West Bromwich Albion are on the search for a new boss for the third time this season after Alan Pardew departed by mutual consent on Monday morning.
The 56-year-old leaves the Baggies 10 points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League standings, with the club all-but-certain to be lining up in the Sky Bet Championship next season.
First-team coach Darren Moore has been placed in temporary charge ‘until further notice’, but it’ll require a minor miracle to keep them up in the top flight.
Tom Carnduff looks at the front-runners to replace Pardew, along with odds from Sky Bet, and assesses what they could bring to the Hawthorns.
Michael Appleton – 7/2
Leicester City assistant manager Michael Appleton has emerged as the early favourite for the job.
The 42-year-old had a brief spell in temporary charge of the Baggies back in 2011. He drew 3-3 against West Ham in his only game, throwing away a 3-0 lead at half-time.
Appleton had a tough run at Portsmouth following his departure from West Brom, posting just 13 wins in 51 games as the club battled to keep afloat during financial crisis.
His spell at Blackpool lasted 12 matches, the shortest-serving manager in the club’s history, with a 16.7% win ratio.
He departed for Blackburn, guiding them to a victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in an FA Cup Fifth Round clash, but left 67 days later with the club 18th in the Sky Bet Championship standings.
His managerial career picked up during a lengthy spell at Oxford United. During his three years at the club, Appleton guided them to League Two promotion and Football League Trophy success.
He would also take them to Wembley again, this time as EFL Trophy runners-up, whilst also narrowly missing out on a spot in the League One play-offs the season after.
Following Craig Shakespeare’s departure from the Foxes in October, Appleton took caretaker charge and won games against Swansea City and Leeds United before the arrival of Claude Puel.
Mick McCarthy – 4/1
A veteran when it comes to managing in the Championship, Mick McCarthy will look for a new adventure in the summer after the announcement he will be departing Ipswich Town.
The 59-year-old has been in charge of the East Anglia outfit since November 2012, guiding them to clear safety in the same season.
In his first full season, McCarthy saw them finish in ninth in the table which led to him signing a new four-year deal in June 2014.
A seventh-place finish followed in 2016 but they have been unable to replicate similar form in recent seasons and the Tractor Boys will look for a new man at the end of the season.
Given the early impact he had at the likes of Ipswich, Wolves and Millwall, McCarthy could be an attractive prospect for the owners if they seek an immediate return to the top flight.
He’d be the experienced option out of the front runners for the vacancy, and someone who knows the Championship very well.
Dean Smith – 6/1
Dean Smith finds himself on the list when it comes to Pardew’s replacement.
The Brentford boss has gone under the radar when it comes to Championship managers, but has done a good job nonetheless.
He’s guided the Bees to finishes in ninth and tenth respectively which, given the number of star players sold by the club during that time, should be seen as a decent achievement.
Despite more departures, Smith’s Brentford side are currently in 11th and should finish within the top-half of the table.
Prior to Brentford, he enjoyed a fine spell at Walsall following a successful caretaker period after Chris Hutchings’ departure in January 2011.
Taking over with the club seven points adrift, the Saddlers would survive in League One before beginning to move up the table as the seasons progressed.
Under his guidance, they made their first ever appearance at Wembley when they made the final of the 2015 Football League Trophy, before leaving the club in 4th to take up the vacancy in West London.
Marco Silva – 7/1
Often a name linked when managerial vacancies became available in the top two divisions, Marco Silva has been out of a job since departing Watford in January.
The Portuguese has an impressive CV, winning the second division and cup during spells in Portugal whilst also winning the league in Greece with Olympiacos.
He was unable to keep Hull City in the Premier League after his appointment in January 2017, but did win his opening four home games in charge, also posting a victory away at Manchester United.
He’d link up with Watford in the summer, losing just one of his first five games. With his interest in the vacant Everton job, the Hornets sacked Silva with the club citing the "unwarranted approach by a Premier League rival" causing "significant deterioration in both focus and results to the point where the long-term future of Watford FC has been jeopardised".
In similar fashion to Sunderland, West Brom are a team that will need re-building and could see a number of departures this summer.
Whether it’s a job to suit Silva remains to be seen.
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Odds correct at 1315 BST (02/04/18)