Bruce must finally axe "dreadful" £16.5k-p/w liability vs Boro, he'd cost WBA big time - opinion

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce is ready to make dramatic changes to his starting lineup in the Baggies’ upcoming Championship fixture.

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, the 61-year-old Albion boss suggested that, following his side’s 2-0 loss to Luton Town on Saturday, he is ready to make sweeping changes to his starting XI for the trip to Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

Speaking about the weekend’s loss, as well as his potential lineup against Boro, Bruce said: “I’m hoping we’ve bottomed out. I’m looking for a response and maybe I look around at other people and say: ‘Right, it’s somebody else’s chance.’

“The reason I have come in from afar is to work with good players. It’s okay looking a good player on paper – you’ve got to show it on the pitch. Now is the time when we have to show our metal.

“A lot of these players played in the Premier League last year. But that means nothing when you come to Luton Town who are fighting away in the Championship. You have got to make a fist of it. You have got to have more about you than what we have shown.”

While, in truth, there are a number of candidates for the chop when West Brom make the trip to Riverside tomorrow evening, there is one player in particular who would very much appear to be one of the more likely to make way against Boro – Semi Ajayi.

Indeed, the centre-back was arguably the Baggies’ worst performer against Luton last time out, completing just 22 of his 46 attempted passes – a success rate of a mere 48% – failing to find his intended target with 10 of his 11 attempted long balls and ceding possession for his side an extraordinarily bad 24 times.

These returns saw the £4.5m-rated defender earn an extremely disappointing SofaScore match