Ryan Mason must address alarming West Brom statistic that cost them again vs Leicester City
West Brom saw their poor recent run extended on Friday night as they drew 1-1 with Leicester City at home.
The Baggies still had their unbeaten record intact after the first four Championship games of the season, but they have since gone three games without a win in recent weeks.
West Brom travel to face Norwich City on Wednesday night, as they get an immediate opportunity to avenge their frustrations from the Leicester draw.
Ryan Mason and his men will be desperate to get back to winning ways at Carrow Road in midweek, and with that in mind, it is simply vital that they work hard to address this alarming statistic.
West Brom have conceded 50% of their goals in the last 15 minutes of games
West Brom finally ended their awful recent record against Leicester on Friday, as they avoided defeat against the East Midlands outfit for the first time since 2017.
However, it could easily have been so much more for the B71 side, had they reacted better to defend a ball into their box deep into stoppage time.
There was an element of fortune to the equaliser, given that Bobby Decordova-Reid’s effort was turned into his own net by Nat Phillips, but it formed a familiar tale of woe for Albion so far this season.
The Baggies have conceded 50% of their total goals against in the final 15 minutes of their games so far this term, according to West Brom podcast Albion Analysis via their X account.
- West Brom have conceded eight goals in all competitions this season
- Half of those have come beyond the 80th minute of games
- They have already dropped four points as a result of this issue alone
The late concession against the Foxes was the latest example of that, while Mason’s side twice shipped goals to Derby County in the latter stages in both their league and Carabao Cup clashes.
It is a worrying trend that is emerging for them of late, and is certainly not one which is typical of teams that get promoted in the EFL.
As a result, it is imperative that Mason finds a way to address that issue, or it is likely to continue to plague his team throughout the campaign.
- Read More: Three Baggies players who have picked themselves against Norwich after Leicester performance
Ryan Mason should not have subbed Aune Heggebo vs Leicester City
West Brom fans have been pushing to see Josh Maja get more minutes on the pitch of late, and he came on for Aune Heggebo once again in the 72nd minute on Friday.
| Date | Opponent | Goal | Result |
| 12 August | Derby County | Joe Ward (90+6′) | 1-1 D (3-2 L on pens) |
| 16 August | Wrexham | Sam Smith (90+5′) | 3-2 W |
| 13 September | Derby County | Andi Weimann (84′) | 1-0 L |
| 26 September | Leicester City | Nat Phillips (OG – 90+3′) | 1-1 D |
However, the visitors’ equaliser in stoppage time was the prime example of why it can often be valuable for Mason to have the Norwegian on the pitch in the dying embers of a game.
The 24-year-old provides a physical presence at both ends of the pitch, and that can be hugely important defensively when an opposition team decides to launch balls into the Albion box late on.
Ultimately, the mental block when it comes to conceding late goals can often be a difficult problem for a manager to solve, but Mason could certainly have done with Heggebo out there during stoppage time in Friday’s clash.
Now, the boss will surely be wracking his brains as to how he can instil greater concentration within his group.
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