West Brom fans take issue with the ‘lack of accountability’ from Ryan Mason over the 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough on Friday night.
Boro achieve their best-ever start after six Championship games, David Strelec and Kaly Sene scored their first goals for the club, securing a fifth win.
Rob Edwards’ side will stay top of the table with a four-point lead. West Brom scored late consolation goal from Aune Heggebo, but as described by Tony Brown on BBC Radio WM ‘put in a lacklustre performance up front’, suffering a second consecutive loss to leave them 5th going into Saturday’s matches.
Ryan Mason said: “I’m disappointed obviously because we’ve lost the game. That’s the overall emotion. I think it was a tight game with not much in it. It was one of those games where the first goal was probably going to dictate how it went. I don’t think either team really created much in the first half.
“Obviously we had a really good chance right at the start of the game. It didn’t go our way and then we concede in the way that we did, which is disappointing. Then, in the second half, we play a really good game. They score in what’s probably our best moment in terms of chance creation – Isaac went really close with a header, Molumby had a chance just before they scored too.
“That was the game really, a couple of moments in the game went their way. That’s football – they took their chances and they win the game. We have to be better at that. We responded well in the second half, and it’s not easy because they’re a really good side in a good moment. I thought the lads put a lot of energy in tonight, with just that final piece missing.
“We just felt like we wanted to try and control the middle of the park because they had good pocket players and two good midfielders. We didn’t want to be outnumbered in that area. Also, with their system and the wing-back, we wanted to try and get more pressure on them. I didn’t necessarily want to drop a winger down because it didn’t suit our personnel.”
To the WBA media, he said: “I think the the second goal tonight was a bit of killer, but so was the first one to be honest. To concede from a throw in is really disappointing.
“We understood it was going to be a tight game and those smaller details can dictate how the result goes.
“We had a big chance early on from a set-play and then to concede from a set-play is disappointing.
“I feel like we had a lot of control in the second half, but they scored a good goal at an important time. There were moments that didn’t quite fall for us. It’s disappointing and the lads gave everything. The result hurts.
“Football is about moments and taking opportunities when they come. They took theirs. They didn’t create the first, it came from a set-play and sometimes those things can happen.
“The second was a well-worked move, but it’s disappointing from our side. I think Ousmane Diakité had a big chance just before that and then they go down the other end and make it 2-0. It’s a tough route back from there.
“We understand those are the moments and you have to stay focused for the 90 minutes. 1-0 is a scoreline where you know you’re going to get opportunities later on if you continue to play and you believe.
“We did that and we created some big openings. It didn’t quite fall for us. It’s a shame the goal came so late because we didn’t have time to affect their penalty area.
“We know that we were coming here and they were in a good moment, but, if anything, it’s just re-enforced my belief in this squad and in this team that we can perform and we can compete. I’m disappointed because it’s still so fresh.
“My feeling during the game was that it was going to be a moment that dictated how the game went. That was true.
“We haven’t got a result tonight and we have to continue to improve. When we won three of our first four games, nobody at the club was getting carried away.
“The last two results haven’t been good and we can’t let them affect us too much. We have another game next week and we have to try and respond as quickly as possible.”
Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards said to Sky Sports: “I’m delighted and relieved. West Brom are a good team, they’ve got good players and I said that to Ryan at the end there.
“It wasn’t easy, we weren’t at our best but we had good moments and found a way.
“When you’re not at your best and find a way to win that’s great. We had to shift and change a few times, whether that was early subs or formations.
“It’s really important, every coach and every supporter wants to see that from their team, leaving it all out there on the line, coming off absolutely shattered, our intensity is good with and without the ball.
“We’re making improvements, we’re not there yet but that side of it pleases me, we’re valuing getting our blocks and headers in.
“We’ve got some good players here, we stick together as a team which is really good.
“I’ve fallen in love with them (the fans), they were great tonight.
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As mentioned, West Brom fans take issue with the ‘lack of accountability’ from Ryan Mason over defeat to Middlesbrough…
@Albionlook:
Mason got that completely wrong!
Who benches arguably our best player this season (MJ)
Cant be starting diakite/wallace and heggebø
No pace in the frontline! We should never of let fellows go for me
2/6 games wrong now for mason thats a third of our games 😬😬
#WBA
@ItsSamson2: Mason seriously needs to learn to make subs earlier and more proactively. It’s becoming a problem and it’s starting to hurt us. It’s holding him and us back. Pleased for Heggebo, really not sure what the issue with Maja is. Negative game plan, Mason needs to learn quickly. #wba
@_WbaCharlie: I think Mason needs to be given some slack, he’s a new manager who’s just experienced his first league loss. I think he over reacted to change the system today as it didn’t work saturday. He will learn from experiences today and make us a better team going forward
@cds_wba: As feared, complete lack of accountability from Mason. It’s his first managerial role, nobody would blame him if he put his hands up and said he tried something and got it wrong tonight – I anything people would respect him more. Instead, what do we think now? Disappointing. #wba
@RyanPGl11: Egg on Ryan Mason’s face tonight, dropping Mikey Johnston just for him to come on and be the best player on the park for us.
@baggiecarl: Players rightly get plaudits/criticism today for me Ryan Mason deserves any flack coming his way….poor team selection, poor tactics, poor timing of subs, wonder if he’s big enough to take blame. Learnt absolutely nothing from Derby and for me that’s very concerning #wba
“The moments in the game went their way…” #wba https://t.co/m3ngChe6j4
— Lewis Cox (@LewisCox_star) September 19, 2025
@Elliottina86: What? You mean like you picking an obviously bad starting 11? Not making subs at half time when it obviously wasn’t working? Brining a DM on at 2-0 down? Leaving your best goal scorer on the bench too long? Playing MJ/Price out of position? Those moments? 🤦
@BaggiesTom1: I feel like Mason didn’t help himself tonight with thr poor starting 11.
@BrutallyAverage: The all-important one being the moment the starting XI was picked!
@lukestokes84: Including when the team sheets were handed in
@robchippyman: Amateur hour in the West Brom coaching team. They have convinced each other that this was a great game plan. Bringing players in from the cold, dropping front footed players. Banking up with no plan of how to get out. Bizarre. Not seen anything convincing from Mason. #wba
@sjpatel212: This is a general thought, but after Carlos, the board made clear noises about appointing a front foot manager I thought (hence Mowbray). Mason can learn hopefully but slightly concerned that his default currently seems to be safe, secure and low risk. Need more ambition! #wba
@BAGGIEBAIL: #wba Mason is obviously still working out systems and whether or not players can fit into them. I hope he’s learned a lot about tonight because there’s a few players who were not comfortable in the positions they were playing. Ryan has to take responsibility for that tonight.
@dazwbawadley: Jeeez that sky interview from mason is a disgrace. What on earth is he chatting? Your shite tactics or lack of lost us that game mason. #wba
@joejb45: Was open to the starting 11 pre match, but if Ryan Mason cannot see that having Mikey Johnston and Josh Maja on the pitch for more time than not is beneficial for us, then I don’t know what to say. Would be interested in Gilchrist next game too, Mowatt still integral for me
@slaterbaggies89: Think Ryan Mason is showing his inability to change things up a little atm, as much as i like Heggebo u can see he is knackered, Campbell at RB is not good enough and offers nothing, Wallace should not be starting due to lack of pace! Absolutely shocking!!
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