Preston v West Brom: Rare away joy must start Bruce recovery
Albion must end a disastrous away record by winning at Preston North End tonight to ease mounting pressure on manager Steve Bruce.
The Baggies have just three wins in 12 months on the road – at Hull and Reading under Bruce and Coventry under predecessor Valerien Ismael last December.
Under-fire Bruce has so far been unable to turn Albion’s torrid start to the Championship season. Down in 21st and with just one win in 11, home fans called for change at The Hawthorns at the end of Saturday’s damaging 3-2 defeat to Swansea.
The manager spoke yesterday on how he viewed a club struggling for results for some two-and-a-half years, since the beginning of the pandemic, as Albion closed in on promotion to the Premier League under Slaven Bilic.
Asked about halting away troubles, Bruce said: “Do you know something? I think results over the last two-and-a-half years haven’t been good enough. My job when I came in was to try and arrest that – I haven’t been able to. That isn’t good enough.
“I understand what’s coming our way. It’s not just over the last couple of weeks – it’s the last couple of years.
“The supporters have seen too often their team get beat, whether it’s at home or away from home. End of. We have to turn it round, make it better.
“We have to be brutally realistic that, over the last two and a bit years, we have been nowhere near good enough.”
Albion are without a win in six league games and have been unable to build up any momentum or confidence this season.
“The one thing you have to do is (accept) tomorrow’s another day,” Bruce said when asked about trying to instil belief.
“The most difficult thing is when you feel disappointed in yourself is to say ‘right, come on then’. Yesterday there was a few discussions to be had and home truths spelt out, which you’d expect.
“We have to now focus on a win at Preston – quite simple.”
He added: “We’re all in it together, me, my staff, players, the results here for two-and-a-half years haven’t been good enough and I’ve been here half-a-season, six months, and not been able to arrest that, it’s my biggest disappointment.
“Because usually in the Championship over the years I’ve managed to do that.”
Bruce lamented ‘stupid’ individual errors leading to what he believes is 75 per cent of the goals Albion have shipped this season.
The side have conceded first inside the opening 15 minutes of a league game in six from 11 games and the opening goal at any time on eight occasions.
Tonight’s hosts Preston, managed by Ryan Lowe, are 14th – also with seven draws from 11 games. They have played out six goalless draws and scored just three goals, while only conceding four.
The Albion manager predicted the Deepdale side will prove a resilient opposition for his visitors.
Bruce, meanwhile, reiterated he feels the club will improve on last season’s finish of 10th when quizzed what he still believes Albion can achieve this term and acknowledged the task is to make the play-offs.
“I’m still convinced that we’ll finish better than we did last season. I’m still convinced we’ll better tenth,” he said.
“Going into the season, I was hoping we’ll be where we have to be. We have to be challenging, but at the minute, we’re not there. It only takes a week of results, but we have to get that. Two or three games, back-to-back wins, and you’re off and running.”
“The club’s ambition will always be that with where they’ve been over the past 20 years. That (fighting for the play-offs) is where we’ve got to try and be.”
