West Brom 1 Huddersfield 2 - Five talking points
Matt Wilson analyses five talking points to come out of the 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield at the Hawthorns
1 LONG WAY BACK FOR ALAN PARDEW
Initially, the fans directed their anger at the players, but then, in injury time, they sang: ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ at the head coach. Just three months into his tenure, Pardew has lost the fans and is now hanging by a thread.
It’s all unravelled pretty quickly for the Baggies boss, who looked to have turned around the club’s fortunes less than a month ago.
He’s been unlucky with injuries, but he’s got his selection wrong in the past two games and it’s left Albion out of the FA Cup and destined for the drop.
2 GARETH BARRY CAN’T PLAY IN A TWO-MAN MIDFIELD ANY MORE
It was the veteran midfielder’s 800th club game at the weekend, and you don’t just become a bad player overnight.
The former Villa man has become a lightning rod for abuse following the debacle in Spain and a couple of poor games, but he’s 37 now, and can’t be expected to keep up the high levels he has shown at times for Albion.
Barry is still a good passer, but Grzegorz Krychowiak was doing the running of two men on Saturday.
If the veteran plays, it should be in a three-man central midfield, not a two.
3 CHRIS BRUNT IS STILL THE MOST CREATIVE PLAYER IN THE SQUAD
One of the few who could walk away from this match with his head held high, the Northern Irishman has now set up four of the last six goals in the league.
Considering it’s nearly 11 years since he joined, that is testament to his own professionalism and speaks volumes about the club’s recruitment.
Not only did he play well, but he also cares, and clapped the fans afterwards before storming into the dressing room.
As successive managers have found out, dropping him is a mistake.
4 DEFENDING IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE
Albion have now let in two or more goals in each of their last six games, and the defending for Huddersfield’s two on Saturday was woeful.
The strikers have, understandably, been criticised for their finishing this season, but Albion are having to score three or more goals to win a game at the moment.
The backline look paralysed with fear and because they’re scared to make a mistake, they are standing off their men, as epitomised by Huddersfield’s first goal. When you concede simple goals like that, alarm bells ring.
5 NO CONFIDENCE HAS LEFT ALBION NO HOPE
There was an evident lack of belief spreading through the team like poison on Saturday, particularly after Huddersfield’s goals.
Only Brunt’s impact dragged the team back into the game, but when he went searching for an equaliser, there was not enough movement in front of him.
The players are crippled with fear, and lacking ideas. Even though there is still 10 games to go this season, it looks like there is no way back from this. Barring a miracle, the Baggies are going down.
