The definition of insanity is to do the same thing repeatedly and expect a different outcome. By that marker, Blackburn Rovers have lost their mind.

Jon Dahl Tomasson's side were badly beaten up at The Hawthorns and could have easily lost by more than the 4-1 scoreline. It was a very poor performance, albeit against good opposition, with the same ugly traits rearing their head.

It did not take a genius to work out that Rovers were in trouble as soon as the two teams stepped out onto the pitch. The sheer size, height and stature of the West Brom XI dwarfed Rovers. For a team with a growing reputation for being soft in both boxes, it was a recipe for disaster.

For anyone hoping December was a blip in form, I'm afraid the season is now in danger of spiralling out of control. Let's lay out the facts; one win in nine Championship outings, seven defeats in that and 52 goals conceded this season, the worst in the division. In 10 of their last 11 games, they have conceded two or more goals. 

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That is simple relegation form and whilst I don't for one moment 
believe Rovers are in any sort of danger, this run has lasted a fifth of the season and shows no sign of stopping.

Teams do not have to play swashbuckling football to score goals against them. They're a soft touch, underlined by the opening goal. A long throw-in should be dealt with by the defence and the goalkeeper but is nodded in at the back post.

The ball bounces in the six-yard box. That is under-eights defending. Against a side clearly known for being proficient from set-piece situations, Rovers looked like they'd not done their homework.

It's led to fans questioning what is being done on the training ground. Tomasson said that they practice them before every match but the proof is certainly absent from the dessert.

The whole defence has been badly out of form. Ironically, that is the most experienced area of the squad. Dom Hyam has not looked the same player since he came back and his uncharacteristic errors are starting to pile up.

Similarly, Hayden Carter has played more bad games than good this term. For someone who had such a fantastic end to last season, he's really struggled for consistency this term. Callum Brittain's form has also nosedived in the last month.

The young players, overperforming earlier in the season, look shot of confidence. Andrew Moran looks tired, Harry Leonard lost and others aren't making it off the bench. That's perfectly understandable, they're young players, too much is being asked too soon; Tomasson is right, they need help in the transfer market.

Rovers were bullied across the pitch at West Brom. Those that have any seniority are underperforming right now and the rest are young kids that look out of their depth at the moment. The only player that left the Baggies with any credit was Jake Garrett.

Not just for his goal but for his application too. He produced a moment of quality and showed the manhood to try and get his team back in the game. Like most, he's still learning, but there was fight and spirit which you had to admire.

The head coach is far from blameless either. His body language on the touchline was far from inspiring in the second half, though he dismissed any suggestion that had an impact on the performance.

Whilst Carlos Corberan was out in his technical area barking orders, Tomasson was slumped in his chair. I am not suggesting every manager or head coach has to scream and shout, the game has evolved, but the optics weren't great. He didn't clap the away end before going down the tunnel either, another small thing that doesn't help his cause.

Something has got to change at Blackburn Rovers to address this slump and the head coach has to be the one to spark it. We have been full of praise for his fantastic coaching and player development but this is a challenge he must rise to.

We can talk about the budget, cutbacks and inexperience he has to work with. I'm sure the tools at his disposal are far from ideal. But Rovers need a result and he has to make them harder to beat.

Tomasson has been reluctant to make many alterations because of the strength of his bench but that's now improving. Players are coming back and he will have more options.

Whether it's changing formation, deviating from his core principles or whatever else, he has to make Rovers more solid. If that's changing to a back five, so be it. If that's playing an extra man in midfield, go for it. But try something. Change it. Don't go insane.

One fair argument was the volume of games throughout December, a small and stretched squad, young players. All valid. We're two weeks into December and Rovers have played three times, with two more games until the end of the month. That's plenty of time for rest, training ground experimentation and everything in between.

Rovers now have four home 0games on the bounce and I don't think it's sensationalist to suggest they are make or break for the season. If they can't get things back on track against Huddersfield, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City, plus Wrexham, then there really are issues.

Throw in the return of Joe Rankin-Costello, Sam Gallagher, Aynsley Pears and Ryan Hedges to follow, plus hopefully, some transfer activity and things could take an upward turn sooner rather than later. But if they don't, it feels like it could get very ugly.

January is an incredibly important month for Blackburn Rovers off the pitch. As Tomasson reiterates, it's the club's job to get players into the club. 

On the pitch, he needs to ensure he's doing everything to hold up his side of the bargain too by inspiring a reaction. The excuses will not wash as easily in the next few weeks.