After a promising pre-season campaign, and shrewd business being done behind the scenes, many Baggies fans were hopeful that this season would be successful. However, this did not prove to be the case, with West Brom failing to even make the play-off's. This led fans to question, where did it go so wrong?
Steve Bruce
Albion fans were coming into the season slightly optimistic, after the experienced Steve Bruce attracted sought after players like Jed Wallace and John Swift to the football club, fending off interest from a whole host of other clubs. West Brom were even some of the bookmakers' favourite to win the league, as they boasted a strong squad with Premier League experience.
However, it was Bruce's tactics that let him down. West Brom saw themselves bottom of the Championship before Christmas, with only the one win in thirteen games. Steve Bruce's tenure lasted far longer than many Albion fans would have wanted. This was reflected in stats such as Bruce's win percentage, which sat at 25 as Baggies boss. Bruce amassed just eight wins in thirty-two games, which led to fans turning on him. Disappointing defeats to the likes of Birmingham City at home led to Bruce being axed from his post as Baggies boss.
The Players
Although many West Brom fans will blame Steve Bruce for another underachieving year, the players are also to blame. Several of the Baggies' reliable and experienced players criminally underachieved. Last seasons top goalscorer, Karlan Grant, was not a first team regular, with Brandon Thomas-Asante being the preferred option. Summer signings like Adam Reach also failed to make an impact on a squad of players that needed it.
Not only did some players underachieve, a whole host of players were getting injured every month. The Baggies lost key first team players such as; Dara O'Shea, Daryl Dike, Matt Phillips and Grady Diangana all for an extended period of time. This impacted results and morale around the club, with the Albion slipping down the table after an impressive resurgence under new boss Carlos Corberán.
Off-Pitch Commotions
Off-Pitch incidents damaged the morale around West Bromwich Albion. Most notably financial issues that still worry fans today. Being one of the founding members of the football league, the future for West Brom is in doubt. This season the club had to borrow £20 million pounds to fund the day-to-day running of the club, and with parachute payments ending, expect a massive squad overhaul this summer.
On top of this, the club has seen several protests against club owner, Guochuan Lai, over the sale of West Brom. Lai also took a loan out of £4.95 million pounds from West Brom, that he is still yet to repay, angering fans even more.
With another Championship season confirmed for next year, can West Brom finally get promoted again?