier League games starting at home to Huddersfield on February 24.
They also face Watford, Leicester, Bournemouth, Burnley and Swansea in a season-defining spell, with four at home. Albion are already seven points adrift of safety with Pardew knowing poor results in the next half-dozen games could leave them doomed to life in the Championship after eight seasons in the top flight.
Pardew was informed of the shock departures of Williams and Goodman in Barcelona, where he has taken his squad for a week-long training camp ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Southampton. Both Williams and Goodman have been placed on gardening leave after being told their contracts are being terminated.
Former chief executive Mark Jenkins has returned to the role in place of Goodman with a new chairman not expected to be appointed until the summer.
Jenkins said: “There is much to do but for now the focus must be solely on the remaining games of this season.” Jenkins spent 14 years as CEO under former owner and chairman Jeremy Peace but left just over a year ago when Lai’s Palm group completed a £200million takeover.
Lai had asked Jenkins to stay on but he opted to leave, only to return recently as a director of the club’s holding company.
The sackings are a clear response from Lai to accusations from fans that he was an absentee landlord.