Brick smashes West Brom fans’ coach window at Southampton after 7th straight away defeat

West Brom manager Ryan Mason told BBC Radio WM: “No, it’s certainly not the time to do that [launch a comeback] when you’re 3-0 down after the first half and the nature of why we were 3-0 down.

“I think the bigger concern, yes, in the second half, how that panned out. But football isn’t 45 minutes. It’s 90 minutes and we were not good enough in that first half, certainly.

“They are many different things. Obviously, we’ve made individual errors. Having the bravery and the belief to execute something, I don’t think we quite had that in the first half.

“Did we have it in the second half? Yes, we did, but at this level, and at any level, to come back from three goals down is extremely difficult.”

Mason, per Sky Sports:

“I don’t read the press so in terms of rumours, it’s irrelevant. I’m not a coach, I’m not a manager, I’m not a person who makes excuses in life.

“My job is to turn up every day and try and change the situation, away from home especially.

“The squad is certainly good enough to be in a better position than we are in the league.

“The way we lost the game is difficult to accept. There were some individual mistakes and that can happen, but I think a lack of belief is something which upsets me more.

“I probably believe in this group more than they believe in themselves at the minute. But of course, I understand football, I’m not stupid. To lose the amount of games that we have is not good enough for this football club.”

Questioned if he was the man to turn his side’s form around, Mason replied, per Express & Star: “Yeah, I do. Otherwise, trust me, I wouldn’t be sitting here.

“I believe. I probably believe in this group more than they believe in themselves at the minute. I have massive belief in the group, absolutely.

“I have massive belief in what we’re doing. But of course, I understand football.”

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert told BBC Radio Solent: “I think the second half showed what an energy St Mary’s can create for us and I take that as a positive.

“I’m trying to look at the result more positive as it’s the Championship and there are no easy games.

“Both goals came from dead-ball situations and we need to defend them better, but we won the game and take three points.

“The first half was excellent and we came out strong. In the second half the game became more difficult when they scored and we just had to bring the game over the line, which we did.”

Eckert, per Sky Sports:

“The very positive thing is that if you have those home games and they become tight towards the end, that you also have a crowd that can bring the game over the line for you.

“I honestly want to thank everyone who came out to St Mary’s today because that made a hell of a difference.

“If we have come to the point that we try to look for bits, even though we win, I think that we’ve come quite to a good state.

“At the same time, obviously we struggled a little bit more in the second half than in the last two games, I think for different reasons. That is definitely something that we’re going to address.”