Ryan Mason may have saved his West Brom career after bold decision is massively rewarded
Ryan Mason’s trust in Joe Wildsmith has been rewarded, with the goalkeeper putting in a fine display in West Brom’s 2-0 win against Sheffield United on Friday.
The Baggies manager made the bold decision to drop Josh Griffiths in early December, with Wildsmith going into the net.
This appeared to be foolish, with Wildsmith putting in awful performances against both QPR and Southampton.
However, Mason stuck by the 29-year-old, a decision he has clearly been rewarded for.
Joe Wildsmith prevented 1.09 goals against Sheffield United
Going into the match, most managers would have dropped Wildsmith after an awful two matches.
The goalkeeper conceded six goals in these two games and was directly at fault for one.
On top of this, he continued to look shaky, and it seemed that the experiment had failed.
Yet, Wildsmith was excellent against Sheffield United, as the Baggies picked up their first clean sheet since the 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday on 1 November.
According to Fotmob on 15 December, the goalkeeper made three saves that prevented a 1.09 xG.
| Joe Wildsmith vs Sheffield United | |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Saves | 3 |
| Goals prevented | 1.09 |
| Passing accuracy | 33% |
As a result, he was rewarded with the highest rating on the pitch at 8.4.
Therefore, Mason’s trust in Wildsmith may have saved him his job, with the former Tottenham assistant under heavy pressure going into the fixture.
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Ryan Mason pleased with Wildsmith’s performance for West Brom
Mason was obviously a relieved man when the Baggies after the game.
While West Brom are unlikely to be back in the playoff contention any time soon, it was a step in the right direction.
The manager now has the chance to build on this victory, and potentially look to push into the playoffs in the new year.
Looking back on the match, Mason was quick to praise Wildsmith for his contribution to the victory.
“As a coach there’s always relief when you win a game,” Mason told The Irish Times on 12 December. “You can enjoy it because we were good value in the second half.
“In the first half, it was crucial we got through a period when they had a couple of counter-attacks and Joe (Wildsmith) made a good save. You could feel the anxiety in the group.
“I’m super proud of the effort the players put in – in the second half, we were really good and could have scored a few more goals.
“Goals change games, the momentum changes, and the first one was outstanding. Aune is in a really good moment.
“There’s a lot of negativity from the outside I’m hearing when I speak to you guys (the media) but we’re not in a terrible place.”
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