Toby Collyer does what many West Brom players don’t want to in loss vs Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough beat West Brom 2-1 in the Championship on Friday.
Ryan Mason’s team travelled to the Riverside Stadium on 19 September as the Baggies suffered their second consecutive league defeat after goals from David Strelec and Kaly Sene.
Aune Heggebo was culpable in Middlesbrough’s first goal after failing to mark his man during the build-up, which started with a long throw-in.
Mason undoubtedly made a mistake by starting a more defensive lineup with Ousmane Diakite, Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby in the middle of the park.
West Brom need more players like Toby Collyer to be confident in possession
Toby Collyer is one of the few players in the Baggies’ squad who demands the ball, irrespective of the pressure he’s in, Chris Lepkowski says.
The Manchester United loanee replaced Mowatt at around the hour mark and showed fearlessness, something plenty of players at The Hawthorns could learn from.
Lepkowski believes the Albion lack players willing to take responsibility for keeping possession in tough periods, which needs to change.
The former head of media at the Black Country outfit wrote on X on 20 September: “What I’ve like about [Collyer] so far is that he does want the ball, no matter how much pressure he is under. We don’t have enough willing to do that.”
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Ryan Mason hurts promotion hopes with starting lineup vs Middlesbrough
Mason’s decision to drop Mikey Johnston from the starting lineup against Middlesbrough was undoubtedly one of the biggest mistakes he made.
The Republic of Ireland international has been one of the best attacking players at the Baggies in recent months, and his importance has only grown after Tom Fellows’ departure.
Isaac Price has thrived playing in the number 10 position, but he was shifted to the left-wing as the English manager tried to experiment with his midfield setup.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Josh Maja’s absence from the West Brom starting lineup is also becoming frustrating, with the 26-year-old arguably the only proven goalscorer in the team.
Heggebo scored his first Championship goal in the dying minutes against Boro, but he has missed several chances in the first six league matches of the season.
After losing to Derby County, it wasn’t surprising to see Mason make changes in North Yorkshire, but they ended up backfiring as the Baggies fell further down the table.
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