Lewis Cox's West Brom analysis: Hopeless on the field and hope lost off it - how do Albion survive?
Albion are hopeless at the moment and that is exactly what their supporters feel.
There is no greater indictment in this sorry state of affairs.
The club appear to be sleepwalking and hurtling towards League One, if that were at all possible.
Head coach Eric Ramsay is on the brink a little over a month into his tenure at The Hawthorns after eight winless matches at the helm, the most recent Saturday's routine 2-0 Coventry victory in the Black Country.
Only a last-gasp Stoke equaliser against relegation-battling Leicester kept the 21st-placed Baggies from the bottom three.
One thing is for sure, owner and chairman Shilen Patel can be under no illusion of the situation having sat through Saturday's defeat to the leaders.
It is not necessarily the scoreline that stung the most, as many expected favourites Coventry to win. Ramsay's hosts, on this occasion, did not unravel to lose by an embarrassing deficit after the Sky Blues struck twice in the first 32 minutes.
Though there is an argument that Frank Lampard's visitors came right off the gas as they coasted through a second half non-event.
The glaring concern for Albion chairman - beyond the league table which should sound deafening alarm bells - will be the atmosphere around The Hawthorns and club generally.
There is a huge disconnect between fans, players and management and it continues to widen.
Patel, from the directors' box with returning executive director Mark Miles, heard every note of the chants against Ramsay, the boos and jeers about the head coach, his staff and the players. The squad look mentally shot.
Moreover, he saw an emptying Hawthorns with several thousands having departed a long while before full-time. If he had looked out the windows of Halfords Lane at the interval, he would have witnessed punters exiting at half-time. Hopeless.
This feeble display was no way to kickstart a make-or-break week for Ramsay in the Championship relegation dogfight. The hosts were blunt and managed one late shot on target.
The head coach has called for 'short memories' this week in terms of not letting a poor result on Saturday influence the mood for Tuesday night's monumental six-pointer against Charlton.
The head coach has to desperately hope for ninth time lucky in the Baggies' dugout.
The clash against the Addicks, now six points better off than Albion in 17th, is highly likely to be boom or bust for Ramsay.
There should simply be no way any boss charged with sparking a lowly club away from relegation fears should be made to battle on beyond a start of no wins in nine games.
It would take a brave owner in Patel to continue to support that form and hand 34-year-old Ramsay the lifeline of another critical contest in Albion's season - Saturday at second-bottom Oxford.
Who is out there and what is next is perhaps a debate for another day as Ramsay appears set to lead his side against Charlton, who secured a decent point at Southampton on Saturday.
Ramsay, appointed from Minnesota United in the United States six weeks ago, felt he had something to cling to after the two Championship fixtures prior to this one.
His shift to a back four appeared to have settled alarming defensive deficiencies, and the next challenge was to address the final third.
But defensive solidity was nowhere to be seen in half hour here.
Alfie Gilchrist, badly flailing at right-back, endured a nightmare 40 minutes before he was hauled off. The summer signing, one of several whose debut campaign has been a calamity, was caught out for both goals. Ephron Mason-Clark's fifth-minute opener was easy. Jack Rudoni's second was finished in stunning style but he had the freedom of West Bromwich to run unopposed.
Albion fans gave an early impression of backing their side but the knives were out come Coventry's second and Ramsay took the brunt of the ire.
Speaking of supporters, which seemed to dominate the debate last week following comments from former captain Kyle Bartley, the atmosphere was hardly helped by a lack of the Liquidator or Insomnia ahead of kick-off.
The club can spend the week's build-up calling on support but then to not play traditional chants that most help generate an atmosphere is daft.
But it is a footnote in the shambles that sees the Baggies lurch to the third tier.
Tuesday may be defining for Ramsay but the greater concern is where on earth Albion find the 16 or so points likely required for survival?