West Brom staring down the barrel - match analysis

Eight points from 30 and just one win cast the Spaniard's impact in a critical light. But perhaps nothing damns the mid-season regime-change more than Saturday's events at The Hawthorns.

Albion carelessly, needlessly, stupidly tossed aside the lifeline that was Thievy Bifouma's goal for a 3-2 lead in the fourth minute of added time against Cardiff City.

The collapse of clear-thinking – and that's what the players get the big bucks for – as first Saido Berahino and then Steven Reid gifted their opponents the possession to wriggle off the hook with an equaliser clawed from the remnants of a bedraggled defence was unforgiveable.

• West Brom 3 Cardiff City 3 - match report and pictures

• Big Debate - Have West Brom dented their survival hopes after Cardiff draw?

• West Brom 3 Cardiff 3 - Vote for your Star of the match

If 23,000-odd Baggies fans were so minded, they could today start court proceedings and sue the team for unnecessary anguish brought on by their professional neglect.

Those anarchic final seconds are what Albion have become under Mel.

A club that was once a by-word for such diligent planning, organisation and methodology is careering out of control towards the Premier League cliff-face.

Over the edge and below is the Championship and never have Albion looked more vulnerable to its questionable lure of extra games, more wins but less appealing football.

It cannot all be Mel's fault; indeed everyone from Jeremy Peace downwards has a thumbprint on the stained document that is season 2013-14. But, unfortunately for this engaging visitor to our region for whom a sympathetic goodwill survives, it's his name on the team-sheet.

Saturay's ridiculous finale is the sort of thing that might have happened under Tony Mowbray. But would it have happened under Roy Hodgson? Not a chance. Would it have happened under Steve Clarke even? No.

Those two management systems were the territory on which Albion built their best ever Premier League performances but that fertile ground has been laid fallow. Now the Baggies have no identity and no leadership. The authority of their football has disappeared. Yes, there is still plenty of talent there and, God willing, that may still be enough to get them back up the hill and away from the cliff's edge.

But it is now so loosely assembled that, having three times been unable to game-manage two-goal leads this season, the Baggies now can't even game-manage a one-goal lead for what?...a minute's added time? Despite getting possession twice? Come on Albion – you are better than that.

To make matters worse, to intensify the sense of squandered opportunity, this all came on the day an old friend pitched up to lend a hand by stirring ancient inspirations. Nearly 3,000 Cardiff fans were making all the noise before kick-off while The Hawthorns seemed dulled by the uneasy tension which has now blanketed this deeply-flawed campaign.

Then came the opening strains of 'The Liquidator' and the emotional energy it generated instantly and unforgettably electrified the stadium. It was a team-talk delivered by the Harry J All Stars and it propelled Albion to a super-charged opening 10 minutes that brought two sweet goals.

The first was another out of Morgan Amalfitano's rather special locker and certainly the best so far, an outrageous lob from a wide angle 35 yards out that was a triumph of geometry and execution.

David Marshall, Cardiff's outstanding keeper, was both powerless and mortified.

That was barely after two minutes and as if granted a blessing from God on high – no, not the deity but a certain former Albion centre forward – they constructed another as the ninth minute arrived.

That was reserved for an ovation in support of the Astle family's 'Justice for Jeff' campaign and the old warrior would have loved the move which brought it about – a firm control of possession which preceded Amalfitano's chip to Matej Vydra and the finely-weighted lay-up on which Graham Dorrans pounced.

It was a revisit to the football Albion fans have come to expect from this contemporary Premier League team.

Unfortunately, there were elements of the next 80 minutes which have become less welcome but too familiar.

Again the third goal went untaken; Cardiff were always going to come back and even if Jordon Mutch's equaliser lay somewhere between a great goal and a great fluke, they were worthy of its restorative powers. Watching two teams then going toe-to-toe in desperation alley as they fought for the result that would mean so much made for rousing entertainment.

But it is the points Albion need and when Vydra and James Morrison failed to take the clearest chances for a 3-1 lead, Cardiff's equalising goal from Steve Caulker's header knocked the wind out of Mel's team. And then that circus of a finale. Berahino worked wonders to set up the chance flipped home by Thievy at the near post. As Albion repelled Cardiff's response from the kick off, the young England striker streaked away again on a 4-1 counter attack.

'Go for goal,' screamed the fans; 'go for the corners', screamed his team-mates.

Berahino listened to the sound of The Hawthorns and a wishy-washy, underhit pass found only the red shirts Cardiff's fans despise. They loved the gift, however, and when Reid then squandered a second chance to restore calm by planting a pressure-free header straight back to the visitors, the seeds of Cardiff's defiant second equaliser were sewn.

The Hawthorns could not help itself; boos accompanied Albion's frazzled players from the pitch. Frankly, the derision was deserved and the road to redemption will ask questions of them which at that moment they did not look likely to answer.