Terry Wills ponders on the unchanging Hawthorns landscape.

What’s changed at  the Hawthorns during the past seven days, or more to the point, over the past few, and seemingly ever increasing weeks?

In a nutshell…not a thing! Albion are continuing the inability to win games. Pepe Mel is, apparently, according to the media, close to bidding a not so fond farewell to his first, and possibly, last job in Greed League football. Continuing reports that the players are at odds with his preferred style and formation, while fans are becoming increasingly critical at the fare they’re paying to watch. Plus of course Jeremy Peace’s overall stratagy at his ability, or lack of it, to ensure patient fans won’t be watching Championship (posh name for second division) football next season.

Defeat against Manchester United didn’t in truth come as a great surprise. Following a promising start, looking capable of competing, after conceding the opening goal, to all intents and purposes any optimistic hopes of seeing Pepe Mel celebrating his first Baggies win had disappeared without
trace.

Apart from Victor Anchebe we posed few problems apart from the occasional flurry, while defensively some of the mistakes were frankly awful. Wayne Rooney, who scores goals against Albion at will, must surely wish he could face them every week. Why did our sleeping defence allow him acres of space to casually nod the second goal? Had he taken over the identity of the Invisible Man, or did they think he’d contacted an infectious disease and needed avoiding at all costs?

Zonal or man to man marking? Whatever system Albion prefer. it simply isn’t working and without a massive improvement in the last vital ten games, the prospect of survival are distinctly weakened.

On the bright side other relegation threatened clubs are in a similar situation but with our next four games, starting at Swansea, followed by Hull away, Cardiff home and Norwich away, failure to gather a reasonable amount of points could prove fatal.

So to Swansea and 2,000Baggies fans cheering on Pepe Mel, some waving Spanish flags. According to media speculation he could be standing in his personal last chance saloon. Prospects ? Can’t score goals up front, can’t defend at the back. Chris Brunt ruled out for six weeks. Diagnosis?

Pepe needs the belief, reported on behalf of the players via Ben Foster, that can be translated into a growing desire to win games to prove they’re far better than current displays indicate.

Here’s hoping next week’s news reflects a more encouraging outlook from the ever
growing number of current disillusioned supporters. But as always where’s there’s life there’s hope and there is still a long way before anyone, yours truly included, can write off the season as being the ultimate failure.

Come on you Baggies.