West Brom told to sack Ryan Mason: ‘What he’s said about Mikey Johnston is diabolical’
Ryan Mason is walking on thin ice as West Brom manager.
Mason has faced sack pressure at West Brom already, after what has been a hugely disappointing start to life at The Hawthorns.
The Englishman hasn’t been helped by West Brom losing 3-2 away at Coventry City despite taking a two-goal lead in the first half.
Aune Heggebo bagged a brace against Coventry and sent the Baggies on their way before Jayson Molumby’s red card changed the tide completely.
The Albion arguably had Mikey Johnston to thank for everything good about their showing against the Sky Blues, with Mason not helping himself with his post-match comments about the Irishman.
What has Ryan Mason said about Mikey Johnston?
After beating Portugal on international duty, Johnston was hooked at half-time against Coventry, despite being arguably the best player on the field for both sides, never mind just the away side.
The 26-year-old grabbed two assists and was causing all kinds of problems down the flank for the Sky Blues.
Mason saw this and opted to take the winger off, with supporters assuming that he must have picked up an injury in the first half.
That wasn’t the case, and instead, the Albion boss revealed that the decision was purely tactical in his post-match interviews.
He said: “He was OK. I just could feel the way the game was going. “With him and Samuel [Iling-Junior], it was 50-50 who started the game.
“Obviously, Mikey contributed to the two goals and did extremely well.
“We just felt in the second half it would have been more beneficial having a left footer on that side of the pitch, and we were planning on changing our shape a little bit to cause them more problems, to find a deep space a lot more because we knew we could attack that area and cause him problems.“
West Brom fans fume at Mason after Johnston decision
Mason has only done his reputation among The Hawthons’ faithful by taking off arguably the Baggies’ best player before making these sorts of comments.
One fan has suggested that it is time for the head coach to go off the back of this decision, saying: “Wow, he has to go then after that diabolical decision.“
Another added: “Sack the moron, now.”
This opinion has been echoed throughout the supporter base in B71, with one suggesting that West Brom “have a manager who hasn’t got a clue,” as another suggested that Mason was talking “waffle” in his post-match interview.
There is little rationale, even with the manager’s comments, as to why Johnston was taken off, besides being what one fan describes as the Baggies’ “best player”
For a manager already under such heavy scrutiny, the former Tottenham coach needs to rely on his best players, not make wrong decisions or make silly comments about them to the media.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Bromwich Albion news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westbromnews247