Martin Keown has backed Steve Bruce to turn it around as West Brom boss
Martin Keown has backed Steve Bruce to turn it around at West Brom with wins over Luton and Reading in their next two games.
The Baggies fell into the relegation zone after a defeat to Preston in midweek, making it just one win in 12 so far this season to keep Bruce under severe pressure for his job.
But speaking on talkSPORT [7 October, 12:55], Keown claimed the club wouldn’t sack him if he could get two wins from his next two games, but admitted that he knew his back was against the wall with his poor form so far this season.
“What I will say to look at it positively is that they play Luton and Reading next,” he said. “If they get six points from the next two matches, they’re not sacking him.
“So he’s going to get another opportunity to turn it around. If you beat them, you have to say that’s not bad.
“But one win in 12 kind of says it all. And when you know what happened at Newcastle and that there was no win there and how Eddie has improved it, he knows his back is up against the wall.”
Time to go
Winning both of the next games would be great for West Brom and Steve Bruce, but it still shouldn’t save him his job if the club is being run properly.
He has proven that his views and visions don’t line up with the fans, saying the club was aiming to better last season’s 10th placed finish despite improving the squad massively and shaping it in his own vision.
Just because he gets results with a squad that is supposed to get results, doesn’t mean he has turned a corner and that must be recognised.
The club need to act to turn the season around quickly, and that means decisions must be made regardless of potential small wins because the bigger picture needs to be seen.
Fans will be praying that Keown is wrong, but ultimately the likelihood is that we won’t find out because getting two wins from the next two games is about as far away from reality as promotion right now.
In other West Brom news, Simon Jordan has blasted Bruce for his performance as manager so far