Why Ryan Mason made shock Mikey Johnston decision - West Brom fans may be left bewildered | OneFootball

The Baggies boss confirmed the controversial reason for Mikey Johnston’s half-time substitution at the CBS Arena.

West Brom boss Ryan Mason confirmed he substituted Mikey Johnston at half-time in their defeat to Coventry City for tactical reasons, despite the winger claiming two assists.

The Republic of Ireland international was a livewire in a first-half that saw the Baggies take an unexpected two-goal lead at the table-toppers.

Johnston started on the right-wing while Karlan Grant occupied a place on his favoured left-side, and the former was superb, skipping down the right flank and giving the Sky Blues backline problems with some wicked deliveries.

Two of those crosses found Aune Heggebo for the goals, as the Norwegian international netted a brace to register three strikes in two Championship outings.

It appeared the link-up was the rediscovery of the old Tom Fellows to Josh Maja combination from last season, as Albion finally posed some danger in the final third with this set-up.

But after claiming a precious two-goal advantage, Albion surrendered it so poorly, giving away a cheap goal to Josh Eccles just before the break, while Jayson Molumby’s early red card in the second-half set the tone for the rest of the match, as Ellis Simms and Victor Torp sealed the comeback for the Sky Blues.

While Molumby’s red card was costly in a gut-wrenching defeat, Mason received fierce criticism from supporters after withdrawing Johnston at half-time for Samuel Iling-Junior, particularly after his immense contribution in the opening 45 minutes.

Some Baggies fans would have thought Johnston was substituted with a knock or concussion after he took a heavy hit to the head at the back end of the first half, but Mason has confirmed a different reason for this decision.

As reported by the Express & Star, West Brom boss Ryan Mason has confirmed he withdrew winger Mikey Johnston at half-time against Coventry City due to tactical reasons, admitting he wanted a left-footed player to cut in on the right-hand side.

Asked about whether Johnston was injured, Mason replied: No, he was OK. I just could feel the way the game was going to go.

"With him and Samuel, it was 50-50 who started the game. Obviously, Mikey contributed to the two goals and did extremely well.

"We just felt in the second half it would have been more beneficial having a left footer on that side of the pitch and we were planning on changing our shape a little bit to cause them more problems, to find a deep space a lot more because we knew we could attack that area and cause him problems.

"I think we started the second half really well, had control. But we weren't able to see that materialise."

Ryan Mason, Mikey Johnston decision causes further split in the fanbase

It’s safe to say that the decision by Ryan Mason has left many West Brom supporters scratching their heads and giving them further reasons to think the ex-Tottenham Hotspur coach isn’t the right man for the job.

Johnston had a terrific first half on that right-wing, getting chalk on his boots, driving down the byline and delivering some exquisite service to Aune Heggebo, who, when given the chances, put the ball in the back of the net and proved to supporters he can score goals at this level.

The Baggies had looked so dangerous on the counter through Johnston’s presence and link-up with Heggebo. It had got them an unlikely 2-0 lead away from home at the table-toppers, so why tweak with something that wasn’t broken?

Whether Mason reacted to Coventry’s goal before half-time was another matter. Johnston could have perhaps done better in his defensive duties to put some pressure on Josh Eccles for the header, but the same could be said for the efforts of Karlan Grant and Charlie Taylor, who failed to stop Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s crosses coming in all afternoon.

Expectedly, the decision from Mason has left Albion supporters dumbfounded, with many believing that the decision to take Johnston off is a sackable offense in itself.

Mason could have been smarter with his words post-match and said Johnston had to come off because of a knock. The winger did take a couple of heavy falls in the first half that supporters would have accepted for his removal.

But a change for a tactical reason has angered many fans, putting huge pressure on the boss ahead of what is expected to be a raucous West Midlands derby against Birmingham City on Wednesday evening.