Steve Hermon, BBC Radio WM West Bromwich Albion commentator
Ryan Mason was very guarded in his early media interviews and never managed to build a rapport with the fanbase, who were also left confused by his style of play, but ultimately frustrated by the number of defeats – Albion lost half of the 26 Championship games under the 34-year-old.
Mason can point to some bad luck with a few of them, particularly Monday night’s cruel late loss at Leicester, but as he told me numerous times, he could “only speak to the fans through results” and that is what has cost him.
He also talked about being “aligned” when it came to transfer policy and the club’s financial situation.
He will have known they had to sell star players Torbjorn Heggem and Tom Fellows to stay within profit and sustainability rules, and while the Baggies did conduct some clever business, Mason was left with a very thin squad that lacked depth and quality in certain areas and it showed whenever he made substitutions.
The Baggies are 18th in the second tier, their lowest position for a quarter of a century and owners Bilkul have already spelt out in a pre-Christmas letter that there is not any money to spend in January.
But it will still be an attractive job for someone, particularly as that financial situation should improve from the summer.
For now, they need a head coach with the guile to guide them away from the relegation zone, which they currently sit seven points above.
James Morrison will be in interim charge for this Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Swansea, but I understand the Albion hierarchy want to have a new head coach in place for their next league game at home to high-flying Middlesbrough on Friday, 16 January.
After the experience of Mowbray failed and the gamble on rookie Mason didn’t pay off, who knows where Andrew Nestor’s data will lead West Bromwich Albion next?
But the American will be hoping it is third time lucky, because there will be a lot of pressure on him to get the next appointment right.
