Ryan Mason has issue as four West Brom stars outperform Aune Heggebo in damning reveal
Aune Heggebo ranks fifth among West Brom players for shots per game in the Championship this season.
West Brom signed Heggebo from SK Brann over the summer transfer window with great expectations.
However, the striker has struggled to find his best form, having just ended an eight-game scoreless streak in West Brom’s 2-1 win over Oxford United in the Championship.
Ryan Mason has shouldered the blame at West Brom, but the bottom line is the Norwegian international just hasn’t been good enough this season.
West Brom’s attacking quality hinders Aune Heggebo
There’s an argument to be made that Mason was set up to fail at West Brom after several creative players, such as Tom Fellows, departed this summer.
Their absence is reflected in Albion’s Championship creative metrics:
- West Brom have scored 14 goals in the Championship this season
- This is the fifth fewest so far
- The Baggies are ranked 14th for shots on target
Moreover, the Baggies have created just 23 big chances in 15 games played, which is the third fewest in the entire league.
In a team that offers such little creative output, it is no wonder that Heggebo is struggling to perform.
However, this is not the only explanation for his pitiful goal-scoring numbers this season.
Aune Heggebo not completely faultless
Heggebo ranks fifth among West Brom players for shots taken per 90 in the Championship this season.
Mikey Johnston is currently on top with 2.80 shots per 90, while Heggebo has registered only 1.70 shots per game thus far.
This indicates that Heggebo’s issue is as much as Albion’s lack of creativity as it is his poor positioning and application.
This averages to 0.3 shots on target per game and a 517-minute scoring frequency, according to Sofascore.
Josh Maja is just ahead with 1.80 shots per 90. This will concern Mason, given that his two starting strikers are fourth and fifth in the statistics.
West Brom take on league leaders Coventry City on Saturday, and there are high expectations for Mason to produce a result and turn this season around.
However, with his attackers lacking in quality and character, the former Spurs star will no doubt struggle to transform this Albion side.
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