Steve Bruce demands West Brom compete for 90 minutes
Steve Bruce is demanding Albion’s players turn positive spells into a complete 90-minute performances – as they look to get their season back on track in a crucial clash against Swansea on Monday.
Since Bruce took over at The Hawthorns the Baggies have picked up just one point from four outings – which came courtesy of a 0-0 draw in his first home game in charge.
Against Sheffield United in Bruce’s first game in charge, his side were the better team for the opening 30 minutes, until Jake Livermore received a straight red card to leave them a man down.
At Luton, they were arguably the better side in the first half with Karlan Grant missing two big chances to put them ahead – before the boss watched them collapse in the second period.
And after taking the lead at Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, they failed to withstand second half pressure and fell to another defeat.
Bruce believes the Baggies players have to turn their ‘bits and pieces’ in games into a 90-minute performance if they are to get themselves out of their current rut, starting against Swansea.
He said: “I thought we played okay for an hour at Middlesbrough but that has been a trait of ours that we have done okay in bits and pieces. We got in front but unfortunately gave a couple of bad goals away, and when I’ve looked back, it is poor defending really.
“There have been parts of the games that I have been pleased with; the first half at Luton and Middlesbrough, and the first 35 minutes at Sheffield, we were okay.
“But you have to be able to sustain it.
“As soon as we come under it, the confidence just seems to drain away and we have to repair that.
“Confidence is the big word, it is everything.
“When it was high at the start and you’re winning games, you don’t think you are going to get beat, but it can get a hold of you.”
In his opening two games in charge, Bruce adopted a 4-4-3 formation before moving to a 3-5-2 system in the 2-0 defeat at Luton.
However, after a disastrous second half at Kenilworth Road, Bruce reverted back to 4-3-3 at the Riverside.
And with Albion’s obvious goalscoring problems, the Baggies boss insisted that is the system he is going to stick with.
He added: “When I came in the biggest thing I looked at was change, and what was the best thing to do.
“The way the squad is, it was set up to play three centre-backs, but when you are not scoring it is important we have someone else up the top end of the pitch.
“We have implemented that and we will stay with it.”
