Analysis: West Brom have fallen apart

It really wasn’t that long ago the Baggies were a side competing for automatic promotion.

Until recently, they looked a team that – at the very least – would finish in the top six.

Now, though, they are so badly broken it’s hard to see how Steve Bruce can fix them.

Stood on the touchline at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, the 61-year-old must have wondered what on earth he has walked into.

Had he not accepted the Baggies job, Bruce would currently be in the Caribbean.

He and his wife had booked a holiday they were looking forward to.

Instead, he was left seething at a group of players who completely collapsed after falling a goal behind.

Players who have now failed to score in their last five games.

Players who have won just one of their last 10 Championship games.

Players who – at this moment in time – do not deserve to wear an Albion shirt, let alone pick up their hefty wages.

It’s what happened in the second-half at Kenilworth Road that left Bruce and supporters absolutely raging.

The first-half had been even and keenly-contested.

And Albion really should have opened the scoring when Kal Naismith inexplicably presented the ball to Karlan Grant who was just yards from goal.

The forward only had Jed Steer to beat with a simple side-foot finish all that was needed.

And yet Grant bizarrely tried to lift the ball over the keeper – with his effort hitting the bar before being cleared.

Throw in opportunities for Andy Carroll and Conor Townsend – and another one for Grant – and Albion had shaded the opening 45 minutes.

But when Cameron Jerome headed Luton in front shortly after the re-start, it was game over.

Physically, mentally and emotionally Albion’s players collapsed.

In their heads, they had lost the game even though there was still 35 minutes to play.

It was abundantly clear to everyone they had no belief they could get back into it.

With the exception of Carroll – who battled for everything he could – there was no leadership. There was no character. No desire.

And that obviously showed in their performance with the Baggies never once looking like they would get back into it.

At full-time it was the players who fans vented their anger at.

Valerien Ismael took heavy criticism but he has now gone. The board have also shouldered a lot of the blame this season. But it’s the players who have become the main source of anger for supporters.

A lot of these players have now seen off multiple managers.

Slaven Bilic, Sam Allardyce and Valerien Ismael have all come and gone over the past 18 months.

And yet a lot of players have remained – with a host of them just looking far too comfortable.

A significant number of Albion’s squad are on long-term deals. You wonder whether that security has impacted their hunger.

While it feels a few of them have become entitled and believe one season in the Premier League has made them too good for the Championship.

There are other issues – with one major one being recruitment.

In their last two games, Albion have played with a midfield three of Alex Mowatt, Adam Reach and Jayson Molumby.

Individually they all have their qualities. But as a trio they are simply not good enough.

With Jake Livermore suspended for two more games, Bruce has to find a way to get more out of his midfield.

And he also had to find a way to install some confidence in players who look shot to pieces.

It was hugely disappointing not to see any leaders emerge when Albion’s went one-nil down at Kenilworth Road.

The experienced players in particular you are looking to step up.

But when you’re not in a dressing room, it’s hard to know who the bad apples are and who is just simply struggling with a lack of belief. It looks as, though, Albion are lacking quality.

But the truth is they aren’t. Conor Townsend, Alex Mowatt, Karlan Grant, Callum Robinson and Grady Diangana can all be difference makers at this level.

But they are all massively underperforming.

Until Albion start getting a tune out of those players it doesn’t matter who they are playing. They just cannot carry all of them.

It is understood after the Luton game, Bruce read the riot act in the dressing room. And with the fans also making their opinions clear, the onus is well and truly on the players to respond at Middlesbrough tomorrow.

Can they do it? If they don’t you can’t help but feel it’s season over and any realistic hopes of promotion will be gone.