West Bromwich Albion have sacked head coach Ryan Mason following Monday night’s 2 to 1 defeat to Leicester City in the Championship.
The loss, decided by an added time goal, was the club’s 10th consecutive away defeat this season and left the Baggies sitting 18th on the table. They are seven points above the relegation zone and 10 points adrift of the play off places.
Mason’s dismissal came barely two weeks after the club’s sporting director, Andrew Nestor, publicly backed him to remain in charge. Despite that support, the 34 year old admitted after the Leicester game that backing did not give him any form of protection.
“I am not immune,” Mason said at the time, a statement that has now proven accurate just four days later.
Alongside Mason, his assistant Nigel Gibbs and head of performance Sam Pooley have also left the club. Former midfielder James Morrison has been placed in temporary charge of the team, a role he previously held for the final two games of last season following the departure of Tony Mowbray.
West Brom confirmed the decision in a brief statement, saying, “The process of recruiting a new men’s first team head coach and staff is under way.”
The club are due to face Swansea City away in the FA Cup on Sunday, while their next league fixture will see Middlesbrough visit The Hawthorns on January 16.
Mason joined West Brom from Tottenham Hotspur’s coaching staff on a three year deal and was tasked with leading a youthful rebuild aimed at long term stability and promotion ambition.
His appointment marked a clear shift in direction, with the club opting for a young coach shaped by top level experience under managers such as Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou.
The start of the season offered early encouragement, with victories over Blackburn, Wrexham and Stoke City helping Albion collect 10 points from their opening four league games.
However, a home defeat to Derby County triggered a downturn in form that Mason was unable to reverse.
In total, Mason won nine of his 27 games in charge, with only six victories recorded in the 22 matches that followed the promising opening run. A fourth defeat in five games around the Christmas period ultimately sealed his fate.
Speaking after the Leicester defeat, Mason defended his team’s performances despite the poor results.
“We are on a terrible run in terms of away games,” he said. “But if you look at the last seven or eight matches, we have had more shots, more shots on target, created more chances and conceded very little. I am proud of the team and proud of the performance. We deserve so much more.”
West Brom are now the eighth Championship club to change head coach or manager this season, as the club begins the search for its third permanent boss in the past 12 months.
