Richard Beale: West Brom players hurting after Bristol City loss

The Baggies slumped to a 2-0 Hawthorns reverse to the Robins as Beale's caretaker team were dealt a first home defeat.

It was back down to earth with a bump for the hosts as Bristol City eased to victory courtesy of two first-half goals. Albion were unable to build on positivity and a step forward from last Saturday's win at Reading.

The home crowd left in their droves before the full-time whistle with their side unable to offer any attacking threat.

"Yes, they're gutted," Beale admitted. "It's the first time I've shared a changing room with them after a defeat and whatever the right things to do or say after a defeat, that's what I just saw – they're gutted.

"That doesn't mean anything, the only thing that matters is Saturday afternoon on the pitch. I know after a week and a half of working with them and being in the building with them that there are certainly enough characters in there to go again.

"They are hurting, I know sometimes the fans and people not involved will think they aren't, but that isn't this group. They're all pulling in the right direction."

Albion head to Millwall on Saturday with Beale currently unaware of whether or not he will be at the helm.

Asked how the players can be lifted from a bleak night in front of the home crowd, Beale added: "The only way I know how to do that is to be really, really positive. We've been really positive with them, and it was fantastic we could get that elusive win on Saturday.

"I'm absolutely devastated that that hasn't transpired to two on the bounce – I'd have loved to have been the person to have made that happen, and it hasn't.

"I know it's a cliché, but we brush ourselves down and we fight and fight again on Saturday to get that win again. While I'm taking the team, we won't be playing for anything other than a win. A new guy with new ideas will be able to get this group firing on all cylinders."

Beale admitted Albion were not at it with or without the ball against the Robins and fell below the standards set in Berkshire.

"It was disappointing tonight. We couldn't quite reach the levels of Saturday, and I'm gutted we couldn't do that in front of the deserving home fans," added the interim.

"Two things for me, the intensity of our pressing wasn't what it was on Saturday. We didn't use the ball well enough. Two general things but two very big things that contributed to the performance, which were nowhere near the levels of Saturday.

"I can't defend that. We've hit the bar, we've hit the post, we've had a couple blaze over the top, but we've had none on target. That's certainly not the intention, that's the way it's panned out tonight, which is disappointing.

"We've got to move on. As I say, there were no players out there missing the target on purpose. The lads worked reasonably hard and tried their best, it just wasn't to be in the key moments."