West Brom 0 Swansea 1: Chris Lepkowski's big match report and player ratings
ABILITY wise there is little to touch West Brom but what about when it comes to living on the street?
It's all very well living the charmed life. But what happens when you need to rough it or bed down in a rough-and-ready environment?
Down in the Championship you're just as likely to be mugged in broad daylight. Or under floodlights.
Which is where Albion are falling short.
For all their great strides, the Championship's trip wires are catching out the younger, less experienced members of the squad.
And let's be honest - the likes of Dorrans, Mulumbu, Wood and so on have enough credit in the bank to be given the benefit of the doubt.
They can afford the odd bad performance or two.
The players I mention are not lacking in ability, spirit or technique. One day, Albion fans will look back on that trio - and I chose them deliberately - and may well recall 'I remember when they were at Albion...'
But what they currently lack is what Eddie Newton would describe as 'cuteness'. And it's not just them - the team as a whole, from Carson in goal to Moore up front, lacks a know-how of this division, these surroundings. They are still treading on mines when they should be more careful.
And Swansea beat Albion at The Hawthorns because they had this 'cuteness' in abundance. So when the barrell-chested Craig Beattie smashed one in on 50 minutes, you knew Albion would forever struggle.
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