Ryan Mason may have West Brom summer transfer regret - It could prove costly in promotion race | OneFootball

West Brom's failure to bring in another attacker could be costly as Ryan Mason's side struggle to turn their dominance into goals.

West Brom have enjoyed a positive start to life under Ryan Mason, with the new boss looking to implement his philosophy in his first managerial role at The Hawthorns.

After the early exchanges, Albion fans have a good idea of what the ex-Spurs coach wants from his team.

The Baggies are always looking to control the game with the ball, and they press with intensity when trying to win it back.

With many new signings making an instant impact, and Albion in the play-off places at this early stage, it's safe to assume that the majority of people connected with the club are largely content with how things have started under the ex-Spurs coach.

West Brom’s attack under Ryan Mason so far may impact their promotion push

And, whilst they should be optimistic about how they can progress under Mason, there will be a nagging feeling that they could be in an even better position, as there is a strong argument to say Albion have merited more points than they have picked up.

The defeat at home to Portsmouth saw Albion spurn some big chances, and they will also feel key refereeing decisions went against them at crucial moments.

Against Derby, Albion dominated possession (68 per cent) but couldn’t turn that into clear chances. More recently, the draw at home to Leicester saw Mason’s men throw away two points after they somehow failed to go 2-0 up before the Foxes’ stoppage time equaliser.

Worryingly for the boss, these games have all followed the same theme, and West Brom’s failure to pick up points has been down to a lack of ruthlessness in attack.

Whether it’s failure to make that final pass, or just downright poor finishing, Albion have not had the required quality in the final third.

The stats show that Mason's side are among the very best in accurate passes per game in the Championship, and they also rank among the best for possession average per game too (per FotMob), so it's not a case of strikers just missing chances. Instead, it would point to the team being a bit predictable in how they build play.

Naturally, some will hope Tammer Bany can add that unpredictability to the attack when he returns from injury, as the 21-year-old has shown signs of quality since his arrival from Randers in January, but that is a big responsibility to put on someone who has played just four Championship games in his short career.

Albion spent a big chunk of their budget to bring Aune Heggebo to the club, and the Norwegian international has already shown what he brings to the team with his physicality, and he is a brilliant focal point.

However, he has yet to really show a clinical nature in front of goal, which does need to shine through soon if he wishes to become a top centre-forward at this level.

So, even with his obvious quality, questions will start to be asked soon whether the 24-year-old is the man to lead the line on a regular basis unless he starts finding the net.

Pleasingly, Isaac Price is someone who has flourished under Mason, and his handful of goals are a highly promising return for the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

Yet, outside the Northern Ireland international, West Brom’s squad are lacking goals.

Of course, some context is required, and injuries to Josh Maja and Karlan Grant have restricted their minutes on the pitch. Plus, Samuel Iling-Junior has only featured a couple of times since his loan move from Aston Villa, and he did find the net against Leicester with a terrific solo effort.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how consistent he will be, and the likes of Jed Wallace and Mikey Johnston haven’t been as prolific as Mason would’ve wanted. It's also worth noting that they only managed four goals between them last season, so it would seem to be wishful thinking to rely on the duo moving forward.

This summer was always going to be difficult for the Baggies as owner Shilen Patel tries to stabilise the club after years of mismanagement prior to his arrival, and the recruitment team deserve huge credit for the way they spent their available resources.

But, when you analyse the squads at the top of the table, Albion appear to lack the star quality of some of their rivals.

Whether that’s a clinical finisher or someone who can make something happen out of nothing, scoring goals on a regular basis looks like hard work for the Baggies.

It’s still very early days, but if West Brom are to be in the mix for promotion come May, they will need some reliable goalscorers to step up.

They certainly have the numbers and depth in the squad, with Mason capable of mixing things up in attack, but there will be concerns over whether they have players who can score goals on a consistent basis.

Unless that changes quickly, despite Mason's best coaching efforts, it may prove costly for West Brom in their quest to reach the Premier League.