Curtis Davies shares what Ryan Mason privately told him about leadership behind the scenes at West Brom
Curtis Davies has shared details of a private conversation with Ryan Mason regarding the hierarchy of the squad at West Brom.
The new boss has overseen a bright start to the new Championship season, with the B71 outfit flying high in the early-season table ahead of their challenging trip to Middlesbrough on Friday.
West Brom had their unbeaten league start ended by Derby County last weekend, but that has done little to dampen the positivity at the Black Country outfit after a bright start.
Albion appear to have a strong group in place at The Hawthorns, and their former star Davies has now shed more light on the situation within the squad.
Curtis Davies reveals Ryan Mason leadership desire
Mason and West Brom had a busy summer in the transfer window, as the squad was overhauled in B71 following his appointment.
The Baggies had some high-profile sales in the likes of Torbjorn Heggem and Tom Fellows, but appear to have replaced their departed stars well.
Nine new faces came into Albion’s ranks, with the likes of Chris Mepham and Nat Phillips bringing valuable experience of both the Championship and the Premier League.
- Mepham has over 60 games of Premier League experience
- He was part of the Sunderland squad that was promoted from the Championship last term
- Phillips also has also had a taste of both the Premier League and Champions League
Their summer recruitment has now been assessed by former Baggies defender Davies, who revealed the details of a private conversation with Mason in the summer during an interview with BBC Radio WM Sport.
“I think leadership is key, especially when having a young manager,” the former centre-back said.
“I know Mason personally, and I spoke to him in the summer. He spoke about the environment, and he spoke about having people who can help in the changing room and almost self-govern it.
“I think that’s probably a big reason why they’ve started so well. In terms of having a leadership group that have been there and done it, that’s a big factor.”
Experienced spine will be crucial for West Brom
West Brom are already seeing Mepham and Phillips forge a strong partnership at the heart of the defence, and that level of experience is consistent in the majority of the key areas of the squad.
The duo of Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby are both seasoned second tier campaigners in the middle of the park, while club captain Jed Wallace still plays an invaluable role within the dressing room.
Players like that will be priceless to Mason and the rest of the squad when it comes to driving standards and ensuring people don’t slack off during the season.
The Championship is a notoriously hard slog, and teams that get promoted at the end of the season will certainly feel as though they have earned it.
The Baggies have those aspirations in mind as we head into the bulk of the campaign, and that leadership within their group could prove to be the difference between success and failure come May.
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