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The rally was not enough but West Brom, deep in chaos with Alan Pardew’s future hanging in the balance even before the infamous Barcelona taxi heist of 2018, at least showed they still care.
Southampton’s door was thumped, their crossbar struck, their goal guarded heroically. Pardew deserved a replay and pointed to a gutsy second-half performance. He will do similar if asked to explain an eighth defeat in charge by owner Guochuan Lai.
There are definitely things to take from this into the Premier League. The crowd was frenzied, the players pumped up. Unusually so and maybe the jaunt to Spain, however embarrassing and whatever the legal ramifications, can galvanise a team seven points adrift at the division’s foot.
Yet they are still out of the FA Cup, even after Ahmed Hegazi hit the bar late on and Ryan Bertrand headed off the line from Salomon Rondon’s follow-up. Rondon had scored a sensational goal to give West Brom hope at 2-0 down but an equaliser proved too far.
Pardew looked disconsolate at full-time but positives can be taken. For Mauricio Pellegrino, also worrying about his employment, this was a strong riposte to Southampton’s critics.
‘It’s not what you deserve, it’s about efficiency,’ Pellegrino said. ‘We were always dangerous on the counter. The spirit was really good, something we were talking about last week.’
These are trying times at West Brom. The chairman, John Williams, and chief executive Martin Goodman were sacked and Pardew fears he is next. And then the breaking of a curfew by four of the club’s most experienced players — Gareth Barry, Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill — in Barcelona 48 hours before a fifth-round tie.
With taxi stolen and driver stranded in a McDonald’s in the Olympic Port area, they drove off to their boutique hotel, The One, three miles. Stupidity and crisis don’t seem to do this justice. Spanish police are investigating and so is the club.
Of the Cab Four, Pardew picked Evans, yet stripped him of the captaincy. ‘Jonny was very good considering the circumstances,’ Pardew said. He will make a permanent decision about the armband this week. Barry patrolled midfield when otherwise he might’ve been rested. Go and prove a point seemed to be the message.
All they proved early was the amateurism engulfing Pardew’s troublesome reign continues. Wesley Hoedt’s opener was laughable in its simplicity in the 11th minute. James Ward-Prowse’s corner had whip away from Ben Foster but was primed for a big central defender to head clear comfortably. Unfortunately for West Brom, minds are currently muddled.
Gareth McAuley and Craig Dawson were both sucked into dashing towards the near post with Guido Carrillo. Desperately, the delivery evaded them. You could almost hear Hoedt laugh as he passed in unmarked from six yards.
It was pathetic, if we are completely honest. Under Pardew, and Tony Pulis before him, these players have lost the ability to defend set pieces, an aspect of the game they had prided themselves on last season. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg almost capitalised on another defensive calamity too.
Only Brighton, Leicester and Watford have conceded more from set plays this term. With the defensive ability at West Brom’s disposal, this is clearly a mentality problem. Pardew could be forgiven for tweaking that famous old Harold Macmillan quote. What poses the most obvious threat to West Brom? Basics, dear boy, basics.
The home supporters were exceptional and credit to them for that after the catastrophe of the last few days. The Hawthorns wanted this to become an afternoon of defiance, the start of something. It did eventually as Jay Rodriguez and James McClean marched like men possessed after half-time. Both should be commended because they got West Brom moving.
‘We looked edgy first half. Second half we showed more confidence, guile and energy in fact,’ Pardew added.
Grzegorz Krychowiak’s long-range effort was deflected wide and Hegazi flicked beyond the far post as the ante was upped. Pardew had head in hands yet here felt a spark - which then went out seconds later. Southampton flew forward on the counter 11 minutes after the restart, Carrillo lobbing to Dusan Tadic and Tadic exquisitely doing the same to Foster.
A wonderful goal and one which should have put the visitors out of sight, particularly given Hegazi crouched forlornly and Evans wandered aimlessly in the immediate aftermath. West Brom’s players looked lonely.
There was a twist, however. A twist both majestic and raw simultaneously two minutes later as Krychowiak looked up on halfway and saw Rondon peel off his man. The ball looped over the top, Rondon’s eyes widened and then the contact: crisp, true, a meaty volley with the poise of Marco Van Basten all those years ago.
Hegazi then thought he equalised, only for Southampton to somehow clear his certain goal off the line. The same happened as full-time approached. This was a different West Brom, one fuelled by aggression. Replicate that against Huddersfield next weekend and they may have a fighting chance, providing the basic mistakes are corrected.
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“It’s a lot about confidence and I think we are going in the right direction.” 
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