View: £46k/wk man must be axed: 3 things we learned from West Brom in 5-0 loss v Man City
West Brom suffered an embarrassing defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday, compounding more misery on Sam Allardyce.
The result means the new boss has just one win from eight games, and if anything Albion appeared to have gone backwards under his stewardship.
He was visibly frustrated after the match and rightly so, keeping his players in the dressing room for a prolonged period to examine what went wrong.
City tore the Baggies apart at times, and a 4-0 scoreline at half-time was deserved.
West Brom were lucky the visitors relented after the break given the standard of their performance.
Here are three things we learnt from the inept display.
1.) Big Sam cannot fix the defence by himself
Allardyce has been on the lookout for a defender since the transfer window opened and it is clear to see why. We have now conceded 17 goals in just four home games, and Pep Guardiola’s side scored with ease on Tuesday. Big Sam has built his past success on a strong defence but we simply do not have good enough personnel currently. This frailty was evident under Slaven Bilic also, and the result is that we are on track to concede 91 goals, which would break the Premier League record of 89 set by Derby. The board must go out and get Allardyce the defensive recruitments he wants, otherwise we are doomed.
2.) We lack leadership
It says it all when our captain is Jake Livermore. He, as well other experienced pros like Kieran Gibbs and Romaine Sawyers showed a lack of fight, with heads dropping once Man City took the lead. That is the opposite of the character required for a relegation battle, and it sends a terrible message to the younger players in the squad. Big Sam needs a player who can carry out his instructions onto the pitch and provide encouragement for teammates – Livermore and co. failed to do that. It is a travesty that he earns £46,000 a week and Allardyce must drop him from the starting line-up.
3.) Romaine Sawyers is not cut out for this level
The midfielder perhaps received the biggest amount of criticism from fans for his lacklustre display. For good reason, too, since he earned a WhoScored rating of 4.7 – the lowest of any player on the pitch. The 29-year-old made an error that led to a goal and managed zero interceptions, which really sums up the season he has had. Sawyers has failed to produce a single goal or assist and while he looks pretty on the ball, he averages just 4.2 passes per game to the final third (WyScout). He poses little threat, therefore, so the opposition do not need to worry when he is in possession. Sawyers has only recorded one pre-assist too, and if he repeats his performance against City, when he received only 15 passes, then he and the team will continue to struggle.
In other West Brom news, ‘World-class’ – Robbie Savage wowed by one ‘Magnificent’ West Brom player in 5-0 loss v Man City.