Ryan Mason axes regular, recalls Jayson Molumby – West Brom predicted XI vs Swansea City
Ryan Mason will be hoping for West Brom’s first consecutive wins since August when his side face Swansea City on New Year’s Day.
West Brom make the trip to play Swansea at the Swansea.com Stadium, in a game where the Baggies can make another step towards the Championship‘s play-off spots.
West Brom beat QPR 2-1 at The Hawthorns last time out courtesy of two set-piece goals, which prevented Julien Stephan’s side from taking any points back to West London.
Mason has been under pressure to deliver results, but has a huge opportunity to get fans back on board with another win, as the 34-year-old is set to make changes to his starting lineup.
Ryan Mason to give Aune Heggebo a rest vs Swansea
Mason clearly prefers Joe Wildsmith over Josh Griffiths, as the head coach will most likely opt for the same goalkeeper against the Swans.
West Brom’s backline was solid against QPR, and Mason will not be concerned about having to make any changes to a defence that only conceded three shots last game.
However, Ousmane Diakite’s own goal against QPR gives the English boss an easy choice to make in reinstating Jayson Molumby to the starting eleven.
Aune Heggebo has found his feet in recent weeks, but after not scoring in his last three outings, Mason could be tempted to freshen things up by giving Josh Maja a start.
Isaac Price has also had a poor run of form for Albion lately, but Swansea could be the perfect opportunity for him to make his way back into the team, with Samuel Iling-junior the casualty.
Mason needs to do seven-year first against Swansea
The new year provides a chance for Mason and supporters to build a connection to one another, but that is only going to be achieved through performances on the pitch.
It’s hard to deny that West Brom players work their socks off for their boss, but much more than effort will be required at the Swansea.com Stadium.
- West Brom’s last win away to Swansea was in November 2018
- The 2-1 victory came through goals from Craig Dawson and Ahmed Hegazy
- West Brom have lost three of their last five visits to the ground
Swansea are currently in a good spot with their new manager, Vitor Matos, averaging a 50 per cent win record from his first eight games in charge of the Welsh club.
It’s going to be a hard task, but these are the types of games that Mason needs to show supporters the tactical nous that he possesses.
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