Comment: It isn't a victory - but West Brom have given the supporters hope amid relegation dogfight
Albion fans will have been forgiven for losing hope in recent weeks.
Dragged into a relegation battle after a dreadful run under Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay - things then went from bad to worse in James Morrison's first game in interim charge last week against Oxford United.
The 2-1 defeat at the Kassam Stadium pretty much summed up Albion's season.
They were second best in the battle - they failed to create chances, they showed little fight and they deserved to lose the game.
Only a handful of players went and clapped the away supporters as they rightly lambasted the Baggies.
It very much seemed like the darkest day of a season that had seen Albion walloped 5-0 at home to Norwich and beaten 3-0 at Portsmouth, in amongst other bad results.
When asked whether Albion can survive - my answer in recent weeks has been around the fact there is no evidence to back up any claims that they can in fact retain their Championship status.
They have been bang out of form since the opening weeks of the season, they haven't scored enough goals and have conceded too many. It has been a recipe for disaster.
They haven't won a game this calendar year, and in far too many games Albion have looked like they are just not up for the fight. Fans have long been questioning their desire.
The Baggies have looked like they have only been going one way. But how much does a point and a gritty, battling performance at Sheffield United change that?
I mean it doesn't automatically mean Albion are going to survive - but what it does is give fans something to grab onto in this relegation riptide that they are in at the moment.
Before Saturday they had been sinking at a rapid rate. It isn't a victory - but it has produced positives and it has been some time since Albion fans have walked away from a game with positives to take.
A change in system seemed to work, Albion created chances and they looked more dangerous. They threw their bodies in front of everything, fought for every ball, and won tackles when they were 70/30 in favour of the Blades.
With a bit of quality they would have taken three points. But you expect that with a side whose confidence has been on the floor for weeks.
The performance will give the players confidence that is for sure - but more importantly it gives the fans that hope that maybe this set of players can get Albion out of the mess that they've created.