Tony Pulis insists West Brom successor Alan Pardew can cope with the pressure

Pardew is under increasing scrutiny from the board following five straight defeats, and a poor result at Watford this weekend could lose him his job just over three months after he arrived.

However, his predecessor reckons the former Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss is experienced enough to deal with the situation.

“I know Alan, he’s got thick enough skin to cope with anything that’s thrown at him,” Pulis told Sky Sports.

“Arsene loses the Cup, nobody talks about him getting there, they talk about the performance and the defeat, so it’s his turn to get criticism.

"It was Jose (Mourinho's) turn the week before. That’s what the press do, that’s what supporters do, if you’re underperforming, you come under some stick.”

Pulis was sacked in November following a poor start to the season, but was appointed Middlesbrough boss on Boxing Day and took former assistant Dave Kemp and goalkeeping coach Jonathan Gould with him to the North East.

It's believed Boro offered the pair more money than the Baggies.

“I had three fantastic years at West Brom, we finished 13th, 14th and 10th,” said Pulis. “In those three years there were bad periods, runs of games where he had bad times.

"I left but I’ve got nothing but respect for the players and the group of people there, it’s a wonderful football club."

Pardew has only won one of his 13 league games in charge of the Baggies, and the board could have one last throw of the dice with a quarter of the season left in a bid to stay up.

He reportedly has a break clause in his £1.5 million-a-year contract that allows him and the club to part company at the end of the season, and compensation would likely be paid up to that point.

Former Boro boss Garry Monk, who Pulis replaced, has been made one of the early favourites to succeed Pardew.

But when he was asked if he was close to joining Albion he said: “No! Not at this moment in time.

“Look, it's never good to lose your job but I am ready to go back in and ready to start working.

“I am waiting for the right opportunity, I am ready to go and when the opportunity comes, I will take it."