Alan Irvine on last legs at West Brom

The Premier League witnessed its first sacking of the season last weekend after Crystal Palace gave Neil Warnock the boot. Warnock's departure could produce a domino effect, with a handful of managers feeling the heat as the top-flight ventures into the New Year, including the under-fire Alan Irvine who is on his last legs at 16th-placed West Brom after they suffered a third defeat on the spin.

It is fair to say that Irvine was a surprise appointment back in June following the departure of Pepe Mel. The former Preston and Sheffield Wednesday gaffer went on to have a respectable start to life at the Hawthorns, winning two drawing two and losing two of his opening six league games at the helm. However, since the Midlands club battered Burnley 4-0 at the end of September they have picked up just nine of the 39 points on offer. Irvine's troops have particularly struggled in the last two months of 2014, losing seven of their last nine games, including the most recent three.

Sunday's dire 2-0 defeat at Stoke saw Irvine's odds slashed to just 1/3 (Sky Bet) in the Premier League Sack Race, although the 56-year-old has since drifted slightly to 6/5 following the news that Newcastle boss Alan Pardew could be on his was to Crystal Palace. But, this distraction in the market takes none of the pressure off the struggling Scot now who heads into the New Year's Day clash away to West Ham desperate for the three points, otherwise he could become the first managerial casualty of 2015.

Tony Pulis and Tim Sherwood currently lead the way in the Next West Brom Manager Market.