Tim Sherwood hits out at Mason Holgate after West Brom loss v Norwich on Sky Sports
Mason Holgate has grown into his defensive role at West Brom since November, when he became a regular in the side.
The Everton loanee has shown some impressive performances of late, but was part of an Albion side to emerge empty-handed from Norwich City on Saturday (29 March).
The defeat came in the most agonising of circumstances, as Josh Sargent fired in the decisive goal in second-half injury time to condemn Tony Mowbray‘s visitors at Carrow Road.
Holgate slammed after ‘poor’ moment at Norwich
Holgate was described to be at fault for Sargent’s strike as West Brom saw their backline breached by Norwich at the cruellest of stages in the game.
Norwich are pushing as one of the play-off outsiders and have sacrificed their defensive record to be a real attacking threat to chase down the likes of Albion above them.
Tim Sherwood, calling the game live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (29 March, 16:52), called out Holgate for his “poor defending” in the build-up to Norwich’s winner.
“The ball gets played inside Holgate – poor defending,” Sherwood lamented after he had already criticised fellow West Brom players.
“[Sargent] just drives down the left, cuts inside and smashes it into the bottom corner.”
Holgate may have had stern words aimed his way from Mowbray after the game, but the bigger picture for the Jamaican international is his widely improved performances over recent weeks.
West Brom hang onto top-six spot despite defeat
Despite the zero-point return from Carrow Road, West Brom remain inside the Championship top six.
In short, they’ve got away with one. Between fifth and ninth place as things stand, Middlesbrough were the only team to have come away victorious from their weekend games.
Coventry City were beaten on Friday at Sheffield United, which maintains the two-point gap to Frank Lampard‘s side, while Boro move into seventh and level on points with Albion courtesy of their win over Oxford United.
| POS | Championship table 2024-25 | PLD | PTS | GD |
| 5 | Coventry City | 39 | 59 | +5 |
| 6 | WEST BROM | 39 | 57 | +13 |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 39 | 57 | +10 |
| 8 | Bristol City | 39 | 57 | +7 |
| 9 | Watford | 39 | 53 | -4 |
A seven-game unbeaten run for Bristol City was brought to an end by promotion hunters Burnley on Saturday, with a solitary goal separating the two sides at Turf Moor in a contest from which the Bristolians will consider themselves unlucky.
Then comes a four-point gap to Watford, and now five to opponents Norwich, with Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday completing the tight top half.
West Brom begin April with a return to The Hawthorns, hosting fourth-placed Sunderland on 5 April.