OFFICIAL NOISEMAKR: West Brom

<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6AjKd5GzPkqee3VZO5mb1xS5zj0gUwll_JjXXtqePIDDj4xNhiopl1oH5NPx8VX8gN8RYzOytM5J60XPkRWPct5xtu2lqxfuQZpWhNjR05IV3q9l-l0QX_IN-uslMgUn9MClvPlnCIII/s615/0_West-Bromwich-Albion-manager-Sam-Allardyce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6AjKd5GzPkqee3VZO5mb1xS5zj0gUwll_JjXXtqePIDDj4xNhiopl1oH5NPx8VX8gN8RYzOytM5J60XPkRWPct5xtu2lqxfuQZpWhNjR05IV3q9l-l0QX_IN-uslMgUn9MClvPlnCIII/s320/0_West-Bromwich-Albion-manager-Sam-Allardyce.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">West Brom have gone full circle in three years – from functional to fantasy football and back to pragmatism again.</span></h2><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But as Sam Allardyce takes on his latest project as a firefighter, and puts his record of never being relegated on the line, you have to wonder if, this time, he has picked out the dud bulb in the fairy lights on your Christmas tree.</span></p><div class="gpt in-article gpt-no-ad-label" data-config="{"componentType":"gpt","targeting":{"index":4,"hivis":"n"},"injectionConditions":[{"condition":"stopONAffiliateContent"}],"referenceNode":".article-body > p:nth-of-type(2)","sizes":[[8,8]],"hideOnSensitiveArticle":true,"relativePos":"after","additionalClass":"in-article","name":"div-gpt-ad-vip-slot","type":"VIP"}" data-google-query-id="CJajr4v81-0CFcIx0wodLywHXA" data-gpt-placeholder="" data-rendered-height="1" data-rendered-width="1" data-requested="52872.75499998941" data-response-end="157135.36499999464" data-response-start="8638.865000000806" data-timer-slot-rendered="62767.42000000377" data-type="gpt" id="div-gpt-ad-vip-slot" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #141414; height: 1px; margin: 0px; max-height: 1px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 1;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/5293/mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news_2__container__" style="background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border: 0pt none; left: 0px; margin: auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><iframe data-google-container-id="3" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1px" id="google_ads_iframe_/5293/mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/5293/mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" style="background: transparent; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="1px"></iframe></span></div></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First of all, I have to say I feel desperately sorry for Slaven Bilic.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">He won promotion at the first time of asking, and although seven points from 13 games is not a great return, the Baggies are not miles adrift of the dotted line.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When you analyse their performances this season, their defeat at Manchester United was a cruel result, they were only undone by Harry Kane at the last gasp against Tottenham and, on Tuesday night, Bilic's players fought for their lives to get a point at Manchester City.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Normally, when a tide is going out on the manager, there are tell-tale signs that the players have lost belief in what they are being asked to do.</span></p><div id="popup-parent-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wrapper-eplayer-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527 abovevideo="0" belowvideo="0" class="player-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7" data-current-script="https://player.daznservices.com/player/v4/player4.js#6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7.y34vu6acsp9x1pu8t337ybx5r$s=1" id="wrapper-eplayer-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527" style="clear: both; direction: ltr; display: block; position: relative;"><div id="adwrapper-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527" style="background: none !important; border: 0px; bottom: 0px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; top: 0px !important; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 1;"></div><eplayer-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527 class="needsclick" style="background: rgb(0, 0, 0); display: block;"><div class="player" id="app" style="color: white; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; height: 0px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1.5; position: relative; width: 688px;"></div></eplayer-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527></wrapper-eplayer-6345b443e2192e5564ba30abc7-3527></div><div class="placeholder" data-config="{"name":"perform-placeholder","componentType":"placeholder","referenceNode":".article-body > p:nth-of-type(6)","type":"performPlaceholder","relativePos":"after"}" data-placeholder-placeholder="" data-response-start="8640.319999991334" data-type="placeholder" id="perform-placeholder" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But after just 546 days in charge, I watched that team put their bodies on the line for Bilic at the Etihad. He has been harshly treated.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Having said that, I wish Allardyce all the best at the Hawthorns. I've never jumped on the critics' bandwagon to slate the way his teams play – because his record speaks for itself.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Down the years he has saved Bolton, West Ham, Sunderland and Palace from relegation – and you could argue he did the same for Everton, who were struggling when he arrived in 2017.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In his 512 matches as a Premier League manager, Allardyce has won 174 and lost 200 with a 34 per win ratio.</span></p><figure class="in-article-image" data-init="true" data-mod="image" data-observed="false" itemprop="image" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border: 0px; color: #141414; margin: 18px 0px; min-height: 1px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 688px;"><div class="outer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="spacer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; content: ""; float: left; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 457.516px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 0px;"></div><div class="mod-image" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" content="https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23174852.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Manchester-City-v-West-Bromwich-Albion-Premier-League.jpg" height="419" src="https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23174852.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Manchester-City-v-West-Bromwich-Albion-Premier-League.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 688px;" width="513" /></span></div></div><figcaption class="publication-theme-indicator" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.07px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-indent: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="caption" itemprop="description" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2c2c2c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It comes after the Baggies brutally dismissed Slaven Bilic</span> <span class="credit" itemprop="author" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Image: Getty Images)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If he applies the same ratios to West Brom's remaining 25 games, they will finish on around 37 points – which would probably be enough to keep them up.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And while managerial change can be unsettling, if the players buy into Big Sam's methods from the word go, Bilic will be forgotten after one game: That's the cruel nature of football.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The king is dead, long live the king.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Some of them will probably have relegation clauses in their contracts – and nothing exercises the minds of footballers more than the prospect of a possible 50 per cent pay cut, or whatever the wage decrease may be.</span></p><div class="converse-re-wrapper" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><iframe class="converse-re cre-bottom" frameborder="0" height="0" scrolling="no" src="https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fnews%2Fhiring-big-sam-no-guarantee-23189731&cre=bottom&cip=21&view=web" style="background: transparent; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; float: left; margin: 0px; min-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But it is strange that, as recently as November 2017, West Brom sacked Tony Pulis – another man unfairly derided for his methods, even though he has never been relegated in 28 years as a manager – and turned to Alan Pardew, Darren Moore and Bilic for a more expansive approach.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Three years later, the owners have squared the circle and gone back to pragmatism as their preferred option.</span></p><div class="article-body" itemprop="articleBody" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #141414; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Premier League survival is now worth at least £100 million a year to clubs, so you can understand the business acumen behind their thinking.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But the fans are not happy at the way Bilic was given only 13 games – after a modest sum to spend last summer – to establish a bridgehead between the Championship and top flight.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And although Allardyce is taking charge of a record eighth Premier League club, there is absolutely no guarantee of a happy ending to this changing of the guard at the Hawthorns.</span></p></div>

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