Analysis: When you think it's all over for West Brom...

It’s been well documented how poor results and performances have been over the past three months.

And after last Monday’s loss against Swansea, it felt as though a calamitous season was all but over.

That defeat – Albion’s sixth in seven matches – saw them slump to 13th in the Championship table, eight points outside the play-offs.

With fans having turned on the players, the Baggies travelled to Hull on Saturday knowing a victory of any kind would represent monumental progress.

Against a poor Tigers side, Albion scraping a 1-0 from a scruffy goal would have been a step in the right direction.

We were at the stage where any win would be a huge lift for a squad that had become bereft of confidence.

Instead, they went on to put in their best performance in months.

They played with authority, control and ultimately secured a deserved and comfortable 2-0 victory.

And there are three reasons why the team played so much better.

The first was a tactical change made by Steve Bruce to switch from his preferred 4-3-3 system to 3-5-2.

Prior to his arrival, Albion had played every minute of every game with a back three under former boss Valerien Ismael.

Bruce implemented change because he wanted to give the team more attacking spark.

But the truth is this squad has been built – by Ismael – to play three at the back.

It is overloaded with centre-backs. Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend are better at wing-back than they are at full-back.

And having played 30 games under Ismael this season, they are used to it.

Bruce actually admitted after the Swansea game that he may have implemented too much change too soon following his arrival.

That comment meant it wasn’t a surprise to see Albion line-up with three central defenders in East Yorkshire.

And the move was the right one – with the Baggies so much more assured.

The second reason why Albion were so improved was the return of Jake Livermore.

The skipper picked up a stupid red card in Bruce’s opening match at Sheffield United. And his poor disciplinary record has led to him being on the end of strong criticism from the fan base.

But the truth is Livermore is Albion’s best midfielder – and he showed just how much the team has missed him here.

The 32-year-old’s reading of the game was exceptional.

He won numerous second balls. He passed it well.

And, most importantly, the challenges he did make were controlled and well-timed.

Livermore’s return transformed Albion’s midfield – but so did the inclusion of Taylor Gardner-Hickman.

For weeks now fans have been calling for the youngster to get a run in the middle of the park.

Bruce, though, was understandably reluctant.

The 20-year-old actually came through Albion’s academy as a winger. He was converted into a wing-back by Ismael. And while he impressed – and was named man of the match – when he played in the middle of the park against Coventry, that is the only match he has started in central midfield this season.

Supporters could see the team would benefit from Gardner-Hickman’s energy, fearlessness and positivity on the ball.

But coaches were worried about his positional understanding when playing in central midfield.

And that’s why Bruce waited for this game to include the youngster – with the boss wanting to have both Livermore and Alex Mowatt to help guide him through.

And Gardner-Hickman really seized his chance.

He passed the ball positively. And his desire to press also single-handedly won the penalty that led to Albion’s second goal.

It has to be said this win wasn’t just down to Livermore and Gardner-Hickman.

All over the park Albion were vastly improved.

Karlan Grant netted both goals – the first a clever finish while the second came from the penalty Gardner-Hickman won.

At the back, Matt Clarke was excellent while Semi Ajayi also caught the eye.

Despite getting back to winning ways, Albion remain in the lowly position of 13th in the Championship. Now, though, they are just six points outside the play-offs.

The run required to gatecrash the top six still looks beyond them.

But everyone would have had a sneaky look at the table after this victory.

It really is amazing the lift one win can bring.