West Brom boss Alan Pardew reinstates Jonny Evans as captain ahead of Premier League relegation six-pointer with Huddersfield
West Brom manager Alan Pardew has reinstated Jonny Evans as captain despite him being disciplined for breaking a curfew during a club trip to Barcelona this month.
Evans was among four players accused of stealing a taxi on a night out in the Catalan city and was stripped of the armband for last weekend’s FA Cup defeat against Southampton.
Former Manchester United star Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill were questioned by police about the alleged incident but the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence.
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The quartet have been disciplined by the club, however, although Pardew has declined to freeze them out for Saturday’s match against fellow Premier League strugglers Huddersfield.
“Of course I’m angry about the situation. [But] it’s a results business and we need to get results,” said Pardew.
“That incident magnified our situation and the only way we can get ourselves out of that spotlight is to win games. It will never go away but it’s a mistake that we’ve had to repair ourselves from.
“We only have three scenarios in front of us: we either perform the great escape, we go down fighting and with dignity, or we go down with a whimper. And I certainly hope it isn’t the last one.”
West Brom are five points adrift at the bottom of the table and seven points behind Huddersfield, who are 17th.
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