West Brom talking points v Bristol City: A big call, a failed experiment & progress evaporates

In a game that saw Albion gifted a lifeline back into the clash following a dreadful first period - they had Jayson Molumby sent off before conceding a shocking goal in stoppage time.

It was another tough one to swallow and Jonny Drury takes a look at three key points to come from the evening:

He had to make the goalkeeper call

It was the call we were all waiting to see, as Josh Griffiths came in for Joe Wildsmith following a blunder against Sunderland.

It had to be made, Tony Mowbray will have known that. He made it and after a bit of a nervy start with a dodgy kick, Griffiths would make a terrific double save and then make another huge stop late in the first half.

He looked confident, assured and like a man who wants to take his chance.

Thought for Joe Wildsmith, but after those two big mistakes at Burnley and against Sunderland, the decision just had to be made for him unfortunately.

In the second, he made another big save but had question marks surrounding him for the goal. It was cruel on a night when, on the whole, Griffiths was arguably the best player for Albion.

Price experiment 

No one expected Isaac Price to be fit, let alone be starting in the middle of a front three for Albion.

So when he turned up in a false nine position for the Baggies, it took everyone by surprise.

With Adam Armstrong out on the right hand side, Mowbray must have seen something in the opposition, an area he could exploit.

Would it work? Well, in the first half it did not.

Albion were toothless, Bristol City dominated and Albion were just so blunt going forward. It wasn't for the want of trying for some, but in that first period it did not work.

Mowbray abandoned it in the second half immediately. It was an experiment that just did not work.

Nervous Albion as progress evaporates

Albion are off colour at the moment- but they looked devoid of confidence in the first half.

Given that run, is it to be expected? Not to the level that is seems, not for a side sitting in contention for the play-offs.

They looked in their shell, like at times they just did not want the ball, and looked so shaky.

I'm struggling to think of a time when Albion looked more nervous than they did in the first period.

In the second, on the back of what you can only imagine was a bit of a half time rocket, they did turn up and start playing and looked the more likely for spells in the second half.

But overall, where have the green shoots of progress we saw a few weeks ago under Mowbray gone? Against Leeds and Burnley, those displays offered encouragement.

However, since the international break that progress has evaporated. Norwich and Sunderland were games Albion could have won and certainly should not have lost. At Ashton Gate they deserved to lose overall.

It is head scratching and baffling, for the fans and I am sure for Mowbray himself.