Sam Allardyce knows he needs a fast start at West Brom

New boss Sam Allardyce knows he needs to hit the ground running at West Brom.

The former England manager was unveiled as the new head coach at the Hawthorns on Thursday afternoon.

Allardyce has previously saved Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton from the drop, and takes over a Baggies side lying 19th in the Premier League following the sacking of Slaven Bilic.

He said: “I think this job is about the same. They were different times I went in, but similar times. It upsets my wife that I keep taking jobs just before Christmas.

“What we have got to do is manage our way through this amount of games, coping with the pandemic and me trying to learn the players’ strengths and weaknesses.”

Allardyce will want to strengthen his squad when the transfer window opens in January.

He added: “There’s some money, some opportunities, but there is a massive loss of revenue because of Covid to cope with.

“I understand the situation and we’ll try and improve the team if we can find a player.

“We talked about that as a key area, once I’ve fully assessed the whole squad. I’m not certain, but I’m sure I will.”