West Brom supporters pin the blame on Guochuan Lai and players

A poll on the Express & Star website asked fans for their view on who is to blame for the Baggies’ incredible slump.

In what has turned into a nightmare campaign – an alarming run of one win in 13 games has effectively ended Albion’s hopes of securing an instant return to the Premier League.

Had the season started in October instead of August, the Baggies would now be battling to retain their Championship status and avoid dropping into League One.

Our poll gave Albion fans four choices when asking who is responsible for the demise. The players, who have now seriously underperformed for months, received 47 per cent of the vote.

But controlling shareholder Lai was not far behind – with the businessman collecting 45 per cent of votes cast.It is clear the players and Lai are the main source of supporter frustration.

Ex-boss Valerien Ismael and current manager Steve Bruce both received just four per cent of the vote – with fans showing the issues at The Hawthorns run a lot deeper than who is in the dugout.

Asked what is the biggest problem on the field, 69 per cent of those surveyed said player quality/ability.

A total of 23 per cent said motivation is the biggest issue while only eight per cent felt Albion’s troubles are down to their tactics.

Albion currently sit 13th in the Championship table, eight points outside the play-offs.

Asked about their chances of promotion this year, 69 per cent of those surveyed said they had no chance.

A total of 28 per cent said they had a slim chance.

Only one per cent of those polled said they still have a good chance of securing a top-flight return.