THROWING IT AWAY!
Albion have lost 18 points from winning positions… and it’s suffocating them
Whether this encounter proves a sliding doors moment will be judged in May but it certainly felt hugely significant for two relegation rivals who now have very different outlooks.
Southampton supporters told Mauricio Pellegrino he would be sacked in the morning when West Bromwich took an early lead, yet by the end they were cheering a first win since November and breathed a little easier.
For all those associated with West Brom, the pressure is becoming suffocating. Alan Pardew has enlivened the club without getting the results to match, but this was a tired display amid an injury crisis. Alarm bells are ringing.
Pardew’s team slipped to four points adrift of their nearest opponent at the foot of the Premier League table and time is running out to find the momentum for an escape.
‘We’ve lost 18 points from leading positions, which is too many,’ said defender Gareth McAuley. ‘that’s something we need to address. even if we had taken half of those points, it would have made a hell of a difference to our season.
‘It’s only a week since we won at Liverpool in the FA Cup, so this is not the time to panic. there are 13 games left and we can’t afford to throw anything away. We need back-to-back wins to claw back that deficit.’
that defeat came on a day when Cyrille regis was remembered so movingly only exacerbated the sense of despair. ‘It’s an emotional time for everyone at the club,’ added McAuley.
‘ Cyrille was a huge figure around the place and it’s gutting to stand here having lost on the day we celebrated his life and everything he did for football.’
It seemed the emotion would carry West Brom to victory when Ahmed hegazi nodded in Chris Brunt’s corner on four minutes. But Mario Lemina’s rocket, a Jack Stephens header, and James Ward Prowse’s free-kick turned the tide for Southampton. Salomon rondon’s late effort was in vain.
Pardew was missing seven key players including Jonny evans and Grzegorz Krychowiak and he revealed his captain will probably be out until the visit of huddersfield on February 24. ‘Jonny has a bit of a nerve thing in his back, so I can’t say for sure when he will return,’ Pardew said. Southampton had endured a 12-game winless run that saw intense scrutiny on Pellegrino, but their display here suggests they can pull away.
Midfielder Oriol romeu said the fans who called for Pellegrino’s head would have to change their tune. ‘I had a coach when I was young who said whenever you open your mouth, they will shut it,’ he said. ‘You never know in football, things change constantly. that’s what happened, we changed it around.’