Steve Bruce’s West Bromwich Albion facet as soon as once more did not file their first win below the administration of the 61-year-old head coach on Tuesday night time, with Middlesbrough working out 2-1 victors on the Riverside Stadium.
The consequence comes as an enormous blow to the Baggies’ play-off hopes, with Albion remaining down in 11th place within the Championship standings, now six factors behind Tuesday’s opposition – who occupy sixth.
When it comes to the efficiency, there was a slight enchancment from the 2-0 loss to Luton City final weekend, specifically as West Brom did handle to finish their five-game run of failing to seek out the again of the web, nonetheless, the general show was actually not one in all a facet who look as if they are going to mount a promotion push over the rest of the season.
Certainly, left-back Conor Townsend endured a torrid night up in opposition to the Boro proper wing-back Isaiah Jones, Adam Attain was extraordinarily sloppy in possession in the course of the park and Karlan Grant was nameless on the left of the Baggies entrance three.
Who was worse vs Boro?
Nonetheless, it is going to undoubtedly be the latter of this trio most disenchanted together with his efficiency at Riverside, because the 24-year-old was as soon as once more unable to tug himself out of a particularly poor run of kind that has now lasted six video games.
Misplaced the ball each 2.9 touches
Regardless of having returned to a extra acquainted function on the left of a three-man assault in opposition to Boro – a place from which the ahead has bagged all of his ten Championship targets this season – Grant struggled to make any actual affect on the sport by any means on Tuesday night time.
Certainly, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £7.2m-rated ahead loved simply 29 touches of the ball – the bottom of any Albion participant who began the match, together with Sam Johnstone – accomplished a mere 12 of his 17 tried passes, did not hit the goal with both of his two photographs on the Boro aim and was crushed by an opponent as soon as.
The £20k-per-week centre-forward – who Joseph Masi dubbed “shocking” in opposition to Luton final outing – additionally misplaced six of his 9 duels, dedicated one foul and ceded possession of the ball on ten separate events – which means he misplaced the ball with each 2.9 touches.
These returns, relatively unsurprisingly, noticed the 24-year-old obtain a particularly disappointing SofaScore match score of simply 6.2, whereas Birmingham Dwell’s Joseph Chapman awarded the striker a three in his personal participant rankings, in addition to stating of Grant’s show:
“Fairly non-existent once more. The membership’s prime scorer has seen his targets dry up, however he’s not been with out his half probabilities not too long ago. Right here, he had virtually no bearing on Albion’s attacking play and may’ve finished a lot better when he did have these small openings.”
As such, with the Baggies showing to wrestle simply as a lot below the administration of Bruce as they did below the management of Valerien Ismael, the truth that the membership’s top scorer this season now appears incapable of hitting a barn door with a banjo is actually costing the 61-year-old dearly.
In different information: Overlook Dike: Bruce may unearth his new Wilson by unleashing “highly effective” WBA “diamond”
