ALBION 1 BURNLEY 1

Even if Roberto De Zerbi got his initial team selection wrong, it should not have resulted in dropped points.

A double half-time substitution suggested he would have ideally started with a different personnel and set-up.

He put it right as soon as he feasibly could and then explained reasons which influenced his pre-game thinking.

But Albion should still have won this game.

As it was, they came from behind again for a point after a first half which was a bit clunky at times, certainly low key, but still had enough to have seen them lead rather than trail after 45 minutes.

Albion looked more balanced and dangerous with Kaoru Mitoma on the left and had more tempo with Billy Gilmour in midfield after those two were introduced at the break.

It also got more from Joao Pedro, who was a square peg in a round hole on the left in the first half.

He can drift into those wide areas momentarily, so one could see why he was played there, but he was not at his best as an out-and-out wideman.

De Zerbi said: “Mitoma was not available to play 90 minutes.

“I think not about changing but to not take risks.

“Mitoma was a risk, Billy Gilmour was a risk, Igor was a risk.

“Facundo Buonanotte couldn’t play 90 minutes.

“I have to decide the first XI before the game.

“After the game we can discuss the result.”

The result should have been a home win – just like those draws against Fulham and Sheffield United.

De Zerbi found it hard to separate those games as he reflected on the dropped points.

One difference was his side had to come from behind on this occasion.

Wilson Odobert, who was dangerous from the off, saw his shot fly into the top corner via a touch off James Milner at the end of a first half of which Albion had gradually taken control.

Pascal Gross engineered the equaliser with a superb ball in from the left which Simon Adingra headed home at the far post.

If Gross was Albion’s man of the match, James Trafford was surely the pick for the Clarets.

One day, his heroics in goal might help England win the World Cup in the way he ensured the under-21s won last summer’s Euros.

If that happens, we will be able to reflect on the fact we saw him do likewise at the Amex in the first few months of his Premier League career.

It would probably take something of that magnitude to get Albion fans thinking fondly of this match.

Okay, it was not all bad. Certainly not as bad as the previous occasion Burnley visited and won 3-0.

There was some football to enjoy, some urgency to get the pulse racing, plenty of endeavour to get behind, a goal to cheer and near misses to excite.

But Albion should have taken full points. Burnley should not have extended their unbeaten run at the Amex to seven visits.

Which the underwhelmed hush that descended on all but one corner of the stadium at full-time.

Trafford produced a good block with his foot from Gross in the first half as Albion’s passing game started a find way through tight areas.

After the break, he parried from Adingra and fingertipped from Gross.

There were two saves late on which were quickly earning high praise.

He pushed away a bullet of a header from Jack Hinshelwood, then pawed a Mitoma half volley over the bar.

But there was also a very good close-quarters block from Hinshelwood, a player who, like Evan Feguson, headed a decent chance off target.

Albion created enough to have won three games.

But three games they did not win will rankle with De Zerbi rather than any regrets over selection.

The team he sent out was good enough to have beaten Burnley.