Report: Pearson, Pardew among candidates to succeed Pulis at West Brom

West Bromwich Albion is reportedly turning to familiar faces while searching for a manager who can make a difference.

According to the Guardian's Ed Aarons, West Brom is considering Nigel Pearson and Alan Pardew after sacking Tony Pulis, while Martin O'Neill is also a potential candidate. Guochaun Lai, the Baggies' owner, and John Williams, the club's chairman, are apparently making experience a priority.

West Brom terminated Pulis' contract after the Baggies suffered a 4-0 defeat to Chelsea at The Hawthorns. The result left them without a win in 11 games in all competitions, and winless in four Premier League matches. Gary Megson, the assistant head coach who was employed as the club's manager between 2000 and 2004, agreed to take charge of first-team affairs until further notice.

Related - Which of the Premier League's 5 sacked managers merits another shot?

Pearson is working at Oud-Herverlee Leuven, which competes in the Proximus League, the second division of Belgian football. The English manager is known at West Brom, as he was an assistant to Bryan Robson from 2004-06. In an exclusive written by the Guardian's Stuart James, he said he was asked by somebody if he's still ambitious, to which he answered: "There's more to it than just football. For me it's very much a case of embracing the whole idea of being involved in a different culture."

Pardew also holds a connection to West Brom. He gave Nicky Hammond, the Baggies' technical director, his first-ever coaching role at Reading.

After Ireland missed out on the 2018 World Cup, O'Neill said that he'll "sit down and speak" to John Delaney, chief executive officer of the Football Association of Ireland, about his future. "I thought John and myself had agreed to stay but we'll see," the Irish manager said.

Pulis was the fifth managerial casualty of the Premier League season.