Ryan Mason ‘already on the back foot’ at West Brom after manager news
West Brom raised eyebrows when they appointed Ryan Mason this week.
The former Tottenham coach has little experience in management but has been drafted in as Tony Mowbray‘s replacement at The Hawthorns.
Shilen Patel and sporting director Andrew Nestor took their time with the search and will hope that the ex-Spurs man can lead the Baggies to promotion.
Murphy raises Mason concern at West Brom
The Mason era at The Hawthorns has begun, but some observers are not keen on the appointment due to his lack of experience.
Former Liverpool man Danny Murphy is one of the doubters, and he questioned whether the ex-Hull City player is the right man for the role.
Speaking on talkSPORT (4 June, 11:44 am), he said: “I always find it difficult to think about playing for a manager who is a similar age to some of the players.
“I think you are always starting on the back foot.”
West Brom need Mason to be a success
There are no two ways about it, Patel and Co need Mason to be a success, otherwise it will be back to square one.
Albion are desperate to secure a return to the Premier League for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign when they were relegated under Sam Allardyce.
| Season | League Position |
| 2021-22 | 10th |
| 2022-23 | 9th |
| 2023-24 | 5th |
| 2024-25 | 9th |
However, the Black Country outfit have failed to win promotion with highly-rated managers like Carlos Corberan and Mowbray at the helm, so they needed to go in a different direction.
The different tactical blueprint that Mason will bring and his connections to the North London side may well be the difference maker.
He will hope to bring the likes of Mikey Moore to the West Midlands to boost his chances of making a successful start to his new gig.
However, it could also prove to be too much of a task to handle for the rookie manager, who has only had two interim spells in the dugout in N17.
The board need to back him in the market, if his progressive attacking approach is to have any chance of working with the Championship outfit.
Whether he is successful with the West Midlands outfit remains to be seen, it is an exciting appointment but as Murphy states, it is also a major risk given the expectations that come with the role.