West Brom fans rage at ‘stupid, brainless’ Mason Holgate after incident v QPR
West Brom defeated QPR 1-0 as Adam Armstrong’s penalty proved to be enough to secure three points at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
The Baggies remain sixth in the Championship table but have created a two-point gap to Bristol City and a three-point gap to Blackburn Rovers, who were level on points ahead of the game week.
Tony Mowbray’s side has also mounted continuous pressure on Coventry, who are one point ahead of the Black Country side in fifth.
West Brom had to grind out for the second half and maintain the 1-0 lead as they were reduced to 10 men after Darnell Furlong picked up a red card in the stoppage time of the first half.
Mason Holgate’s reckless incident vs QPR
Mason Holgate joined West Brom on loan from Everton after it became clear that the Jamaican would not be getting regular playing time at Goodison Park.
The former Barnsley defender had already spent time at The Hawthorns, playing for West Brom in the second half of the 2018-19 season, on loan from Everton.
Holgate has been an important part of the West Brom backline this term. The 28-year-old has started 16 Championship games and came on as a substitute in four games. In those 21 appearances, Holgate has been at the heart of the defence and kept seven clean sheets.
While Holgate remains a decent defender with plenty of experience playing across the backline, he often has been found guilty of making rash decisions or committing unnecessary fouls.
| Stats | West Brom stats | QPR stats |
| Possession % | 39% | 61% |
| Shots | 2 | 10 |
| Shots on Target | 1 | 1 |
| Big chances | 1 | 1 |
The Everton loanee was on the bench for the QPR clash but was called into action at the start of the second half as Tom Fellows was sacrificed because of Furlong’s red card.
Slotting into the right back role, Holgate was tasked with containing Koki Saito. In the 51st minute, the 28-year-old was booked by Adam Herczeg for unnecessarily kicking the ball away.
West Brom fans were left unimpressed with the Holgate incident, given that the Jamaican was now on the risk of being sent-off and the Baggies were already down to 10 men.
One fan took to X and termed Holgate’s incident as ‘brainless’ while another called it ‘stupid unprofessional.’
Premier League promotion chances for West Brom?
While Leeds United are cruising towards an automatic Premier League promotion, the likes of West Brom are battling for a play-off spot and secure a Premier League promotion through the play-off route.
With the win over QPR, the Baggies sit sixth in the league table with 55 points. They are one point behind Coventry, maintaining their pressure on Frank Lampard’s side.
If West Brom continue their spirited performances in the remaining games, they stand a strong chance of securing a play-off spot and then take a shot at Premier League promotion, returning to the English top-flight after four seasons.