New West Brom boss Pardew targets trophies

The former West Ham United, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace manager has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract at the Midlands club, languishing just two points above the relegation places before the latest round of fixtures.

As the season nears its halfway stage, fellow Premier League strugglers Everton were set to appoint former England coach Sam Allardyce as their new boss.

West Brom sacked Tony Pulis last week after they went 10 Premier League games without a win — the fifth managerial casualty in the English top flight this season.

Pardew, who took Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final in May 2016, has not managed since being sacked by the Selhurst Park club just seven months later but he returned in bullish mood.

“My best teams play on the front foot and try and put teams under pressure,” said Pardew. “Sometimes they get a bloody nose doing that and that’s what I’ll deliver here at West Brom.

“The immediate concern is to halt this run, get some points on the board and get ourselves in a position where we can try to attack the top 10 if possible.”

The 56-year-old, who is adding his former assistant at Newcastle, John Carver, to his backroom staff at The Hawthorns, had widely been expected to be named Albion’s new manager and he takes over with the club winless in their past 12 Premier League games.

– Trophy hunt –

Pardew said his immediate concern was to halt the club’s wretched run but ultimately he is aiming higher than mere Premier League survival.

“I think the most important thing is, and it’s so difficult in the Premier League, to have ambitions to win the league, to win trophies, because you have six or seven clubs whose finances are way above the level that we’re working at.”

“It’s very difficult to break,” he added. “We almost did it of course with Palace in the FA Cup so you have to have those ambitions to try and win a trophy, as difficult as it is.”

Chairman John Williams said Albion’s board had reached a unanimous decision to appoint Pardew following a thorough recruitment process.

Pardew, the Premier League manager of the year in 2012, has a history of explosive touchline bustups.

In 2014, when Newcastle boss, he was fined and given a formal warning for headbutting an opposition player and he had a furious row with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger during his time at West Ham.

Pulis was sacked after a miserable run of form even though he boasted a proud record of never having been relegated as a manager.

Former West Brom manager Gary Megson, who acted as Albion’s caretaker boss following the sacking of Pulis, has left the club.

Pardew faces former club Crystal Palace in his first match in charge on Saturday, with tough fixtures looming later in December against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Everton on Wednesday announced they would “finalise terms” with Allardyce, ending a long hunt since they sacked Ronald Koeman last month.

“Sam Allardyce will be at… Finch Farm (training ground) this afternoon to finalise terms on becoming the new manager of Everton Football Club,” the club said in a statement.