Ryan Mason makes honest claim when asked about continuing at West Brom | OneFootball

The Baggies boss has commented on his Albion future as criticism ramps up.

West Brom boss Ryan Mason has reiterated that he is still the man to turn Albion’s fortunes around after another damaging defeat at Southampton on Tuesday evening.

In a diabolical first half showing, Mason’s men fell 3-0 down inside 35 minutes on the South Coast courtesy of strikes from Leo Scienza and a brace from former Baggies loanee Adam Armstrong.

A sloppy defensive shape and an individual error by Nat Phillips gave the Black Country outfit a mountain to climb, although there was a spirited fightback in the second 45 minutes.

Albion rallied back and gave the Saints a scare heading into the latter stages of the game, as efforts from Karlan Grant and Phillips gave Mason's men a lifeline.

The visitors will have felt as if they should have completed a remarkable comeback too, as Samuel Iling-Junior fired a right-footed effort wide following a teasing cross in from Grant.

The result means Albion have now lost seven consecutive games on the road and have now tasted just four victories in their last 16 league outings under Mason.

The majority of the West Brom faithful now believe it’s time for a change in the dugout, but the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is still backing himself to turn the results around and be a success at The Hawthorns.

Ryan Mason defiant over West Brom future

As reported by the Express & Star, West Brom boss Ryan Mason is defiant that he is still the man to lead Albion forward over the coming weeks and months, insisting he has “belief” in what himself and the players are working on.

Asked if he was the man to turn around Albion’s poor form, Mason replied: “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 this group, absolutely.

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

Ryan Mason’s position at West Brom is becoming untenable

Not for the first time, Ryan Mason’s team selection left a fair few West Brom fans scratching their heads.

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder decided to bench the ever-creative Mikey Johnston, while Krystian Bielik filled in at right-back ahead of George Campbell and Alfie Gilchrist.

Not to mention Nat Phillips was restored after a shoddy period for him in the backline recently, and that continued when he made a disastrous error at the back to gift Adam Armstrong and Southampton their second goal of the evening.

Such a poor team selection brought about Albion’s downfall in the first half, and despite the quality they showed in the second, it was too little too late to get anything out of the game.

Albion simply cannot keep conceding two to three goals a game and expect to win matches when they have been so lacking in the final third themselves, with their openness at the back giving them no opportunity of asserting themselves near the top six and in the promotion conversation.

Meanwhile, when the Baggies got a foothold in the game and applied pressure to Southampton, Mason didn’t once show an intent to throw the kitchen sink at it. Daryl Dike got just two minutes off the bench, while Tammer Bany and Josh Maja failed to feature at all, even though the team was camped in the Saints’ half.

These kinds of approaches to games are far too passive, and you can understand why Albion fans feel they can prosper with a more positive and attacking-minded coach.

For now, it seems as if Mason will get Friday evening’s match against Sheffield United, but if that first-half performance continues in B71, then the atmosphere will turn toxic like it did against Swansea, and make the 34-year-old’s position untenable.