[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

An improved performance at Bramall Lane (somewhat undermined by Jake Livermore being Jake Livermore) wasn't enough to give Brucie a dream start, so now attention must turn to his first home match: a real Monday night crunch match against visitors Blackburn, who've more or less swapped places in the table with Albion since our last encounter. The good news is that they're on a bit of an iffy run, with back to back defeats to Nottingham Forest and Swansea alongside a goalless draw against Luton. The bad news is that we won our last game at the Hawthorns against Rovers two years ago, and we haven't recorded consecutive home wins against them since a run of three between 1936 and 1949. Frankly, if the key ingredient to us finding consistency against Blackburn is a world war, then Brucie might have to get on the phone to the Kremlin in the morning and tell Vladimir to get a shift on.

Mowbray's men have failed to score in their last three on the road, which is their worst drought for eight years; conversely, Steve Bruce has notched up wins in nine of his last ten home games against Blackburn, including two apiece with Birmingham, Wigan and Sunderland besides those with Hull, Villa and Sheffield Wednesday. It'll be a tough match without a doubt, and in the circumstances, another good performance along with a point on the board would be an acceptable outcome and a platform to build on in the weeks ahead.

[Dingle-Dingle]

"West Brom boss Steve Bruce has implemented a ‘big change’ as he looks to get the team back on track for Premier League promotion. "
“My message to the group since I first walked in has been all about unity,” Bruce said in his latest West Brom press conference.

“I understand there has been a bit of unrest here recently. We’ve got to get everyone pulling in the right direction.

“I think it has been frustrating for a bit, but the only way you bring everything together is by winning games and going on a run. We know we’re capable of that.

“We have to start showing it now. There are 16 games and three months left. It’s just the right time to put a run together.

“I’ve implemented a big change because I think the players needed something to give them a big lift.

“There’s no patience or time anymore. We need to get a couple of victories pretty quickly and that’s why I’m here.”

[“Any victory at all will do. It doesn’t matter how we get it, we just need to get up and running again.

[“It will do wonders for the players’ confidence and belief.]

No Sh!^ Sherlock.

DD #No1

[Blue Baggie]

We will steal a win and close in on the other promotion pretenders.
With Livermore and Phillips side lined we have no excuses.
Hopefully Bruce quickly see's they don't get us points, both are past even championship football.
Hard on them, but alas time waits for no one.

[BaggieSteve]

How long will it take Steve Bruce to realise Furlong is an absolute liability and Reach has all the creativity of a plank?

[Dingle-Dingle]

LiveChampionship: Bruce's West Brom host third-placed Blackburn. Team name changed already....

DD

[Baggie_One]

Can re re-start ? What a drab 45 minutes

[Slick_Footwork]

I think tonight's result is confirmation that we can write the season off...

I was excited for the game. I thought against Sheffield United we showed some signs of improvement and expected us to have a real go at home today.

Unfortunately I was wrong and it was dreadful.

And while it would be harsh to turn on the manager already. I am already starting to think that my initial disappointment when Bruce was given the job might be justified.

In one sense, I sympathise with him. The squad Bruce inherited is desperately short of quality and giving him the job the day after the window closed (and Snodgrass released) was doing him dirty. While we were all pretty much unanimously rejoicing about Livermore and Phillips being out, I'd go as far as to say their replacements are just as bad if not worse than they are.

I can't think of another team who has done such shambolic dealings in the transfer market as we have in past few years.

But at the same time, I'm already having some problems with his selections. Mowatt is far too deep considering he's the only player in the midfield who has shown any ounce of creativity this season. Then you've got Adam Reach, who frankly looks like a Sunday pub player, doing his headless chicken act just off the striker. The only time Reach started and looked even halfway decent was the game he played at centre half. He has no vision, can't dribble, can't weight a pass, so how on earth is he picked at the head of the diamond? Gardner-Hickman would surely be a better choice. In fact, I'd pick him over Molumby too, who frankly brings nothing to the party.

Today's game was no better than the dross Ismael served up.

The players, IMO, look like they know they're not good enough. There was no effort from anyone to try and win the game. They just wanted the ground to open up and eat them.

We need a complete rebuild and tbh, Steve Bruce wouldn't have been my choice for that...

[Baggiebob(BBB)]

One out of Six points for new manager !!!

Also if seems below us get wins on same games played, we'd be 11th or maybe 12th in league.

We will relying on other teams above us losing if we do ever win a game(s)

[Dingle-Dingle]

Half the shots of Val Ball. No creativity. No passion. No commitment, unless it`s picking up wages.

DD #No1

[baggietrousers]

I actually have a bit of sympathy for Bruce, the squad he has inherited is absolute dross. We have a quality keeper in Johnston, and Carroll is still a class above anything else we have but will very quickly become a passenger as there is zero service, support and creativity in the team.
I can only agree about Reach being as much use as a chocolate fire guard, how he gets selected over TGH is a sorry indictment of Steve Bruce which he has to address immediately before he loses any sympathy from the likes of me.
Furlong has been shocking most of the season, although last night was one of his better games. Robinson, Grant, Molumby, in fact just about everyone else can't cut it at the moment.
Disappointed to say the least as I really can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.