Isaac Price makes clear Ryan Mason admission amid West Brom dressing room reveal
Ryan Mason has come in for criticism at times during the recent run of frustrating results for West Brom.
The Baggies were unbeaten after the first four games of the Championship season, but they have since been brought back down to earth by a run of back-to-back defeats and a frustrating draw with Leicester City.
Samuel Iling-Junior scored on his full West Brom debut in the draw with the Foxes last Friday night, before stoppage-time heartbreak saw the three points slip away.
Sections of the fanbase have highlighted their frustrations with Mason’s team selection and substitutions in recent weeks, but Isaac Price has now come out and backed the boss.
Isaac Price hails Ryan Mason’s man management at West Brom
Isaac Price has been a key player for West Brom in the early stages of the season, but he was uncharacteristically quiet in the draw on Friday night.
The visitors marshalled the Northern Ireland international well at The Hawthorns and were able to limit the opportunities that he got to create in and around the box.
However, the impact that the 22-year-old can have clearly isn’t lost on Mason, who has started him in every single game so far this term.
- No player in the West Brom squad has created more chances than Price this term
- Only Mikey Johnston can match his tally of four goal contributions so far
Price has now repaid the faith that the boss has shown in him, by praising the impact of the former Tottenham assistant coach, while also highlighting the positive feeling that he has instilled in the dressing room.
“He (Mason) has done really well so far,” the midfielder told the Express and Star.
“I know when you’re in the changing room, it can be hard to manage the players when you have people not playing, people not happy with the way you’re playing, but that’s not the case with us, and I think he has got it spot on up until this point with how he’s managed the group.
“Everyone’s really happy and the lads who maybe haven’t played as much as they would’ve wanted to still feel really involved, and the ones who have been starting feel confident in the way we’re playing and know what we want to do in matches.”
- Read More: Three Baggies players who have picked themselves against Norwich after Leicester performance
Ryan Mason has to get Josh Maja into the team
Mikey Johnston has also been superb for West Brom in recent weeks, and between him and Price, Albion have two excellent creative outlets for the level.
However, there has been a lack of cutting edge in front of goal in recent weeks, and that is something that Mason simply must address.
He has shown admirable faith in Aune Heggebo so far, and while the Norwegian has largely performed well, he is not the kind of player who is a particularly reliable goalscorer.
With that in mind, now is surely the time for Josh Maja to get his first start of the season. The frontman missed a glaring opportunity in the dying embers of the Leicester game, but he remains by far the most natural finisher at the club.
If Mason can find a way of getting him back into the side for the upcoming trip to Norwich, then Maja could hold the key to turning his team’s fortunes around.
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