West Brom’s new boss Pepe Mel to endure Hawthorns hell

West Bromwich Albion’s search for a manager took them to Europe and given their current struggles, and the previous record of newly-appointed boss Pepe Mel, don’t be surprised to see them take a continental approach to hiring and firing.

In Italy, for instance, clubs like Palermo have adopted a revolving door policy when it comes to managers, with 26 hired and fired by the Rosanero in the past decade alone, at an average of over two per season.

And while West Bromwich may be a far cry from the sunny climes of Sicily, should new boss Pepe Mel fail to have the desired effect on his charges, then the 66/1 offered by Ladbrokes on the Spaniard being the next Premier League manager to leave his post, could be worth a look.

Last week, we warned that Mel represented a risky appointment at the Hawthorns given his previous record in Spain and though he wasn’t officially in charge for the Baggies’ loss away to Southampton, fans may still have cause for concern.

West Brom have won just two of their last 15 Premier League games and remain just three points off the relegation places, with a tough group of fixtures coming up.

The Baggies will next be in action at home to in-form Everton, with games against Liverpool and Chelsea also coming up in the next few weeks. Sandwiched in between these fixtures are tricky away trips to fellow strugglers Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

Whether Mel is the man to guide them through such a difficult run unscathed remains to be seen, with the Spaniard heading into the game off the back of arguably his worst run in league management, with Betis unable to win any of their final eight fixtures under the beleaguered boss.

Failure to pick up a single victory from that five-game run and the Midlands club could find themselves well and truly stuck in the relegation mire, with the new boss suddenly in the firing line and facing the sack for the fourth time in a row.

With West Brom on at 8/1 to be relegated this term, the threat of dropping into the second tier could see Mel boing-boinging his way out of the Hawthorns sooner than you think.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date

Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.