Ryan Mason: West Bromwich Albion sack head coach after 27 games

Mason’s appointment marked a shift in direction by Albion, who put their faith in a young head coach with fresh ideas, schooled in the cut and thrust of working at the top level working under the likes of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou.

Sporting director Andrew Nestor described Mason as “the leader the club needed” and after a summer rebuild that reduced the average age of the squad and gave them more wiggle room against the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), with the sales of Tom Fellows and Torbjorn Heggem, the start under the new boss was encouraging.

Wins over Blackburn, newly-promoted Wrexham and early pacesetters Stoke City helped them take 10 points from their opening four matches but a first home defeat by Derby County started a downturn in results Mason could not shake off.

Losses on the road put more pressure on the team to win at The Hawthorns but a record of six victories from 12 was not enough to buy Mason more time.

He may point to fine margins – 11 of their 13 defeats were by a single goal – but ultimately after pledging to “build a team that can win” when he arrived, the former Spurs, Hull City and England midfielder has paid the price for not doing that enough.

The longest run of successive away defeats in the Championship since its 2004 rebrand is 14 by Rotherham United in 2016-17.

Currently on 10 away defeats in a row, the Baggies will be keen to avoid making unwanted history by putting together a worse run than the Millers.