Tony Pulis hints he could leave West Bromwich Albion in the summer

The Baggies are currently marooned in the relative safety of mid-table, eight points clear of the relegation zone

West Brom manager Tony Pulis appears dejected after the loss to Reading in the FA Cup (Getty)

West Bromwich Albion head coach Tony Pulis has hinted he could leave the club in the summer as supporters continue to grumble about the playing style employed at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies are currently marooned in the relative safety of mid-table, eight points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, but supporter unrest come to a head after the 3-1 defeat to Reading in the FA Cup.

Chris Brunt was struck by an object thrown by a fan in the away end of the Madejski Stadium in an incident which Pulis branded “criminal” at full-time. The Welshman’s contract expires at the end of next season but he plans to meet with chairman Jeremy Peace to discuss his future.

“You have to accept that,” Pulis told BBC Radio West Midlands. “Let’s get through the season and then let’s sit down and see where we both go from there.

“The most important thing is to try to keep the club up in the [Premier League] and then go from there. I think I’ll sit down with Jeremy and we’ll take it from there.”

Pulis’s team have been subjected to condemnation from the Hawthorns faithful. Saturday’s fifth round set-back at Championship side Reading leaves West Brom with just their top-flight safety to fight for, a recurrent trend in the West Midlands.

“That’s the way the game is,” the former Stoke City manager added. “That’s what you’ve got to understand and recognise in the game.

“It’s not nice but someone said the other day that [Arsène] Wenger got it at Arsenal the beginning of the season, [José] Mourinho got it at Chelsea and their players got it as well. It’s just the way the game is going unfortunately.

“It’s not what you want or you’d like to contend with but you have to deal with it and get on with it. I’ve been in the game long enough to know that it’s there and it’s always close to the surface but you have to get on with it.

“We need the supporters. It’s their football club and we need them.”