Steve Bruce reveals why £300k West Brom signing helped get him the sack | OneFootball

Steve Bruce feels he was sacked by West Brom because he substituted Brandon Thomas-Asante off in his final game against Luton Town

Former West Brom manager Steve Bruce believes that he was sacked from the Baggies in 2022 due to his decision to substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante in his final game against Luton Town.

The 27-year-old made his Premier League debut last Friday for Coventry City in a defeat against Arsenal. Just four seasons ago, his league opener saw him score and assist in a 2-0 win over Mansfield Town for Salford City in League Two.

The Bruce-led Baggies bought the forward towards the tail end of that summer window for around £300,000, and he'd go on to join the Sky Blues a couple of years later.

Steve Bruce didn't receive much credit during his time as West Brom boss, leaving them in the Championship relegation zone when he was sacked in October 2022, but the 65-year-old feels that some substitution decisions he made in his final game were the main factor in his dismissal.

Steve Bruce believes substituting Brandon Thomas-Asante against Luton Town got him sacked

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Bruce was out of work for just over four months from his time at Newcastle United to his stint at West Brom.

With his son Alex being involved in the setup at Salford before he was named as a first-team coach in 2024, he'd often find himself watching the Ammies, where Thomas-Asante was a particular player who caught his eye.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Bruce said, "When I was out of work, I'd watch a bit of Salford with my son being there, and I always thought, 'He's got something.' You'd give him the ball, and something can happen.

"I remember saying to him at West Brom, and it was a big, big occasion for him and his family, and you could feel that hunger and desire."

Thomas-Asante came off the bench to score in his first two games at West Brom against Burnley and Birmingham City, becoming a fan favourite in the process. It was when he subbed the forward off against Luton that he felt the writing was on the wall for his time in the dugout.

"I think after half an hour at West Brom, he became a cult hero all of a sudden. In fact, the reason why I got the sack really at West Brom was I took him off," he continued.

"I took them off, and the crowd shouted, 'You don't know what you're doing.' I brought on Karlan Grant, who was 15 million quid's worth."

Steve Bruce's West Brom demise may have been down to more than subbing Brandon Thomas-Asante

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Ultimately, while Bruce's decision to use some of the Premier League parachute payment money West Brom had at the time to sign a player from League Two proved to be a masterstroke, not much else went right during his time at the club.

The managerial veteran left the club 22nd in the Championship, which at the time was their lowest league position in over two decades. The Baggies had won just one of their first 13 league games, drawing eight of them.

Despite that, West Brom still finished ninth in the division, one position higher than they did in their return to the second tier the previous year, and that was mainly down to Carlos Corberan, who, after losing his first game in charge, would win nine of the subsequent 10.

The following year, he led the Baggies to the play-offs, and Thomas-Asante scored 11 times in 39 games to help aid that push.

Brandon Thomas-Asante is yet another EFL success story as Coventry City man makes Premier League debut

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Thomas-Asante struggled to make an impact coming through at MK Dons a decade ago, and actually dropped into non-league, signing for Ebbsfleet Town in July 2019 before Salford brought him back to the EFL a month later.

The Ghanaian international represented his country at the World Cup this summer and has gone on to make his Premier League debut, showcasing the pathway that the EFL can provide to reach the elite level.

"Look, that's the nice part of management when you've given somebody a chance," Bruce added. And I believe there are still some younger players in and around the EFL who need a break.

"He's certainly one who proves the point. He went on, and now he's playing in the Premier League. I'm delighted for him. He's a good kid with a big heart, and I hope he does well."