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West Brom part company with Pepe Mel after four months in charge West Brom part company with Pepe Mel after four months in charge
(about 7 hours later)
West Bromwich Albion have parted company with their manager Pepe Mel by mutual consent. In a statement on their website, the club said: "Both parties have decided to go their separate ways following talks between the board of directors and the head coach." West Bromwich Albion have started their pursuit of a new head coach after parting company with Pepe Mel by mutual consent only four months after the Spaniard was appointed. Although Chris Hughton and Malky Mackay have been installed as the early bookmakers' favourites to replace Mel, there is no suggestion that an appointment is imminent.
The Spaniard took over on an 18-month contract after Steve Clarke was sacked in December and oversaw 17 Premier League matches which included three wins, six draws and eight defeats. West Brom were 14th in the table at the time but finished in 17th, one place above the relegation zone. Mel's departure was confirmed after he held talks with the Albion board on Monday. The former Real Betis coach signed an 18-months contract when he took over from Steve Clarke in January but there was a break clause that Albion were able to activate at the end of the season, without any compensation being due.
West Brom's sporting and technical director Richard Garlick said: "We would like to thank Pepe for his efforts over the past four months in helping to keep the club in the Premier League and wish him well. It proved to be a flawed appointment from the outset, with Mel unable to speak English and heavily dependent on help from Keith Downing, the assistant head coach who was effectively in charge at times and has been credited by some of the players with keeping the club up.
"Both Pepe and the club set out with the best intentions of making the appointment work. However, having reflected on events both on and off the field during our talks today, it became apparent that it was in the best interests of both parties for there to be an amicable parting." Albion finished 17th, just three points above the relegation zone and Mel won only three of his 17 games in charge during what proved to be a turbulent period on and off the field, with Nicolas Anelka sacked following his controversial "quenelle" gesture at West Ham United in December, and James Morrison and Saido Berahino involved in a dressing room bust-up after Albion conceded a late equaliser in the 3-3 draw with Cardiff.
The assistant head coach Keith Downing, who stepped in temporarily for five matches after Clarke's sacking, and the goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely will remain in their current roles. Albion's search for a new head coach is likely to be led by Terry Burton, who worked at The Hawthorns under Roy Hodgson and is expected to return to the club this week in a role that will see him operate alongside Richard Garlick, who has endured a difficult time since replacing Dan Ashworth as the club's sporting and technical director. Downing and Dean Kiely, the goalkeeping coach, will both retain their roles.
Garlick said: "Although we have managed to achieve a fifth successive season of Premier League football, it has been a very disappointing campaign and lessons have been learned. The search for a new head coach has now begun." Garlick said: "We would like to thank Pepe for his efforts over the past four months in helping to keep the club in the Premier League and wish him well for the future. Both Pepe and the club set out with the best intentions of making the appointment work. However, having reflected on events both on and off the field during our talks today, it became apparent that it was in the best interests of both parties for there to be an amicable parting.
"We are grateful for the manner in which the existing coaching staff and players have rallied behind Pepe to get the club over the line in what has proved an extremely competitive division."
Garlick added: "Although we have managed to achieve a fifth successive season of Premier League football, it has been a very disappointing campaign and lessons have been learned. The search for a new Head Coach has now begun. We aim to find the most suitable candidate who, with the support of the structure we have had in place for six years and are presently strengthening, will enable the club to be more competitive next season."