Lewis Cox's West Brom analysis: Far from perfect but progress has to lead somewhere in scrap at bottom

Saturday's goalless draw against Stoke will not live long in the memory but it had several positive aspects to take - not least climbing above Blackburn and Leicester and out of the drop zone by a point.

Ramsay is still hunting that first victory and is now winless in five having taken just two points from the 15 available as Albion head coach.

It is not the return anybody connected desired but Saturday's draw, which was low on quality and desperate viewing for any neutral, did at least show signs of progress.

It may be a case of baby steps, but the relegation-scrapping Baggies will cling on to any positives they can take for now.

Ramsay's hosts were the better side. They mustered five shots on target to Stoke's three but there was relatively little in it. A poor first half threatened to spark into life in its latter stages and it was hoped that bright spell would continue to develop after the interval.

It did not and the second periodlacked in excitement at either goalmouth.

Albion were able to send on Mikey Johnston, Aune Heggebo and Josh Maja on the hour - the first two regulars rotated in a bid to help their fitness - but no final hurrah was to come with the home side lacking in quality, craft and cohesion in the final third.

For Ramsay this had been a tough week.

He had to strike a balance of criticism and encouragement following Pompey. He also had to watch on as the club could do no better than two teenage loans on deadline day and, above him, in-fighting in the Bilkul boardroom saw club president and sporting director Andrew Nestor exit.

When you consider it the week the Baggies fell into the bottom three then the pressure is clear. He will have been quietly satisfied when reviewing the stalemate over the weekend.

It was not a thriller courtesy of a DVD special but The Hawthorns locals certainly turned up.

There was a different feel about Saturday. If there had been a fan call-to-arms then the supporters certainly delivered.

It was the loudest the grand old arena has been for some time, certainly this season. A lull in proceedings about 20 minutes in was pierced by deafening chants led by the Smethwick End as the Baggies support rallied.

The Hawthorns faithful were doing their bit. There has been enough blame game and jeering of late. The harsh reality of the bottom three set in and this was time to respond.

The fans certainly showed they were up for the dogfight as they responded to an energetic early tone on the field as players and supporters fed off one another. Fight and care is the bare minimum paying punters expect.

Isaac Price, villain of the piece in Hampshire for an emotional full-time exchange caught on camera and rather blown out of proportion, typified the afternoon from the off.

His name was rather harshly booed seconds before kick-off. Price, generally considered one of Albion's better attacking talents, could have gone into his shell but buzzed around from the first whistle.

He pressed high and won the fans on side. He continued the chasing all game.

He was not alone and returning club captain Jed Wallace helped lead Albion through. Again, this was not a rip-roaring display of attacking brilliance, far from it, but it was an afternoon of battle and heart.

Young Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, 19, showed on his first professional start that he can make his mark on loan from Villa.

It was not all smooth-sailing. Alfie Gilchrist and Daryl Dike, two more of the six changes made by Ramsay, struggled. Ramsay was bold with his six starting XI alterations but more noteworthy still was the formation shift to a back four.

Ironically a four-man defence brought a defensive solidity and a clean sheet that the perceived more defensive 3-4-3 shape could not.

How that leads the head coach's thinking moving forward, beginning at Birmingham on Tuesday, which will be interesting.

The big blow came with Chris Mepham, who with partner Nat Phillips was much improved, limped off late on. He is now a big doubt for St Andrew's and joins George Campbell and Krystian Bielik in the treatment room.

Albion are one or two more blows off calling Baggie Bird or Boiler Man to do a job at centre-back. It will not help the hunt for consistency but it is another hurdle to overcome.

Just a sixth clean sheet in 31 attempts in the Championship this term is certainly something to build from.

There were very clear shortcomings in the final third but the hope has to be Albion, scorers of 32 goals in 31 games this term, can finally somehow scrape together some momentum.