Albion’s Second Tier Season Comparison – 28 games

Even the most pessimistic of Albion fans would not have expected a performance to plumb the depths of their Baggies-supporting lives, but that’s what they got as Eric Ramsay’s team were pummelled by what is, in all honesty, a poor Norwich City team.

I’ve been digging into the club history this season given the club’s desperate away form, but I was not expecting to have to start looking at home games given the Baggies’ relatively strong record at the Hawthorns, but this result has had me delving into the archives once again.

It was Albion’s worst result of any sort since they were beaten 5-0 at home by Manchester City in January 2021 and the last time they were beaten by more than five goals was the 6-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on the opening day of the 2010/11 campaign. Outside the top flight, it is the first time the Baggies have conceded five at the Hawthorns since they were beaten 5-1 by Crewe Alexandra in April 1999.

Indeed, this defeat to the Canaries stands out as Albion’s worst ever home defeat outside the top flight, and just the seventh time in the club’s history that they have conceded five at home when not in the league’s top division. When including top flight games, only three home defeats in history have been worse – a 6-0 drubbing by Liverpool in April 2003, and two 6-1 defeats to Sunderland in 1937 and Nottingham Forest in 1900.

It was also the Baggies fourth consecutive defeat, the first time that has happened since Albion were relegated from the Premier League in 2021, and the first time in the second tier since Denis Smith’s team lost five in a row in March and April 1999.

If any supporters, players or staff doubted that they were in danger of relegation, last night’s display ended any misconceptions. The Baggies have eighteen games to avoid just their second ever relegation to the third tier of English football, and Tuesday night’s game provided no evidence that the players are up for the fight.

It’s difficult to blame Eric Ramsay too much for the result given his limited time with the team, and the performance against Middlesbrough on Friday night had enough in it to suggest that the change in formation could work, but against Norwich, the players looked lost – only Iling-Junior seems to be happier in the new formation. Price looked completely out of sorts while it seemed a very strange move to play Grant through the middle and Maja on the right of the front three. The lack of options in the middle of the park is obviously a problem – for me, Molumby didn’t look fit when he came on or, at least, he was lacking his usual energy.

However, the biggest concern is the apparent lack of fight shown by the players in the second half. The visitors seemed able to pass the ball around at will and there were very few out there that appeared to show any sort of desire. Ramsay has one helluva job on his hands.

They now head to Derby County on Friday evening looking to avoid what would be a club-record-equalling eleventh successive away league defeat – the last time that Albion won at Derby was in August 2003.

Results

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