Comment: West Brom's 12th man has part to play during the run-in

There are several reasons for this, including Darren Moore’s preferred 4-3-3 formation, visitors who set up to frustrate the division’s highest scorers, a lack of creativity following the loss of Harvey Barnes and Matt Phillips, and of course, just the gloriously random nature of football.

But one effect of this patchy home form, which is now in danger of morphing into a cause, is the tense atmosphere in the stands.

At the start of the season, each and every Albion goal at The Hawthorns was greeted with a special unbridled joy.

After years of grinding to 40 points in the Premier League, a new-found willingness to flood forward was a breath of fresh air.

It was chaos at times, but a happy chaos, the perfect tonic for a previously apathetic fanbase eager to sink their teeth into the topsy-turvy Championship.

But that was during the darling buds of Autumn, and with a long season ahead, supporters lapped up the way their team was expressing itself with freedom.

Now though, the mood has shifted slightly. The overriding feeling when Albion score at home seems to be relief.

As the end of the season looms into view, the pressure of expectation is beginning to hang over the place and the performances on display are no longer convincing.

Against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, a smattering of boos greeted the half-time whistle when Albion trailed 1-0.

Supporters have every right to voice their displeasure, but booing a team fourth in the table after a flat half against a fellow top 10 side seems excessive.

Those boos will have given this team flashbacks to the previous season, when The Hawthorns was a toxic place thanks to a series of toxic results and inadequate performances.

The nerves on Tuesday contrasted drastically to the atmosphere at the Bet365 Stadium just three days previously, where the best part of 3,000 Albion fans drowned out the Stoke crowd.

On the pitch, the players clung on to a vital 1-0 win.

This is nothing new. Away fans at all clubs feel it’s their duty to carry their team over the line under difficult circumstances, while some home fans, rightly or wrongly, feel it’s their right to be entertained.

There are extenuating circumstances behind this recent trend. Not only have the goals dried up at home, results are nowhere near as strong thanks to defensive errors which could, and should be avoided.

The Hawthorns felt more euphoric at the start of the season, because there was more to get euphoric about.

Albion scored 20 goals in their first six league games at The Hawthorns at a rate of 3.3 a game. But they’ve only netted 10 times in their last six league games at home, at a rate of 1.6 a game.

In an odd way, those early-season goalfests have done Albion no good, because it’s ramped up expectations.

The January transfer window has as well. The Baggies were widely acclaimed to have had a strong window, strengthening their squad with four loanees of some repute.

But they need time to settle in, and two of them were part of a team booed off the pitch at half-time in their full home debuts.

Although the best footballers can deal with the added pressure of any situation, there’s no question having the 12th man behind you helps.

It’s something Moore has attempted to tap into this season, and he delivers a regular call to arms.

Before the Forest game, he said: “It’s always good to play in front of your home fans. Hopefully they will be in good voice as they have been.

“I echo the same messages to the supporters; come and be heard. Be in full voice. There’s no place like The Hawthorns when it’s at full volume.”

There is also an emerging generation of fans who have rarely seen their team in this position. It’s 19 years since the Baggies finished lower than sixth in the second tier.

It’s worth remembering that overall, The Hawthorns has been at its happiest and loudest in years this season. In December and over Christmas, the home end sold out four games in a row.

That would have been unthinkable during the last few years in the Premier League.

But those fans are acutely aware of how important this season is, how it’s Albion’s best chance of getting back up, and nerves are beginning to set in.

If Albion want to go up automatically, their home form will have to improve.

It’s no coincidence the three teams with the best home form in the division are the three teams above the Baggies in the table.

The 12th man could yet have a part to play.