Steve Bruce may have been handed West Brom lifeline after Slaven Bilic appointed Watford boss
It has not been a good season so far by any stretch of the imagination for West Brom and Steve Bruce, despite a relatively successful transfer window.
Bruce was given the benefit of the doubt after a poor season last year because it wasn’t his squad when he took over from Valerien Ismael, but could only guide them to a 10th placed finish despite the goal being promotion.
During the summer window Bruce didn’t have much cash to spend, but still managed to strengthen the squad greatly with eight first-team signings including the arrivals of Tom Rogic and Erik Pieters after the window closed.
But so far it hasn’t gone to plan with the Baggies winning just one of their opening ten games, with seven draws despite some relatively good performances on the pitch.
The results have left West Brom sitting in 21st place in the league during the international break, and that led to big pressure on Bruce that his job could be up for grabs because of the break in action.
West Brom held firm and opted against sacking him, giving him extra time to try and turn the club’s fortunes around but it was clear that there were alternatives out there ready to stake their claim for his role should it become available.
One of those people was reportedly former manager Slaven Bilic, who feels as though he has unfinished business at The Hawthorns having been sacked during their run in the Premier League when he was axed in 2020 after earning promotion.
But that option for the club is now out of the window after it was revealed that Watford had sacked Rob Edwards after just 11 games as manager and hired the Croatian as his replacement at Vicarage Road.
While Bruce currently has the backing of the board and those above him, patience is wearing thin with the fans and if results don’t pick up really soon then the pressure will become something that can’t be ignored.
With Bilic out of the picture now though as a potential replacement, it’s one less ready-made option available to replace him and may have given him a bit of extra breathing room with fans as there isn’t an obvious option to replace him.
That bit of breathing room will hopefully see him turn pressure into diamonds and get the team performing as they should be, because if not it’s going to be raise questions as to why the club didn’t act sooner when Bilic was available and ready to come.
In other West Brom news, fans wait with baited breath as Ron Gourlay makes another promise