Tony Pulis Sacked by West Brom: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

West Bromwich Albion sacked manager Tony Pulis on Monday following the team's disappointing run of form in the Premier League. 

News that Pulis had been given his marching orders came via the club's official website on Monday.

Baggies chairman John Williams thanked Pulis for his efforts but made it clear results were not good enough in comments to the club's official website:

"These decisions are never taken lightly but always in the interests of the club.

"We are in a results business and over the back end of last season and this season to date, ours have been very disappointing.

"We would like to place on record our appreciation of Tony's contribution and hard work during a period of transition for the club which included a change of ownership. We wish him well in his future endeavours."

Gary Megson has been placed in temporary charge, the club confirmed.

The Welshman was axed with the Baggies down in 17th position in the table, with just 10 points taken from their 12 top-flight matches this season. The final straw was the club's 4-0 home loss against Chelsea on Saturday.

"

0-4 - This was Tony Pulis’ joint heaviest home @premierleague defeat, matching his 4-0 defeats to Man City (October 2016) and Chelsea (January 2013 as Stoke boss). Bleak. pic.twitter.com/J5VYGER7kK

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 18, 2017"

The Times' Oliver Kay felt the Baggies had to act following their poor recent run of form.

Henry Winter of the same publication believes Pulis' reputation will see him back in work soon.

The decision ends almost three years in charge of West Brom for Pulis, during which he steadied the club in the Premier League.

Having taken over in January 2015, the coach's methods helped the Baggies climb the table to a position of safety.

In the campaigns since, West Brom have rarely been in danger of relegation. Last season, his side finished in 10th position, having threatened to challenge for a European spot earlier in the year.

The 2017-18 season started well after a summer of smart recruitment, with two 1-0 wins kicking off the campaign. But an 11-game winless run prompted unrest among the supporters, who were watching unattractive football with little productivity.

As Stuart James noted in the Guardian, so much of Pulis' managerial blueprint is centred around a strong set-piece strategy (h/t Sachin Nakrani of the same paper):

When the team is performing well and defending robustly, supporters can stomach that style, as they did at the Hawthorns last term and in the campaign before that. But when the results take a downturn, there's little to prevent angst from spreading.

And Pulis' issue has always been finding another way to win in these ruts. He's stood by his principles down the years, and tactical versatility has been scarce as a result.

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

It will be intriguing to see where West Brom turn next in an attempt to pull away from the bottom of the table.

While there are talented footballers in the squad, the team has been built to play a physical and direct style. Supporters may want to see a more eye-catching side in the weeks to come, but that type of post-Pulis transformation could take time.

Looking at their form and position, it's debatable whether the Baggies have that luxury.