West Brom are searching for their seventh permanent manager in six years after parting company with Alan Pardew.

The struggling Baggies are on the brink of Premier League relegation following eight successive defeats which led to Pardew’s departure on Monday.

Albion coach Darren Moore has been placed in temporary charge of the club’s first team, while Leicester assistant manager Michael Appleton has become the early favourite to fill the vacancy.

Pardew, who won just one of 18 league games, lasted only four months at The Hawthorns after replacing the sacked Tony Pulis in late November.

The 56-year-old became the fifth full-time manager to exit the club since Roy Hodgson left to take charge of England in May 2012 following the departures of Steve Clarke, Pepe Mel, Alan Irvine and Pulis.

“West Bromwich Albion and Alan Pardew have agreed to mutually part company following discussions between both parties,” Albion said in a statement.

“First-team coach Darren Moore has been placed in charge of first team affairs until further notice.”

Moore, whose first match in charge of the rock-bottom Baggies comes against fellow strugglers Swansea on Saturday, takes over with the club 10 points from safety.

Whether the former Baggies defender will remain at the helm until the end of the season remains to be seen.

Appleton, a former Albion player and caretaker manager, has quickly been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to permanently replace Pardew.

The 42-year-old is currently assisting Leicester boss Claude Puel at the King Power Stadium having previously been in charge at Portsmouth, Blackpool, Blackburn and Oxford.

Nigel Pearson, managing Belgian club OH Leuven, is also thought to be in the frame, along with former Watford and Hull coach Marco Silva, and Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder.

Pearson had a spell as caretaker boss at The Hawthorns following the dismissal of Bryan Robson in 2006, winning three of four matches and drawing the other.

Brentford boss Dean Smith has also been linked, in addition to ex-Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare, and Mick McCarthy, who is due to leave Ipswich at the end of the season.

Albion have won just three of their 32 league matches so far this season and are almost certain to end their eight-season stay in the top flight.

Pardew’s departure comes six weeks after the struggling club sacked chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman.

His tenure was also marred by controversy after four first-team players were accused of stealing a taxi during a training camp in Barcelona.

The players – Gareth Barry, Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill – were questioned by police but not arrested.

Pardew, whose contract was due to run until the end of the 2019/20 season, arrived on November 29 with plenty of managerial experience.

His previous Premier League job was with Crystal Palace, who sacked him in December 2016 with the club 17th in the table. He has also been in charge at Reading, West Ham, Charlton, Southampton and Newcastle.

The 56-year-old led both the Hammers and Palace to FA Cup finals, while he was named League Managers’ Association Manager of the Year in 2012 after guiding Newcastle to fifth in the Premier League.