Discovery+ and Quest pundit Jobi McAnuff believes that some of the frustrations from the stands at The Hawthorns this season towards Valerien Ismael have been on the harsh side.

West Bromwich Albion started the season excellently before falling behind as Bournemouth and Fulham continue to set the pace at the top of the division. The Baggies were winless in four before their 2-1 victory at Coventry City on Saturday and managed to reduce the gap between themselves and the automatic promotion places to just six points as a result.

Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant combined brilliantly particularly in the first period at the CBS Arena leading to West Brom going into the break two goals to the good. A lot has been made of the team's attacking deficiencies in recent weeks with Norwich City loanee Jordan Hugill struggling to settle in, but in Grant and Robinson they have two consistent performers for the level.

When asked if the criticism of Ismael has been justified this term, Jobi McAnuff exclusively told Football League World:

"At times it has been maybe a little bit harsh. I think the style of play also has been a bit of an issue for some of the fans. Clearly when they're not winning as many games as they should be and they're not enjoying what they're seeing on a Saturday afternoon, then that also adds to the frustration around the place.

"But I've always felt that West Brom are going to be up there, whether they'll be able to break into that top two, I have my doubts."

It is going to be interesting to monitor over the coming months just how close the chasing pack can get to Fulham and Bournemouth, or whether the current leading couple will pull away further and book a place in the Premier League before we arrive at the business end of the campaign.

Saturday's victory felt enormous for Ismael, patience seemed to thinning with the Frenchman's methods but the three points, that knocked Coventry out of the top six, has the Baggies looking up rather than over their shoulders.