Jonas Olsson claims Ryan Mason is ‘frustrated’ with what West Brom did to him in summer
West Brom suffered yet another away loss in their 1-0 defeat to Ipswich on Saturday.
West Brom’s 1-0 defeat at Portman Road leaves them 11th in the table and four points outside the playoff places.
Ryan Mason has overseen a complete rebuild of the squad as he looks to get West Brom back in the Premier League for the first time since 2020-21.
After a promising start to the campaign, the failure to win away from home since August has been hugely detrimental to the Baggies’ performance in the league.
Ryan Mason will be frustrated with what’s happened to his squad
Torbjorn Heggem and Tom Fellows left West Brom in the summer transfer window, and it’s clear to see how the side has been impacted by their departures.
Jonas Olsson spent the majority of his professional career at West Brom, making 261 appearances for the Baggies.
Speaking on Sky Sports Main Event after West Brom’s loss on Saturday, Olsson extended his sympathies to Mason given what he had to deal with over the summer.
He said: “He’s frustrated with the lack of depth in the squad. I think 12 players went out in the summer with only five coming in [on permanent deals]. Tom Fellows and Torbjorn Heggem left, two of their best players, so they are rebuilding.
“I think he’s also frustrated that key players from last season, like Josh Maja who has been injured, Daryl Dike has been injury-prone, so that doesn’t help.”
| Ipswich | Stat | West Brom |
| 1 | Goals | 0 |
| 54% | Possession | 46% |
| 83% | Pass accuracy | 73% |
| 2.32 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.39 |
| 15 | Shots | 10 |
| 4 | Big chances | 1 |
West Brom were predicted to finish sixth at the start of the season, yet Fellows’ sale to Southampton was a huge blow for the Baggies’ supporters.
Against Ipswich, West Brom completely failed to turn up, and it marks a string of performances that have been unconvincing.
Whilst automatic promotion looks to be out of the question at the moment, Mason must instantly galvanise his squad and get them playing with confidence if he wants to achieve a playoff finish in his first season.
It must be noted that this is Mason’s first permanent job as a manager, yet the brutal schedule of the Championship is something he is yet to adapt to.
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The intensity of the Championship takes its toll on West Brom
With the Baggies also suffering a loss to Watford on Wednesday, the demands that this league places on teams are ones few managers can successfully handle.
Olsson added: “I played in that league, and it’s about getting momentum when it matters.
“It’s come to that point of the season where there’s a game every second or third day, so if you come into that the wrong way, it’s difficult, especially when you don’t have depth in the squad to change things around.”
With West Brom overly reliant on Isaac Price and Mikey Johnston for a moment of magic, Mason must change his style of play to cope with the run of matches his side is facing.
West Brom play three matches in seven days when they take on Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton, and Oxford United before the international break, and a run of poor results could spell trouble for Mason’s future in B71.
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