West Bromwich Albion have sacked Tony Pulis – the manager who has never been relegated - and are targeting an experienced replacement to help secure Premier League survival.

Pulis was dismissed on Monday morning after talks with chairman John Williams as the strugglers took action following a torrid run of two wins from 21 games, stretching back to last season.

He becomes the fifth top-flight casualty of the campaign after a decision which has polarised opinion outside of the Black Country, due to his record of never suffering the drop in over 1,000 games as a manager.

Albion feel they were left with no alternative but to wield the axe as a result of the disenchantment from supporters over Pulis’ defensive style of play and tactics, combined with results and a highly-paid underperforming squad.

West Brom were thrashed 4-0 by champions Chelsea on Saturday - their 11th game without a win - and Pulis endured chants for his dismissal from fans, with owner Guochuan Lai also making a rare visit to the Hawthorns.

Williams and Lai discussed their next move on Sunday and Pulis has paid the price, six weeks before his three-year anniversary, with the club already on the hunt for a successor ahead of Saturday's game against Tottenham Hotspur.