West Brom v West Ham: Five things we learned
From the promise of a young winger to a chasm in creativity, via Saido's shoddy shooting: here's five things we learned from Saturday's defeat.
1: A star is born
Jonathan Leko has impressed Tony Pulis since he was 15 when the Welshman first walked into the club more than a year ago.
Now, less than a week after his 17th birthday, the young winger gets his chance, and didn't he take it well?
Playing with abandon, Leko's refreshing full debut was the only positive from yet another disappointing defeat at The Hawthorns.
When the teenager got the ball, the crowd started to get off their seats and on to their feet.
It's been a long slog this season but finally, there's something to get excited about.
2: Saido lacking confidence and form
He started on the bench but when Pulis threw him on with 30 minutes to go it was obvious what the mission was; get us back into the game with a quick goal.
Four minutes later, Salomon Rondon laid it off to Berahino on the edge of the box in the centre of the goal, but the 22-year-old scuffed his shot wide.
Saido's shooting has been woeful in recent weeks, and he's completely forgotten where the goal is.
Crystal Palace are the latest club to be linked with him, but the likes of Tottenham and Stoke must be having second thoughts.
3: James McClean should be rested for last two games
The Irish international showed so much promise during a lung-busting first half of the season and quickly became a fans' favourite, but his performances have fallen off a cliff since Christmas and he shouldn't be in the starting line-up anymore.
It's been a long season of shuttling up and down that wing, so perhaps he just needs a rest.
Pulis should drop him for the last two games for the sake of next season because McClean has got the Euros in the summer as well.
4: Baggies need a creative midfielder
It looks increasingly likely that James Morrison is leaving this summer and although they're both useful midfielders, Craig Gardner and Darren Fletcher are not Premier League number 10s.
Nick Hammond's first job of the summer as technical director is to find the club a creative midfielder capable of unpicking defences at this level.
Not only is it crucial to the team, but it would also make the football more bearable for fans.
If he goes, Morrison will leave a huge hole that needs to be filled, and Gardner proved on Saturday that he's not that man.
5: Evans and McAuley already thinking about France
You can hardly blame them. It's Northern Ireland's first major tournament for 30 years and they've already seen Chris Brunt suffer a devastatingly cruel injury.
But on Saturday it looked like both Jonny Evans and Gareth McAuley pulled out of challenges they would usually commit to.
They're two of the most professional defenders in the game, and it's probably more subconscious than anything, but Albion are mathematically safe now and the Euros are nearly upon us.
