Steve Bruce ‘confident’ West Brom can still earn promotion after Blackburn draw

Posted Tuesday, February 15, 2022 by PA

West Brom manager Steve Bruce admits he must find a way to win but insists they can still achieve their promotion dream after a goalless draw against Blackburn in his first home game in charge.

Bruce, 61, received a warm reception from The Hawthorns crowd but Albion have now gone more than six hours of football without scoring as he picked up his first point since taking charge.

“We’ve got to find a way of getting more opportunities in the final third,” said Bruce, whose side are eighth in the Sky Bet Championship.

“We have to be better in the final third, but we’re capable of winning games back to back.

“We’ve still got plenty to play for and I’m confident we can be where we want to be. It’s a small step in the right direction. I could not fault the effort and endeavour.

“Both sides struggled to create any real opportunities but I thought we might have nicked it at the end.

“I can see plenty of positives but we have to look at the situation – does 4-3-3 suit us with what we have got available?”

Chances were thin on the ground but Andy Carroll and Adam Reach were both denied by headers near the end for Albion, while Ben Brereton Diaz and Reda Khadra fired straight at Sam Johnstone for Blackburn after the break.

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray felt Rovers’ much-improved second-half performance should have earned three points.

He said: “I think we grew into the game after forgetting how to play in the first half.

“The second half was more like us. We were more threatening and were picking the right pass and putting headers to a yellow shirt.

“We had more control of the game in the second half and we were much more fluent.”

Former West Brom manager Mowbray admitted Rovers should be better in front of goal after also now taking their drought to over six hours.

“It’s a really young team to come here and keep a clean sheet,” he added. “But with the talent we have at the top of the pitch, we should be nicking goals.

“Brereton Diaz’s goal was so marginal, I felt it was onside, someone later told me it wasn’t.

“We’re frustrated we didn’t get a goal because we deserved one, even though they could have nicked it when Tyrhys Dolan cleared it off the line at the end.

“If anyone was going to score it was us. The players are so disappointed that we couldn’t get that goal, and it’s right we feel that way.

“I hope it’s a sign of the direction we’re going in. We just need a ricochet or one to trickle in now.”