The blame game has been raging at the Hawthorns as West Bromwich Albion slip closer to relegation from the Premier League.
West Brom slipped to a 2-1 defeat in the relegation six-pointer against Huddersfield last time out, a result which left them rooted to the bottom of the table on 20 points with just 10 games remaining.
The club is in crisis on and off the pitch after the Barcelona debacle and ensuing fallout while Alan Pardew’s appointment failed to provide a “new manager bounce” the club hoped for after just one league win in 14 since he arrived at the Hawthorns.
The Baggies are seven adrift of safety and being increasingly tipped to drop down to the Championship 13 years after the club’s famous Great Escape in the 2004/5 season.
Pardew’s side are being written off by all and sundry.
Fingers are being pointed in all directions and the knives are out for Pardew while fans are angry towards the board, manager and players, who have also taken a lot of criticism after the Barcelona saga.
But Arsenal legend Ray Parlour told Sky Sports’ The Debate that supporters must also take their share of the blame.
“I just think the atmosphere at the club itself is not great,” Parlour said on The Debate.
“I was at the game against Southampton in the FA Cup and you could just sense the atmosphere was really hard to play (in) for the players and the players looked scared, they looked like they didn’t want the ball.
“That’s the big problem, the crowd. You know what it’s like when you’re going through a bad spell and the crowd suddenly can’t wait to get on your back and one bad pass and everyone’s on to them and suddenly players don’t want the ball and things like that.”
If West Brom are going to survive, the next five games will be crucial.
The Baggies face Watford, Leicester City, Bournemouth, Burnley and Swansea City in consecutive games before a tough run-in which includes Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs.
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