West Bromwich Albion Appoint Alan Pardew as New Boss, Latest News and Reaction

West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the appointment of Alan Pardew as their new manager.

The club's official Twitter account relayed the news on Wednesday:

"I'm thrilled with the opportunity Albion have provided and looking forward to getting to work with what I consider to be a talented group of players," Pardew said, per the club's website. "The immediate challenge will be to get the results we need to pull ourselves up the table. But I'm aware that while I'm joining one of the great, traditional clubs of English football, it is one determined to go forward in the Premier League."

Pardew steps in to take over from Tony Pulis, who was sacked on November 20 with the club languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.

Gary Megson took over the team for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend when they earned a creditable 1-1 draw. He was also in charge on Tuesday, when the team surrendered a two-goal lead against Newcastle United to draw 2-2.

The appointment sees Pardew return to management after he was axed by Crystal Palace in December 2016. Since then, he has spent time working as a pundit on Sky Sports.

As noted by Kristof Terreur of Het Laatste Nieuws, the return of the 56-year-old continues a familiar theme in English football:

There will be a hope among the West Brom fanbase that Pardew can help push the club away from the relegation zone.

Under Pulis, the side enjoyed a prosperous summer transfer window and won their first two games of the 2017-18 campaign. However, they went winless for their next 12 Premier League clashes, and Pardew takes over with the Baggies down in 16th in the standings.

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The former Palace coach has helped improve sides in the past, though. With the Eagles, he prompted an initial upturn in form when taking over, while in a four-year spell at Newcastle United prior to that, he enjoyed some memorable moments, leading the team to a fifth-place finish in 2011-12.

In the past, the Englishman has had some issues with consistency in his managerial career. Oliver Kay of The Times doesn't believe that's something that will worry West Brom at the moment, though:

Pardew is renowned for getting sides off to fast starts, and when his teams build momentum, they can be tough to stop.

At West Brom, he'll take over a squad that was built to play direct and physical football under Pulis, although there are plenty of talented operators around. Pardew will feel confident of keeping the squad safe from relegation with the likes of Jonny Evans, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Nacer Chadli at his disposal.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Pardew take a little longer than usual to get his ideas across, as the team he's taking over has been low on confidence for much of the campaign. But you would back a coach of his experience to keep this West Brom side afloat in the Premier League.