West Brom 0-0 Luton - Report
Albion fans led vocal chants against boss Steve Bruce and the Albion board as their side were held to a goalless draw at home by Luton Town.
The hosts put in an improved display but were once more unable to find a way through for the win the manager so desperately needs to begin to ease pressure on his role.
Albion were the better side for large parts and created more chances - as well as securing just a second clean sheet in 13 Championship games - but it remains just a single victory in that period, leaving them marooned down in 22nd, in the relegation places.
Supporters' rage cranked up inside the final 10 minutes of yet another frustrating afternoon for their side. Bruce withdrew Brandon Thomas-Asante and Grady Diangana - the side's brightest outlets on the day - leading to loud chants of "you don't know what you're doing" and "Bruce out".
The heat was also once more turned up on owner Guochuan Lai and chief executive Ron Gourlay, with jeers of "sack the board" aimed at the Albion hierarchy amid a toxic finale.
The Hawthorns had been largely quiet earlier in the afternoon in a clash that won't leave long in the memory - other than being filed in with a handful of other games this season where Albion have deserved more but once again come up short.
Thomas-Asante, who was refreshingly sharp, had his side's best chances in an undoubted improvement from the low bar set in the 1-0 midweek defeat at Preston, but it was still not good enough to see off the Hatters. Bruce and Albion, for the first time this season, reverted to the back three of last season - a system the manager worked hard in moving away from.
Albion's winless run stretched to nine games, eight in the league, as the stadium turned predictably toxic during a painful finale. Vocal supporters let their feelings known at the full-time whistle.
Protests against Lai, Ron Gourlay and Bruce had already begun outside The Hawthorns in the build-up to the contest, with banners hung to the gates of the stadium in the early hours of the morning.
Bruce switched to a back three for the first time this season as he made four changes from the miserable evening in Preston, where his side lost 1-0.
The manager made a considerable point of a change of style and personnel over the summer, to operate in a more attacking style - but things have so far backfired on the experienced boss.
One of the headline omissions from Bruce's starting XI was John Swift, benched for the first time in 13 games this term after an underwhelming start to life at The Hawthorns.
Also dropped were Jayson Molumby, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Karlan Grant.
Matty Phillips was a surprise inclusion, in for a league start for the first time the opening-day 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. He was joined by Eric Pieters, Jake Livermore and Thomas-Asante.
Goalkeeper Alex Palmer and defender Martin Kelly, who made full league debut and Albion bow at Preston, deservedly kept their places.
Visitors Luton came up on an unbeaten run of four and improved form that had lifted them up to ninth.
There were more empty blue seats than usual, and the famous old stadium was a quieter place than usual - understandably so - in the hour or so ahead of kick-off.
But, in a surprising and refreshing change of the norm, it was Albion on the front foot in the opening exchanges as they looked to banish a woeful record of conceding inside 15 minutes.
Albion players needed to lift their supporters and the hosts almost led after two minutes. Thomas-Asante was lively early on and slid in to connect with a low Jed Wallace cross from the left and the ball flicked wide off the near post side netting.
Bruce had one hand on his head as Dara O'Shea nodded narrowly wide at the back post from a Phillips corner.
The hosts were on top as their side managed to remain goalless beyond the 15-minute mark, where the Smethwick End led a chorus of chants against Lai. Wallace tested Ethan Horvath while being forced wide of goal after being well played in by Thomas-Asante.
The Hatters had only mustered threats from a couple of low crosses but the Baggies were let off the hook big style on 21 minutes as Okay Yokuslu nodded off the line from Brad Potts' header from a Luton corner.
It did not deter Albion, though, and Thomas-Asante was unfortunate to see a low, 12-yard strike drag just wide after a neat spin in the box.
Luton efforts at Albion's goal were few and far between but newly-crowned Championship player of the month Carlton Morris fizzed the side netting with a fierce strike from an angle.
The final five or 10 minutes of the first period were broken up due to snide, niggling fouls and some generally baffling decisions from referee David Webb and his assistants.
The needle generated did, at least, provide a reaction from the home fans, who had been beyond their side's encouraging first-half display.
Albion were back on the front foot at the beginning of the second period. Thomas-Asante continued to impress, his strong play and pass to Conor Townsend allowed the left wing-back a fierce, first-time strike from a narrow angle that drew a decent save by Horvath.
O'Shea, who alongside his colleagues in the back three looked strong and composed, stretched to flick a near-post corner over the bar before Palmer was a touch fortunate for getting underneath a tame cross in the Albion goal.
Albion's play stuttered from the hour onwards. There was no lack of graft, endeavour but the hosts' huff and puff came to little, with the lively Thomas-Asante too-often isolated as the chances dried up. Luton showed brief glimpses of coming into the contest.
Fans called for substitutions and Bruce turned to Swift and Grant with 10 minutes of normal time left.
But Bruce's decision to introduce the duo for Grady Diangana and Thomas-Asante, the side's two brightest players on the day, went down like a lead balloon.
The Smethwick End led cries of "you don't know what you're doing", "Bruce out" and "sack the board" in the wake of the changes as Albion fans let their feelings known.
The contest limped out meekly and jeers, boos and chants cranked up at full-time as the heat grows ever louder on the manager and the club's decision-makers.
Albion (3-4-3): Palmer; Kelly, O'Shea, Pieters; Phillips (Gardner-Hickman, 86), Livermore (c), Yokuslu, Townsend; Wallace, Thomas-Asante (Grant, 82), Diangana (Swift, 82).
Subs not used: Button, Reach, Rogic, Molumby.
Luton Town (3-4-1-2): Horvath; Lockyer, Bradley (c), Potts; Bree, Lansbury (Mpanzu, 85), Campbell, Bell; Clark; Morris (Cornick, 69), Adebayo (Onyedinma, 89).
Subs not used: Isted, Berry, Freeman, Doughty.
Attendance: 21,550 (1,385 Luton fans)
Referee: David Webb
