Ryan Mason’s future as West Brom manager looks increasingly ominous with the club chairman flying in to watch their crucial clash with Leicester.
Dubbed as the Championship ‘El Sackico’, both managers head into Monday night’s contest under huge pressure.
Patience is wearing thin at The Baggies, with the club languishing in 18th and 10 points adrift of the top six.
Pre-season expectations have not been met, and Mason has struggled to instil any consistent form throughout the campaign.
It’s a similar tale at Leicester, and a planned fan protest will only add weight to the shoulders of under-fire boss Marti Cifuentes.
The Foxes, who were hoping for an immediate return to the Premier League, are 14th and three points ahead of West Brom.
Both managers currently lead the betting in the Championship manager sack race.
West Brom chairman in attendance at Leicester
According to reports, West Brom’s club chairman and American businessman Shilen Patel has flown to the UK in order to be at the game on Monday.
That could be ominous for Mason while already under huge scrutiny from supporters.
It’s not totally unusual for Patel to leave his residence in Florida to watch West Brom matches, having attended numerous games since his takeover in February 2024.
In October, he was in attendance at Vicarage Road to watch his club’s 2-1 loss against Watford.
Patel has remained patient with Mason and has given him plenty of opportunity to turn the club’s fortunes around; however, that can only last so long.
West Brom head into the contest with the fourth-worst away record in the Championship, having won three and lost 10 of their 13 away fixtures this season.
Our betting tips predict more away-day misery for West Brom, with Leicester 13/8 to pick up three points on home soil.
Ryan Mason given vote of confidence
Just before Christmas, Mason was given the dreaded vote of confidence after Baggies Sporting Director Andrew Nestor said the club were “not interested in change for the sake of change”.
He added they “remained committed to our process, entrusting individuals with high integrity, skill and work ethic to move us forward”.
However, another defeat will certainly see the next West Brom manager odds betting hot up with numerous names of interest.
Former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is the name at the top of the betting, who is, coincidentally, one of the favourites to become the next Leicester manager.
Carlos Corberan could make a return to the Hawthorns and would be a popular appointment, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Russell Martin are two other names in the mix.
