Baggies have mountain to climb – boss

MANAGER Steve Bruce conceded it will be a ‘long shot’ for Albion to make the Championship’s top six now.

The Baggies were turned over by a Swansea side lower than them in the table and without an away league win since November.

West Brom’s wretched run of form has seen them crash out of the play-off picture and slide down to 13th in the table.

By Bruce’s own admission, they now have an almighty hill to climb.

“It’s going to be very, very difficult now, I have to say,” he said. “We needed to win and (then) give ourselves something on Saturday (at Hull).

“It’s going to be a long and difficult challenge. We’re never going to give up on it.

“You never know, but it’s going to take some turnaround. We will try our utmost but it’s a bit of a long shot, I have to say.

“What I say in the dressing room stays in the dressing room but there were a few home truths told.

“The reason I’ve come here – you look at the squad, everyone tells me we’ve got a good squad.

“We have to prove that on the pitch. At the moment, we’re sadly not and that’s been the case in the few weeks I’ve been here and in the weeks before that as well.”

Of the fans who made clear their collective fury before the final whistle, Bruce understood the discontent.

“People work hard and pay for their tickets,” he added. “With this club there is an expectation, they demand the club should be at the top end of the Championship.

“They have been in the Premier League for the last 13 years out of 20. With that comes an expectation and you have certainly got to handle it better than we are.

“I’ve only been here a month and I haven’t seen enough of the so-called big players and good players. That’s the brutal truth – at the moment we’re struggling.”