Steve Bruce laments "worst game ever" as West Brom spell goes from bad to worse

Ralf Rangnick Refuses To Focus On Table But Admits Top-four Hopes Unfavourable

Mikel Arteta on Premier League's introduction of five substitutions

Klopp opens up on Liverpool's push for a quadruple

Thomas Tuchel reflects on Chelsea's shock loss to Brentford

In pictures: Chelsea v Brentford

Many people assumed that West Bromwich Albion had made a canny decision when they unveiled Steve Bruce as boss back in February.

The Baggies were in the Championship play-off places when they decided to roll the dice and replace Valerien Ismael with four-times promotion winner Bruce. The aim was to push on and go after an automatic promotion spot. But it has proved to be anything but a masterstroke. The 61-year-old, who was a shock appointment just months after his high-profile Newcastle exit, has won just two of his 10 games at the helm and suddenly Albion look destined to miss out on the top six altogether.

Sunday saw Bruce's men beaten 1-0 away at Midlands rivals and his old employers Birmingham City. The result leaves West Brom down in 12th place and eight points adrift of the play-offs.

The game at St Andrew's was a disappointingly dull affair that Lyle Taylor's second half penalty - awarded after Conor Townsend's inexplicable handball - ultimately decided. Bruce said afterwards the game was the worst he had ever seen but that will do little to appease Baggies' fans, who didn't see their side register a single effort on target.

"That's got to be the worst game of football I've ever seen. It was lacking in quality on both sides," Bruce admitted afterwards. "We had a stone-wall penalty shout in the fourth minute which the referee missed. He seemed to blow the whistle then think 'what have I done?' and invented a free-kick for