Steve Bruce lays into 'unacceptable' West Brom after another appalling display

Steve Bruce apologised to the West Bromwich Albion supporters after a thousand or so visiting fans witnessed another second half capitulation amid a sorry showing at Luton Town.

Goals from Cameron Jerome and Allan Campbell ensured the Hatters’ excellent home record registered another impressive scalp, but from an Albion perspective this was a painful new low in what is rapidly becoming an entire campaign of new lows.

They hit the woodwork twice, but were outplayed in midfield and while the goals were visibly impressive, they were avoidable too had Albion’s back-line done more to avert danger from open play and via set piece.

Bruce, who saw signs of encouragement in the first half at Sheffield United and then against Blackburn on Monday, wasn’t in the mood for picking out positives.

He offered his sympathy to the visiting fans, and declared that such a performance in the second period was unacceptable - and he left his players know about it at full time.

“The one thing I won’t be doing is trying to b******t anyone. I won’t accept the second half from a team of mine,” a composed but quite clearly livid Bruce insisted at full time. “We need to instil that into them because I won’t accept the second half.

“I thought we should have been in front in the first half, but I have to say our reaction to conceding a goal was not enough. To say I’m disappointed with it is an understatement and I can only apologise to the people who followed us. As soon as we went a goal behind we didn’t do anything to redeem it.

“In the first half I was probably as pleased as I have been with the three games we played. We had one or two big opportunities where we must score to give everybody a lift, but second half in particular was not