If any side needed a ‘new manager bounce’, it was West Bromwich Albion.
But if Steve Bruce’s first two games at the helm are anything to go by, there will be no quick fix. No silver-bullet solution capable of solving all that ails the barren Baggies.
West Brom’s revival, if indeed there is to be a revival, will take time. Especially if Bruce is determined to stamp a more patient, possession-based style onto a squad who, towards the end of Valerien Ismael’s tedium-inducing tenure, seemed to be playing a different sport entirely to the likes of Fulham, Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers.
Are West Brom’s play-off hopes over?
West Brom have picked up one point from Bruce’s first two games. A 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United followed by a goalless draw with Blackburn Rovers.
Not so long ago, it was a story of missed chances. A side dramatically underperforming their XG and being made to pay for a lack of efficiency in the final third. These days, West Brom aren’t just missing chances, they aren’t creating them either.
And that doesn’t bode well for a club desperate to get their promotion charge back on track.
The Baggies have drawn a blank in four successive Championship games.
In fact, they’ve failed to find the back of the net in 10 of their last 14 league games. Clearly, this is not a new problem.
Daryl Dike, £7 million January signing and so-called saviour, has spent more time on the treatment table than he has on the pitch.
Andy Carroll, meanwhile, has given West Brom a much-needed presence through the middle but it remains to be seen if Bruce has the requisite quality in wide areas to get the best out of an old-school targetman who relies on service.
And, when you compare West Brom’s ongoing malaise to of Mateo Cassierra’s outstanding run of goalscoring form, it’s tempting to wonder how this campaign might have turned out if the former Ajax forward had signed on the dotted line last summer.
Did West Brom need Cassierra?
I’m happy with what I’ve shown in Russia so far,” Cassierra tells Voetbal Primeur this week. “And I hope to score many more goals.”
A scary thought for each and every centre-back plying their trade in the Russian Premier League. Cassierra has scored eight goals in just 11 games since swapping Belenenses for FC Sochi last summer.
West Brom held talks with the 24-year-old Colombian prior to that, according to Mais Futebol. And his prolific form over in Russia paints the picture of a striker capable of turning narrow defeats into hard-fought draws, hard-fought draws into vital wins.
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