Chris Wilder delivers West Brom verdict & makes Steve Bruce prediction

Chris Wilder is backing Steve Bruce to find his feet at West Bromwich Albion after a difficult start - and the Middlesbrough manager is preparing to side to be on their guard when they welcome the Baggies to Teesside on Tuesday.

Albion were left licking their wounds on Saturday after play-off rivals Luton Town emerged victorious at Kenilworth Road to ensure that their away day woes - which have dogged them since October - continued.

For Bruce, it was a third game at the beginning of his tenure without a victory, but while he saw signs of promise in meetings with Sheffield United and Blackburn, he described the second half showing at Luton as ‘unacceptable’.

Wilder, of course, was in the frame to take over from Sam Allardyce last summer before that plan was vetoed by owner Guochuan Lai and a deal for then Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael was pursued.

Wilder eventually found himself back in work at Boro, who he has dragged from the lower reaches of the table right into promotion contention. He fancies Bruce to get things right at Albion in time, after taking over the reins from Ismael.

“You look at what they’ve got. Steve’s trying to change the style there back to what it possibly was when Slav [Bilic] was manager, and Sam Allardyce - more playing and using the players they’ve got, which are talented and more technical,” Wilder told BBC Radio Tees ahead of the meeting at the Riverside.

“There was obviously a change at the start of the season, but I think Steve will get them back playing the way that I should imagine West Brom fans want them to play.

“If you look around their group, and their depth, they’ve got arguably the best goalkeeper in the division, they’ve got talented players all over the pitch and the