With the spotlight firmly fixed on their Hollywood-infused opposition, it would be easy to forget that West Brom’s Ryan Mason is just lighting the touchpaper on what he hopes will be a lengthy and fruitful managerial career. Mason will already know that substitutions may provide the pivot between failing and thriving, and so a lunchtime double switch that instantly earned three precious Championship points against Wrexham will have, whether he needed it or not, provided a nice little boost.
Jed Wallace had been on the pitch just 28 seconds when he beat Danny Ward. Setting him up was Mikey Johnston who had entered at the same time. Moments earlier there would doubtless have been away end grumblings as Tom Fellows, who set up Isaac Price’s opener and had been as lively as a child given unlimited Haribo supplies, departed for Wallace. That disappointment soon dissipated and was replaced by unrestrained joy when seven minutes later Johnston provided Price the cross from which he headed in his second.
Mason could have taken the easy option and remained at Tottenham. His affiliation there spans more than two decades, and he almost certainly would have had a role under Thomas Frank. But having just tasted Europa League glory, he wanted to push himself and informed Ange Postecoglou that he was departing before Postecoglou himself was removed. Two wins from two league games is a lovely little start.
