Ryan Mason reacts to boos from frustrated West Brom fans and slams the ref’s decisions in the 2-1 defeat to Bristol City.
Anis Mehmeti and Ross McCrorie put the visitors 2-0 up by the 22nd minute, with West Brom getting one back through Ousmane Diakité in the 85th minute, then Karlan Grant hit the bar just before the full time whistle.
Mason said he understood the full time reaction from fans and chants directed at him, and responded to the club’s recent board statement urging patience by noting it highlighted the challenging situation inherited.
He strongly hit out at refereeing decisions, calling Bristol City’s opener clearly offside and an elbow by Mehmeti on Callum Styles a “reckless” red card offence, with only yellow card shown.
West Bromwich Albion head coach Ryan Mason told BBC Radio WM:
“To concede the [first] goal, it’s clearly offside. It completely changes the energy. It disrupts us and that’s a big challenge to overcome.
“We have a massive opportunity very soon after, a two-on-one against their keeper, and we don’t take it and then a clear red card, five yards from the referee, that he chose not to send the player off for a really dangerous elbow that’s probably broken Cal’s [Callum Styles] nose.
“It was a poor challenge, really poor, dangerous, reckless. We had a player sent off last week for not touching the opposition, and it wasn’t rescinded either.
“So that seems to be the way at the minute, those types of things. It seems ok to make these decisions against us and we’ll probably get our 10th email in a couple of days saying there were a couple of massive mistakes again.
“The players responded? Yes. Did we create opportunities? Yes. Did we have loads of penalty box action? There were opportunities but we need to take them.”
Mason, per Sky Sports:
“I am not going to sit here and ask for patience. It’s normal. That’s football. I understand the emotion and the passion.
“If we score three of our five opportunities then the feeling, the momentum and the energy is different.
“We’ve lost too many games and with that comes frustration. I have played for one of the biggest teams in Europe in Tottenham and the only way to turn it around is to win games.
“I have managed Tottenham when there were protests against the ownership, talk of the Super League, there was a lot of discontent.
“There were two massive mistakes by the referee. The first goal was clearly offside in my opinion. Joe (Wildsmith) would have saved it if their striker hadn’t been there – you only had to look at the foot pattern of our goalkeeper.”
“[On Mehmeti’s challenge] Five yards from the referee, an opposition player has produced a really dangerous, reckless challenge with his elbow which caused a lot of damage and there’s no consequence.”
Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Bristol:
“I would say this was, again, a big fighting victory, how we invested and tried to bring everything out to pick up points here.
“As we know from the last few weeks they give nothing away points-wise and we know we have to come today [be] on our ball for energy, but also efficiency.
“In both directions, the boys were really committed, in all directions against the ball. We were also in on-the-ball moments, especially in the first half, really efficient but also really creative.”
“I think this [efficiency] is something where we’re growing at the moment and now the key word is consistency.”
Struber, per Sky Sports:
“I have not seen a clip, but if it is offside, then I feel sorry. But a video assistant would help.
“It was a really efficient performance in the first half and Anis’ strike was really clean. This is the quality of him.
“I expect this from him. He has everything – he has the talent and the quality to do it at a high level.
“We showed a really good mindset from the kick-off to win this game and a confidence, which was the difference.”
Here’s what Twitter users said after Ryan Mason reacts to boos from West Brom fans and slams the ref’s decisions in defeat to Bristol City…
@uber_foods: Try motivating a team and organising them to not concede as a starting point. That Nestor and Bikul have seemingly given Mason a free pass this season has clearly filtered to the players who also feel they have a free pass. 6 points off relegation. #wba
@AndrewP66683304: Time to go… same interview every week, no personality, no tactics, no style of play and players look lost at times. With a poor keeper that looks unfit and making a player captain who’s mistakes normally lead to goals against and constantly gives the ball away is shocking #wba
@JoshRaptor1873: Can whoever is asking questions to Mason grow some balls and ask some proper, hard hitting questions? If he’s too scared to ask, then get someone else to interview the manager. Every interview is the same.
@charlieclaytn16: We’re in serious trouble, @AndrewMNestor own up. GET HIM GONE
@StuNewMilton: There are legitimate excuses but 8 losses away on the trot and today’s shite is unforgivable. As soon as he brought Widsmith in a month ago the alarm bells were ringing if not before.
@KaiserBCFC_: Sorry but, while I do agree Anis could have been sent off yesterday, if you’ve just watched your team play like at home and your main point is the other team not going down to ten men… You really don’t know what you’re doing. #BristolCity #WBA
@StattoGK: It’s his job to change it to avoid saying the same things every week and I’m struggling to see it atm, but there isn’t anything that he has said in this that isn’t 100% correct and borne out by the stats. He definitely watched the same game I did #wba
@Geordiebaggie: Get what you deserve owners, reap what you sow. One day you’ll learn. A group of dreadful players bar say styles, diakite, Heggebo… manager wise, no words for him and his excuses @shilensays
@stejames25: Genuine concern is that we’re 6 points off the drop. Understand why we’d want to “keep the faith” in a re-build but we’re not exactly safely mid-table are we…
@Fifty_YearStorm: It’s just like the mid/late 80’s and 90’s all over again. Crap manager and a disappointingly average set of second rate players. This squad needs a firm hand, Mason isn’t it. No wonder they all love ‘playing’ for him, every day on the training ground is obviously just a doss.
@JohnJef90172731: Six points off relegation, played nearly all the worst teams at home already and have lost eight in a row away – how is this deemed acceptable?!?
@WStand13: It’s not working….. RM and the coaching staff are culpable for this imho and that first 45 was utter dross. Gardening leave, put Brunt in temporary charge and employ an actual manager. We’re in a dog fight without an ounce of aggression in us.
@dave62444189: @shilensays @AndrewMNestor open yours eyes will you! You say weve not got the money to get another manager. You certainly wont when theres no fans watching this shit. Mason out… get him gone tonight
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