00:00West Bromwich Albion are embarking on a new journey with their recently appointed head coach Ryan Mason
00:09as hopes rise for a strong promotion challenge.
00:13After narrowly missing out last season, the club has turned to the promising young manager
00:18to bring fresh enthusiasm and clear direction to the Hawthorns.
00:22Mason steps into a squad that already boasts a solid base, experienced championship campaign players
00:30and a reliable core throughout the team and passionate supporters eager to see the club back in the top flight.
00:38His responsibility will be to sharpen their playing style, boost their attacking threat
00:42and build upon the defensive resilience that made West Brom a tough opponent last term.
00:48As the club transitions into this new phase, the goal extends beyond simply securing promotion.
00:55Mason is expected to help forge a distinct identity for the team,
01:01laying the groundwork for sustained growth and sustainability for a Premier League return.
01:05We caught up with Charlie Haffenden of Birmingham World to discuss what Mason's appointment signifies for Albion's ambitions
01:14and how the club aims to assemble a squad ready to compete effectively throughout a demanding campaign.
01:23So Charlie, starting with West Bromwich Albion and obviously Ryan Mason appointed as the next manager.
01:30A big statement. I mean, obviously he's a manager coming in and he's fresh ideas.
01:35He's obviously got some fantastic experience in the top flight, the highest level.
01:40You know, he'd been trying to be poached before and he decided to stay on with Ange Postacar,
01:44who obviously helped deliver that Europa League, which was fantastic for them as a club.
01:48I mean, it all sort of makes sense, you feel, for all parties involved.
01:53It gives him the chance, it gives him a platform, it gives West Brom maybe this ambition that they need to go on
01:58and have a bit of a fresh start maybe over the last couple of seasons,
02:02obviously with Carlos Corbrown's exit and then the return of Mowbray not quite working out and them falling short.
02:08So just firstly, your thoughts on Ryan Mason as manager and, you know, how were Albion fans feeling?
02:14What's the feeling around the Hawthorns ahead of the new campaign?
02:18I think it's a feeling of excitement.
02:20Obviously, it took so long to get the Tony Mowbray replacement in,
02:24but I think it was a lot of patience and consideration.
02:26Even with Mowbray, there was a lot of patience, but they made the wrong decision ultimately
02:30and I think they wanted to make sure that they made the right one this time around.
02:33They knew that the playoffs were already kind of over for last season
02:36and I think if next season they don't get in the playoffs,
02:39then this club could really just kind of be stagnated in the championship rather.
02:45Ryan Mason, he's not in a proper managerial role before and I think there are concerns over that.
02:50However, if you look at Chris Davies at Birmingham City, also coming from Tottenham,
02:53he's done so, so well.
02:56Ryan Mason as well, very highly thought of amongst the Tottenham backroom staff.
03:00And Posta Koglu, of course, not at the club anymore,
03:02but he really favoured having Mason amongst his coaching ranks.
03:05Of course, he was the one who took interim charge of Spurs on a couple of occasions.
03:09So there's obviously a lot of trust there.
03:12Is he ready for management?
03:13It's difficult to say, isn't it?
03:14I think the jury will be out for quite a while,
03:16but it's quite positive that he's got quite a few relationships at Tottenham.
03:20Potentially West Brom could take advantage of that in a transfer market.
03:24The likes of Mikey Moore and Jamie Donnelly have already been linked for potential loan moves.
03:29Those would both be fantastic signings, in my opinion,
03:31for West Brom can really take them forward, give them a bit of young energy into that team.
03:35And I think just in terms of the squad overhaul, it's likely to happen as well.
03:39Having someone like Mason in there who's quite raw, he's still quite young,
03:43seems to have a good tactical knowledge.
03:45I know that managers aren't necessarily that involved in their recruitment at West Brom,
03:49but I think they probably can tap into Mason's, maybe not experience because he hasn't got that,
03:55but he seems to have a decent mindset when it comes to it tactically.
03:59Yeah, the likes of Grady Dean Garner and John Swift, Semi Ajayi leaving the club.
04:03I think fans are actually quite happy to see them go because they were on high wages
04:07getting towards the end of their prime years and weren't quite having the same impact anymore.
04:11Those players will need to be replaced though.
04:13So you could argue that Ajayi has been replaced already by Nat Phillips joining.
04:17I think a pretty decent signing.
04:18Not sure what the fee is exactly, but it's likely to be pretty low.
04:21So you only have a year left on his Liverpool contract.
04:23And of course, he was only playing at the bottom end of the championship last season.
04:26I think that's a decent addition.
04:28He'd have a good impact and he's supposed to be a very creative player.
04:31Ryan Mason, I think we'll have a little bit of money to spend this summer,
04:34a little bit more than the likes of Mowbray and Corbran had in the past.
04:37So yeah, there could be quite a few exciting additions for West Brom and the team could look very different next season.
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