Express & Star

Alan Pardew expected to remain as West Brom head coach for now

Alan Pardew is expected to cling onto his job for the time being despite inviting the Baggies board to sack him after a seventh successive defeat.

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Alan Pardew. (AMA)

The under-pressure head coach announced he would speak to 'those upstairs' after Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Leicester City at The Hawthorns.

Pardew is due to have an informal chat with chief executive Mark Jenkins at the training ground this morning, but the Express & Star understands that Albion have no imminent plans to sack him due to a lack of alternatives.

Although the head coach admitted his professional pride was hurt by Saturday's second-half capitulation, he promised to 'keep fighting' after the game, taking any notion he would resign off the table.

Albion's board meanwhile, have decided that removing him will not be enough to keep the doomed Baggies up this season and are now planning for the long-term future of the club.

Pardew remains for financial and strategic reasons. He is likely to receive less compensation if removed at the end of the season due to a break clause in his contract or once relegation is confirmed.

Albion will also be able to attract a better calibre of manager in the summer than they can now, having struggled to entice any potential candidates to the job in recent weeks.

The Baggies collapsed to their seventh successive defeat on Saturday in front of a smaller Hawthorns crowd than usual.

Despite going into half-time at 1-1 after an even first period, Pardew's men let in three second-half goals to lose 4-1.

They now sit eight points from safety with eight games remaining and look destined for a slow and painful descent into the Championship.

After the game, Pardew laid into his players for downing tools in the last 20 minutes and criticised Grzegorz Krychowiak for his furious reaction to being substituted.

Fans nearby the incident claim the Paris Saint-Germain loanee swore at his head coach when he was brought off just before the hour mark for Sam Field.