Analysis: West Brom chiefs need to give answers as despair grows

Fixtures against Swansea, Preston and Luton presented – on paper at least – a chance for Steve Bruce’s side to be able to build up a run of form so desperately needed to ease pressure on the manager and finally get their season up and running.

The three-match week has not gone to plan, which happens to be a big understatement in surmising Albion’s season to date.

A Hawthorns stalemate against the Hatters actually represented an improved performance on some miserable showings of late but, in truth, the hosts only just about edged their visitors.

And – with respect to Luton, who were a Conference team as recently as 2013/14 – there is nothing to celebrate by drawing 0-0 at home.

There was no celebrating come full-time. Indeed there were more loud chants, jeers and boos against the club’s management and board after the clash descended into frustration, anger and negativity – notably at late substitutions made by the under-pressure home boss.

The record of results continues to stack up against Bruce, on whom the pressure now feels like it has become insurmountable. Having said that, the circa-21,000 home crowd – to their absolute credit – showed good support and backing to their side, given the situation, early on against Luton.

Things turned, though, in what became a heated and in-parts toxic finale.

Striker Brandon Thomas-Asante had been Albion’s best player and the biggest threat all afternoon. Winger Grady Diangana had once more been lively and sharp.

But when Bruce decided to withdraw the pair with 10 minutes to go, for Karlan Grant and John Swift, the air inside The Hawthorns quickly turned blue.

Chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ and ‘Bruce out’, as well as ‘sack the board’ made for an uncomfortable setting for the management and the Albion decision-makers.

Bruce, for clarity, addressed the controversial switches after the game and stated both players had knocks, in Diangana’s case quite seriously, and he thought a tiring frontline needed an injection from the bench.

The late jeers were not the first protests of the day. Banners were hung up on The Hawthorns gates in the early hours of the morning and a handful of fans displayed their ire outside the ground ahead of kick-off.

Anti-Guochuan Lai chants boomed from the Smethwick End around 15 minutes in, but quickly fell away on what was, for the most part, an understandably flat atmosphere.

Players, though, could not have given much more from an effort perspective after some limp displays. Certainly in the first half, they were much the better and more positive side.

Albion, most refreshingly, did not cave inside 15 minutes – as has been the norm this season. Bruce’s latest roll of a dice personnel and formation-wise was to revert to a back three, the same Valerien Ismael system he tried so hard to change from, which comes with a sense of irony.

The back three worked. Martin Kelly – who has been very impressive in completing two 90 minutes in four days – Dara O’Shea and Erik Pieters looked strong and in sync.

The hosts fell away after the break and could not repeat the creativity and intensity from the first period.

The Baggies remain on just a single win from 13 league games this season, a ludicrously unacceptable record that keeps them down in the division’s relegation places.

Bruce will continue to battle on until he is told otherwise. He has accepted and acknowledged the failings, in terms of a meek and scarcely believable points return of 11 from 13 games.

Albion have led for just 118 minutes from a possible 1,170 – not including what would be a sizeable portion of stoppage time – in the Championship this season.

Fans are understandably demanding change and answers, and these can only be delivered by those running the club.

To ease the situation, even just a little bit, some clarity could be made by chief executive Ron Gourlay, who calls football matters, by speaking publicly and showing transparency on the situation.

Albion were in limbo last Thursday after the Preston no-show where it took until 4pm to confirm Bruce would be in charge for the following morning’s press conference – and subsequently the Luton clash.

Lengthy talks took place, with fans in the dark and furiously at a loss as to how such a record can continue.

The recorded exchange with an angry fan at Preston may become more commonplace.

There is no onus on Bruce to walk away. Why should he? He believes he and his squad can turn it around. He was offered a contract and is within his rights to stick to it.

Albion have been sucked into the depths of the division with no sign of light at the end of the tunnel.

Worrying times go on at The Hawthorns, where answers are badly needed.