West Brom analysis: Nine games left but Big Sam’s Baggies look dead and buried

For two successive weeks, the Baggies have failed to win those games.

And that means they now effectively have one foot in the Championship with relegation now surely a certainty.

The Baggies travelled to Selhurst Park with some bookmakers having them 1/25 to go down this season.

Following this 1-0 loss, those odds have been extended to 1/41.

But the frustrating thing is that it could have all been so different.

It’s not the easiest thing to say when a club is on the brink of relegation – but the Baggies have improved significantly over the last few months.

There are those who won’t accept that – due to their position in the table.

But this is a team that after 23 games had conceded a staggering 55 goals.

Albion were in a position where they had to score three goals just to have any chance of getting a result.

But from being woeful at the back, they are now defensively strong.

Albion have kept three clean sheets in their last six games.

They have only conceded three goals during that spell.

But while Allardyce has fixed the defence, going forward the team now has next to no attacking spark.

The truth is Albion didn’t look like scoring in their first must-win fixture against Newcastle.

They were the better side. But they didn’t really ever test Martin Dubravka.

And exactly the same happened at Selhurst Park – with the Baggies only creating three half chances over the course of the 90 minutes.

The first arrived early on. Matt Phillips sent in a cross which Matheus Pereira cushioned into the danger area.

Just a few yards out, Conor Gallagher really should have volleyed the ball towards goal.

Instead he tried to control it – with his heavy touch ensuring the ball ran through to the keeper.

After the break, Conor Townsend whipped in a cross that Phillips volleyed over from around 12-yards.

The winger had more time than he realised. But even so it would have been an incredible goal if he had scored.

Albion’s final half-chance summed up their afternoon.

Mbaye Diagne produced a clever back-heel to find Townsend in the box.

The full-back powered a low drive towards goal – with substitute Hal Robson-Kanu just doing enough to prevent the ball going out for a throw.

And that was it really. But the really sad thing is that Palace were even worse.

They didn’t move the ball as well as Albion. They didn’t play with the same aggression or intensity.

But they won it after being gifted a penalty in the 37th minute.

Wilfried Zaha sent in a cross which hit the out-stretched arm of Darnell Furlong.

Referee Simon Hooper initially didn’t spot anything.

But following a VAR check, he was called to his pitch-side monitor to look at the incident again.

And he then correctly pointed to the penalty spot with Luke Milivojevic converting from 12-yards.

In this game that was always likely to be enough to win it.

But while Albion continued to be the better side it was actually Palace who created the game’s only other clear-cut chance.

In the end Sam Johnstone produced an excellent save to keep out a fierce Christian Benteke strike.

Walking off the pitch, Albion’s players must have known Palace are not a good side.

Neither are Newcastle. But the Baggies haven’t been good enough to beat either of them.

With the team looking so poor in the final third, it’s easy to point the finger at the attacking players.

And they have to take a huge share of blame.

Pereira has been completely ineffective over the past few weeks.

Phillips works hard but doesn’t looking like scoring or registering an assist.

While Diagne is feeding off scraps, with the Senegal international completely starved off service.

Another issue though may be in central midfield.

The energy of Gallagher and Ainsley Maitland-Niles means the back four is now receiving wonderful protection – especially with the outstanding Okay Yokuslu sitting in front of them.

But while good players, neither Maitland-Niles or Gallagher offer a lot of creativity – with there being a chance that they are just too similar. Rooted in the relegation zone with nine games remaining, Allardyce was asked post-match if Albion can still survive.

“If we win six out of nine – yes,” was the managers response.

So far this season, the Baggies have won three times in 29 Premier League outings.

It is, of course, not impossible to win six from nine. But everyone knows it is highly, highly unlikely.

And when you look at the fixtures you just can’t see where those victories will come from.

Albion’s next game – in three weeks time – is against a Chelsea side who are yet to lose under Thomas Tuchel.

Southampton at home is the next match which will have to be three points as it is then followed by away games at Leicester and Villa.

Wolves then head to The Hawthorns desperate to ensure they don’t lose to their rivals twice this season.

The Baggies then travel to Arsenal before hosting Liverpool.

And they close the season against a West Ham side hopeful of clinching a European place and a Leeds outfit who are likely to be cheered on 10,000 supporters at Elland Road.

Even before the trip to Selhurst Park, you’d be hard pressed to find an Albion fan who truly felt their team could survive this year.

But this result really did feel like the final nail in the coffin.

There are still nine games remaining. But the club that once produced the great escape, now need to produce the greatest escape – or maybe even the miracle escape.