Sheffield Utd 2-0 West Brom - Report
Steve Bruce's first game as Albion manager ended in defeat after his side were beaten at Sheffield United.
The Baggies travelled to Bramall Lane hoping to reignite their promotion push after back-to-back losses to Preston and Millwall led to Valerien Ismael being sacked as head coach.
But they never looked like taking anything away from Yorkshire after captain Jake Livermore received a straight red card in the first half.
The hosts were already ahead before that dismissal with evergreen striker Billy Sharp firing in from close range.
But the game had been even prior to Livermore's red with Karlan Grant and Grady Diangana both having big chances for the Baggies.
With 10 men, though, Bruce's men created very little - with the Blades missing a host of chances before Sharp wrapped up their win late on.
The result means Albion have dropped out of the play-off zone - with the team now ninth in the Championship table.
REPORT
Bruce said in his pre-match press conference supporters would see a different Albion at Bramall Lane.
And that proved to be the case right from kick-off with the 61-year-old ditching the 3-4-3 formation Ismael religiously stuck with.
Instead, the Baggies lined up in a 4-3-3 system with Semi Ajayi earning a recall at the heart of the defence where he was joined by Matt Clarke.
In midfield, Alex Mowatt sat as a deep-lying playmaker with Adam Reach and Livermore slightly more advanced.
Up front, Andy Carroll continued as the central striker with Grady Diangana on the right and Karlan Grant on the left.
Sheffield United lined up in a 3-4-1-2 system with Iliman Ndiaye operating in the number 10 role behind David McGoldrick and Sharp.
Albion may have been playing under a new manager and in a new system - but you wouldn't have known it in the opening stages with the players appearing to relish the opportunity to play with more creative freedom.
And they came close to opening the scoring when Mowatt did well to win the ball high before finding Grant.
He then charged into the box before hitting a low drive that half the ground thought was in - but had actually only found the side-netting.
In contrast to the Baggies, Sheffield United looked disjointed with a number of passes going astray.
But midway through the half they got themselves ahead when two passes opened up the Baggies defence.
First Conor Hourihane found McGoldrick with a clever pass before he then played an even better ball to get Sam Baldock in behind the defence.
And he sent in a low cross which Sharp collected - with his strike taking a deflection before flying in.
Just minutes later Albion should have been level.
A brilliant Reach ball forward put Diangana through on goal with the forward appearing to have all the time in the world to fire past Wes Foderingham.
But he dallied. And then dallied some more. And that hesitancy allowed Baldock to race back and block Diangana's shot.
That chance aside, it was the hosts who were now in the ascendancy.
Sharp forced Sam Johnstone into a smart stop after Ajayi allowed a long ball forward to bobble over his head.
The striker then guided the ball into the net following an excellent Baldock cross only to be judged offside.
It felt as, though, Albion needed to regroup.
Instead, though, Livermore ensured a difficult challenge became much harder when he was sent off just before the break for a reckless and pointless challenge on Hourihane.
Bruce made a change during the interval with Jayson Molumby replacing Diangana.
The hosts, though, proved rampant following the re-start and they really should have been out of sight by the hour mark.
Oliver Norwood, Jack Robinson and Ndiaye all saw efforts kept out with last-ditch blocks.
Johnstone then made an excellent one-handed stop to keep out a fierce drive from Jayden Bogle.
And just moments later the England international made an even better stop that was right out of the top drawer.
McGoldrick's pass sent Ndiaye clean through with the forward having the entire goal to aim at.
Yet somehow, Johnstone managed to get down and get his fingertips to the ball which then sailed wide.
Still in the game, Albion tried to push for an equaliser with 15 minutes to go.
But the hosts made sure they got the win they deserved late on when the ball broke for Sharp who curled in a delicious strike that Johnstone had no chance with.
Teams
Sheffield United (3-4-1-2): Foderingham, Baldock, Basham, Egan, Robinson, Bogle, Norwood, Hourihane, Ndiaye (Gibbs-White 69), McGoldrick (McBurnie 69), Sharp (Berge 90).
Subs not used: Davies, Fleck, Goode, Norrington-Davies.
Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong (O'Shea 84), Ajayi, Clarke, Townsend, Livermore, Reach, Mowatt (Robinson 79), Diangana (Molumby 46), Carroll, Grant.
Subs not used: Button, Kipre, Gardner-Hickman, Tulloch, Robinson.
