West Brom’s technical director Nick Hammond was at Portman Road to watch this afternoon’s 2-2 draw with Millwall - perhaps manager Mick McCarthy’s last game in charge of the Blues - as the Baggies search for a replacement for Alan Pardew, who was sacked this morning.

McCarthy appears to be firmly in the running to replace Pardew, despite having previously been in charge of their greatest rivals Wolves.

West Brom are currently bottom of the Premier League, 10 points from safety and seem certain to drop into the Championship.

McCarthy leaving the Blues this week, as he appeared to hint after the match, could open the way for him to take charge at the Hawthorns for West Brom's final six games of the season.

If that were to happen Town would put a caretaker-boss in place with former Colchester manager Geraint Williams, who has recently been working at the academy running the U18s along with Alan Lee, a strong candidate to take on that role given his senior management experience.

Also in the Town directors’ box today was Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill, presumably to catch Town’s Stephen Gleeson, who has won four caps, and Millwall’s Aiden O’Brien, a recent call-up who is yet to make his international debut, in action.

Ex-Blues striker Shefki Kuqi - currently without a job having left his role as boss of Finnish side Inter Turku last August - was also again at Portman Road having also been at the Sheffield United match earlier this month when he told Life's a Pitch he'd be interested in becoming Town manager.

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury boss Paul Hurst is the latest manager to be linked with the soon-to-be-vacant Blues job.

According to HITC Sport, Hurst, 43, is among those in the running to replace McCarthy having impressed since taking over at the Montgomery Waters Meadow in October 2016.

The Shrews are currently second in League One, a point behind Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers.

Former Rotherham left-back Hurst was previously joint-manager of Ilkeston Town, Boston United and Grimsby alongside his former Millers team-mate Rob Scott before taking charge of the Mariners on his own in 2013.

Photo: TWTD

12th_Man added 23:29 - Apr 2 Don't tease us
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RobITFC added 23:34 - Apr 2 Sounds good, like the choice of Paul Hurst
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brittaniaman added 23:38 - Apr 2 No wonder there was a statement about the driverless cars etc. and the next Press conference ?? If the above is sort of true Dino will have left Portman Rd with a Bang today !!!
2

RobITFC added 23:39 - Apr 2 Interesting article about how the team were setting up not to lose and negatively when he arrived! http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11719/11095976/paul-hurst-interview-shrew
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hollywoodginge added 23:59 - Apr 2 RobITFC - a great find that on Hurst, automatically sold on the notion from reading that.
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black_shuck added 00:05 - Apr 3 West Brom's technical director Nick Hammond would also have seen an empty Portman Road.
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62WasBest added 00:55 - Apr 3 Underwhelmed.
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harlingblue added 02:51 - Apr 3 MM's great knack is digging teams out of a hole, he did it with us, but WBA are in an abyss. Good luck Mick, go for it, you will have millions of the unfair parachute payments to spend next year in The Championship.
5

thechangingman added 05:30 - Apr 3 On the one hand, after all we've endured for the last four or five years, ANYONE would be better than MM. On the other hand, I have to admit to be rather underwhelmed at the choices being offered at the moment. Overall, I feel optimistic about the way forward as we seek to re-instil some pride and creativity in our team. It's been a LONG time since I last felt like this, so I'll take it... COYB!!!

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KiwiBlue2 added 05:37 - Apr 3 The parachute payments would be a major attraction. He would be able to dangle a big deal in front of Bart and have money to spend building another team. WBA supporters might not be so enamoured however by the boring home games as it is hard to see MM changing his style but who knows.... at least he will not be here....... good luck to him
8

thechangingman added 06:51 - Apr 3 Hmmm, having now read the Paul Hurst article (posted above...) I can see a lot of potential there. In fact, I'd FAR prefer someone of his ile (i.e. up and coming...) to the depressing dross of McClaren, Pardew, et al.
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Dissboyitfc added 06:54 - Apr 3 Robitfc..... Thanks for posting!
2

Steelmonkey added 06:55 - Apr 3 So that's why the negativity in our play disappeared! It's all still about him.
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Dissboyitfc added 07:00 - Apr 3 I wonder if he will take the WBA job? Couple of reasons for tha,t firstly his Wolves Connections and secondly he will have loads of money, there will be so much expectation i think he enjoyed being the underdog with no money and low expectation. How many times did he pat himself on the back and say? i have a done a great job with no money!
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 07:05 - Apr 3 Hurst is a good choice worked wonders at Shrewsbury on a small budget would be good if he raids for NSiala he is a beast of a center back
4

MooseJuice added 07:16 - Apr 3 I really hope we give Hurst so serious consideration. What he's done on a tiny budget and with a relegation favourite squad is brilliant and exactly the sort of manager I'd like at our club.
14

DurhamTownFan added 07:35 - Apr 3 If he gets the West Brom job: great first season, organising a messy team, narrowly missed promotion, doesn't get any money to spend, board sells best players, slowly drifts away and spirals into negativity and conflict with fans and board. Sound familiar?
4

exeterblue10 added 07:45 - Apr 3 Thanks ROBITFC. I don't know a lot about Paul Hurst but from the article I'd have to say I'm excited. He's got Shrewsbury playing football and sets his team up to win games. He knows the lower leagues and can spot affordable talent and, what's more, he seems humble! To my mind someone of his ilk is just what we need.
5

ArnieM added 08:00 - Apr 3 Goodbye Mick, “Thank you”for what you have done / achieved at ITFC, and I wish you well in your ongoing career. A new chapter starts for all of us, maybe even as early as next Saturday at Brentford, and for Mick at WBA?
5

westernblue added 08:18 - Apr 3 Thanks, robITFC! What a breath of fresh air to read the Shrewsbury/Hurst piece. While I hope that MM finds another job (elsewhere) fairly speedily, if it were to be at West Brom then their supporters may have to wait a long time for 'total football'.
3

dirtydingusmagee added 08:28 - Apr 3 all this going on and ive just seen Jimmy Floyd peddling like fury along the A14 on a mountain bike, interesting week ahead .
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frantblue added 08:29 - Apr 3 Hurst article is awesome
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NBVJohn added 08:34 - Apr 3 You can almost write the script........... Properly funded with a forward thinking board he'll do a decent job. [if indeed this is what WBA is, I really don't know - I guess they can't be sores run than us.] Probably too late for them in the PL this season but with 6 games to go, build morale, embed a style of play, get some players in with the parachute money and watch out EFL next season. IMO this is likely to serve as a 'control' to what could have happened at PR if the club was in a decent state above him. What would be interesting is the reaction to WBA supporters after the Pulis departure - they always seem to be similar in style to me.

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NBVJohn added 08:36 - Apr 3 worse run.......combination of fat fingers and auto correct!
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tractorboybig added 08:50 - Apr 3 dear all, we will be linked to every man and his dog for the vacancy. Unfortuantly evans probably has a replacement lined up and his track record on that one is a real cause for concern.
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