Soccer-Premier League's managerial shake-out gathers pace
LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - Two of the three clubs relegated from the Premier League showed managers the door on Friday but West Bromwich Albion bucked the trend by handing caretaker Darren Moore the job on a permanent basis.
Swansea City got the ball rolling with the departure of Portuguese Carlos Carvalhal, who had arrived last December on a contract that expired at the end of the campaign with an extension option.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said the South Wales club, who finished third from bottom and will be trading places with promoted local rivals Cardiff City, had decided to "move in a new direction".
Whoever takes over at the Liberty Stadium will be the fifth permanent manager in two years.
Paul Lambert, appointed by Stoke City in January on a two-and-a-half-year contract after Mark Hughes was sacked, was also on the move.
"The club would like to thank Paul for his work over the past four months and wish him well for the future," Stoke said in a statement.
"Whilst he was unable to guide us to Premier League safety after being appointed in January, it certainly wasn't due to a lack of effort, professionalism and dedication on his part."
The departures came with Arsenal, Everton and West Ham United looking for new managers and more heads likely to roll.
Everton sacked former England boss Sam Allardyce on Wednesday, after six months in the job, and on the same day that West Ham dispensed with the service of David Moyes.
Moyes, like Carvalhal, was also brought in on a short term contract to steady the ship and had done what was asked of him in avoiding the drop.
Arsenal have yet to name a replacement for Arsene Wenger, with former Gunners captain Mikel Arteta emerging as a frontrunner.
Bottom side West Brom kept their faith in Moore, however, after their former defender took them on an unbeaten run in April as caretaker after replacing the sacked Alan Pardew.
"He (Moore) embodies the spirit of the club and the spirit of what we are striving to achieve in this new chapter ahead," West Brom chief executive Mark Jenkins said in a statement.
There were also moves in the Championship, with former England manager Steve McClaren appointed by Queens Park Rangers on a two-year contract.
He replaces Ian Holloway, who was sacked by the West London club after finishing 16th in the second tier last season. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
