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

Taricco_Fan added 16:57 - Apr 3 Paul Hurst would be a great fit for this club. Sounds like the kind of guy that would see the potential in our club and revel in the roll of trying to turn things around. I hope he's high on Evans' list.
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