Matt Maher: West Brom's biggest tests this season will all be off-field
The past week has seen Albion claim two no-more-than-okay results to continue what has so far been a no-more-than-okay season.
Draws at Bristol City and Watford could hardly be termed bad but they do mean the Baggies are still looking for their first away win of the season.
There have been just three triumphs on the road since the start of the year, while the knee ligament injury sustained in innocuous fashion by Josh Maja in the closing seconds at Ashton Gate on Saturday is a further cause for frustration for Carlos Corberan.
Yet amid all the focus on injuries and results came a reminder this is a campaign played with the presence of a rather large elephant.
Everyone knows the most important story at The Hawthorns right now is away from the pitch as Guochuan Lai continues to seek an exit.
News the club’s controlling shareholder remains in talks with several parties over a sale can only, on the face of it, be encouraging.
It has long been clear Albion need new direction with Lai and Yunyi Guokai Sports Development either unable or unwilling to invest any cash.
The concern is that, now nearly three months on from it becoming public knowledge the club were actively searching for new investment, nothing more concrete has emerged.
Frankly, it would be frightening if discussions with potential suitors were not ongoing, yet neither is it particularly reassuring to realise we are now closer to the point at which new owners must be found for the club to avoid being placed in serious peril.
