When agreeing to become the new West Bromwich Albion manager, Steve Bruce would have hoped to hit the ground running, particularly with games against promotion rivals.
However, that is not how things have panned out with a 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United being followed by a goalless draw at home to Blackburn Rovers.
On the back of a four-game streak without success, West Brom find themselves down in ninth position, as low as they have been all season, and Bruce desperately needs a positive response out of his side.
The Baggies have failed to score in five of their last six fixtures, while the three goals that they scored against struggling Peterborough United all came in the closing stages.
A push for automatic promotion now appears to be out of the question, but victory against one of their direct rivals would give West Brom some much-needed momentum.
Luton surprisingly lost all of theirs when they went down to Birmingham City by a 3-0 scoreline last weekend, ending a three-game winning streak.
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Frustratingly for the Hatters, it cost them a chance to stay within touching distance of the playoffs, and their upcoming contest has the feel of one which they cannot lose.
Although they possess a game in hand, Nathan Jones does not want his squad to be playing catch-up given the work that has gone in to collecting 20 points from their most recent 10 outings.
The defeat at St Andrew’s also represented the first time that they had conceded more than twice in a game since September 18, a run stretching 21 matches
