Empty seats spell doom for Pulis...fans need excitement

Based on what I’ve heard from Albion fans, the players didn’t completely down tools on Saturday, but some of their intensity levels were not up to their usual standards.

Having watched the highlights myself, I know that third goal scored by Marcos Alonso at the back stick is not a goal a Tony Pulis team concedes.

I’ve always felt Pulis has managed to get the best out of his players, sometimes dragging every ounce of effort out of their bodies. But if supporters are starting to notice a tail-off, then you can bet Pulis has seen it too.

Perhaps that’s why he seemed so resigned to his fate.

It was no surprise they lost to Chelsea, that result was always on the cards, but the manner of the defeat and the number of goals they conceded was surprising.

Plenty of pundits have said ‘be careful what you wish for’ and it’s true that we’ve seen it many times down the years when fans have called for a manager’s head, things sometimes get worse.

Pulis has done a good job there, up until this run, and if you were struggling near the bottom of the league and searching for a new manager he would be top of your list of targets.

But I get the increasing sense that Albion fans don’t mind being in a relegation scrap this season, provided they see a change of style down The Hawthorns and start enjoy going to games again.

I was shocked by the number of empty seats in the Birmingham Road End on Saturday, and for me, that is inexcusable.

I had two wonderful years at the Albion and the one thing you could always guarantee was that The Hawthorns was full and the crowd would be bouncing, literally boinging through games.

That amount of blue plastic on display for a game against the champions of England isn’t right.

Pulis is an experienced manager who deserves a lot of respect, but he’s made a few questionable decisions this season.

Matt Phillips proved on Saturday that he should have started far more games than he has and James McClean deserves more minutes too considering the form he has shown for Ireland.

These are players who are willing to run at the opposition and get supporters excited, and it’s been missing this season.

Pulis has played too many defensive midfielders and Salomon Rondon doesn’t get the support he needs.

If the board do decide to make a change, then they need to bring a manager in that has got a bit of attacking flair and a philosophy more in tune with the fans.

This is arguably the best squad Albion have had in the Premier League, so it wouldn’t take a massive effort to get it going forward with purpose.

For the fans’ sake, I hope they bring in someone with a background in attacking play.

That doesn’t mean kamikaze football, but it’s about finding the right system that lets the talent in that squad flourish. Full-backs are crucial to the modern game and Albion have a very good one in Kieran Gibbs who can bomb up and down the left wing. Maybe another manager would utilise him better.

There are other players whose potential has not yet been reached. Nacer Chadli and Oliver Burke are the club’s two most expensive signings and yet they’ve struggled for minutes, although in Tony’s defence, both have suffered from injuries.

What’s infuriating for fans is that the players are there, they just seem to be shackled.

Pulis himself seems relaxed about the whole thing. He understands it’s a results-based industry and, with the owner sitting there and watching, he realised it could be his final game. If he does go, he’s not going to struggle to get another job. He’s got a reputation for keeping teams in the Premier League and it’s the time of year when those down the bottom start getting jittery.

Paul Clement is under pressure at Swansea and then there’s the Wales national job.

But I remember when I was with him at Crystal Palace that he always spoke about going over to work in the United States where his son is. He might just think he’s had enough of the Premier League, or he might fancy another go with a new club.