TAXI FOR PARDEW AS ALBION CRASH OUT

A losing end to a terrible few days for West Brom after cab shame in Spain

THE rally was not enough but West Bromwich, deep in chaos with Alan Pardew’s future hanging in the balance even before last week’s infamous Barcelona taxi heist, at least showed they still care.

Southampton’s door was thumped, their crossbar struck, their goal guarded heroically. Pardew deserved a replay and pointed to a gutsy second-half performance. He will do likewise if asked to explain to owner Guochuan Lai an eighth defeat in 16 games as manager.

There will be things to take from this into the Premier League. The crowd was frenzied, the players pumped up. Unusually so and maybe the jaunt to Spain, however embarrassing and whatever the legal ramifications, can galvanise a team seven points adrift at the bottom.

Yet they are out of the FA Cup, despite Ahmed Hegazi hitting the bar late on and Ryan Bertrand heading off the line from Salomon Rondon’s follow-up. Rondon had scored a sensational goal to give West Brom hope at 2-0 down but an equaliser proved beyond them.

Pardew looked disconsolate at the end. For Mauricio Pellegrino, also worrying about his employment prospects, this was a strong riposte to Southampton’s critics.

‘It’s not what you deserve, it’s about efficiency,’ Pellegrino said. ‘We were dangerous on the counter. The spirit was good, something we were talking about last week.’

These are trying times at West Brom. The chairman, John Williams, and chief executive Martin Goodman were sacked and Pardew fears he is next.

And then came the breaking of a curfew by four of the club’s most experienced players — Gareth Barry, Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill — in Barcelona, 48 hours before a fifth-round FA Cup tie.

With a taxi stolen and its driver stranded in a McDonald’s in the Olympic Port area, the players drove off to their boutique hotel, The One, three miles away. Stupidity and crisis don’t seem to do this justice. Spanish police are investigating and so are the club.

Of the ‘Cab Four’, Pardew selected Evans, yet stripped him of the captaincy. ‘Jonny was very good considering the circumstances,’ Pardew said.

He will make a decision about the armband this week. Barry patrolled midfield when otherwise he might’ve been rested. Go and prove a point was the message.

All they proved early was that the amateurism engulfing Pardew’s troubled reign continues. Wesley Hoedt’s opener was laughable in its simplicity. James Ward-Prowse’s corner was whipped away from Ben Foster but was primed for a big centre-back to head clear. Unfortunately for West Brom, minds are scrambled.

Gareth McAuley and Craig Dawson were both sucked into dashing towards the near post with Guido Carrillo. Desperately, the delivery evaded them. You could almost hear Hoedt laugh as he scored unmarked from six yards. It was pathetic, if we are honest. Under Pardew, and Tony Pulis before him, these players have lost the ability to defend set-pieces, an aspect of the game they had prided themselves on last season. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg almost capitalised on another defensive calamity, too. Only Leicester, Brighton and Watford have let in more from set-pieces this term. With the defensive players at West Brom’s disposal, this is a problem of mentality and organisation. Pardew must know that for the Baggies to have any hopes of survival, his side must get the basics right. The home fans were exceptional and credit to them for that after the catastrophe of the last few days. The Hawthorns wanted this to become an afternoon of defiance, the start of something. It did eventually as Jay Rodriguez and James McClean marched like men possessed after half-time. Both should be commended.

‘We looked edgy first half. Second half we showed more confidence, guile and energy,’ Pardew added.

Grzegorz Krychowiak’s effort was deflected wide and Hegazi flicked beyond the far post. Pardew had his head in his hands yet felt a spark — which was extinguished seconds later. Southampton flew forward on the counter 11 minutes after the restart, Carrillo lobbing to Dusan Tadic and Tadic exquisitely doing the same over Foster.

A wonderful goal and one which should have put the visitors out of sight, particularly since Hegazi crouched forlornly and Evans wandered aimlessly in the aftermath. West Brom’s players looked lonely.

There was a twist two minutes later, however, as Krychowiak looked up on halfway and saw Rondon peel off his man. The ball looped over the top, Rondon’s eyes widened and then the contact: crisp, true, a meaty volley with the balance of Marco van Basten.

Hegazi then felt he had equalised, only for Southampton to somehow clear off the line. The same happened as full time neared.

This was a different West Brom, fuelled by aggression. Replicate that against Huddersfield next weekend and they may yet have a fighting chance, providing that the basic mistakes are put right.