Surprise Frontrunner Named for West Brom Job as Alan Pardew's Days Look Numbered

Harry Redknapp has been instated by the bookies as favourite to become the next West Bromwich Albion manager after current boss Alan Pardew fell under even greater pressure following a disastrous week for the club. 

After a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea in the Premier League last Monday, which left the Baggies seven points adrift from safety at the bottom of the table, four senior players, Jonny Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill, were questioned by Spanish police after allegedly stealing a taxi while away with the Midlands side on a warm-weather training break in Barcelona. 

Following their return from Catalonia, which was initially sanctioned to unify the players and alleviate the stresses of the English top-flight, the Championship-heading outfit were then dumped out of the FA Cup after Southampton claimed a 2-1 victory at the Hawthorns Stadium on Saturday. 

The calamitous rut on the field that West Brom currently find themselves is, which has seen them pick up just one first-tier win in their last 25 - coming after Pardew succeeded former boss Tony Pulis 13 games ago - has mounted pressure on the 56-year-old's current role within the club, particularly after the sackings of chairman John Williams and Chief Executive Martin Goodman earlier in the week. 

The Londoner admitted himself he was unsure how long his tenure at the Baggies would be following the removal of a core element of the hierarchy, and, according to the Birmingham Mail, a surprise candidate has been named as favourite in the running to succeed him. 

Harry Redknapp, who most recently held the reins at Birmingham City, is the bookies' number one, with, presumably, the Hawthorns chiefs hoping the 70-year-old can emulate his success with the Blues and somehow steer the club away from the drop. 

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager, who is currently instated in an advisory role at Yeovil Town, manufactured an escape route for the floundering Midlanders on the final day of last season, however was relieved of his duties in September after a slow start to the campaign.