Newcastle United defeat could spell the end for Premier League manager

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 06: Slaven Bilic, Manager of West Bromwich Albion is interviewed after the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace at The Hawthorns on December 06, 2020 in West Bromwich, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Mike Egerton - Pool/Getty Images)

Bilic & Co and slated in to travel to St James’s Park on Saturday, should the game go ahead. Newcastle United had a request to postpone last weekend’s trip to Aston Villa granted due to an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 among the Magpies’ playing and coaching staff.

And, according to the Mirror, Bilic is hanging by a thread in his post, with another loss to United potentially seeing him sacked.

West Brom were embarrassingly hammered 5-1 at the Hawthorns last weekend by Crystal Palace, who had lost out 2-0 the week previous to United.

Bilic has been in charge of the Baggies for 18 months, achieving promotion last summer – but his contract runs out at the end of the season.

Former United midfielder Lee Bowyer, of Charlton, is thought to be a favourite to step in should Bilic get the boot.

Speaking after the 5-1 loss, Bilic said: “Our reaction was a really disappointing one. It was too easy for them, we didn't mark.

“OK we were one man down and you can't stop them getting close to your final third. But then you should have enough players to defend. Everybody was relying on their team-mate to do the job without man marking.

"It was more up to them how many they were going to score in the game.”