Mason questions, no risk Albion and one positive: Talking points from West Brom's dull Sheffield Wednesday draw
Boos rang out around The Hawthorns after Albion’s latest drab display - as they failed to create clear cut openings and were held to a point by Sheffield Wednesday.
Jonny Drury looks at a few talking points to come from the game:
Dull, boring, with no sign of change
We all hoped there was going to be more hope and inspiration in this one compared to recent weeks.
The first ten minutes were good, but the rest, not so much.
Albion arguably should have led at the break, with a few dangerous efforts from range, but a smattering of boos came from the Smethwick End at half time.
They and everyone else wanted more, they expected more, they deserved more, they should have been served up more, with their side are facing the basement boys at home.
They got nothing in the second half.
Yes, Wednesday frustrated and banked up but in the end they had the best two chances and could have nicked it.
Albion look devoid of ideas, with the most clear cut effort coming from an Owls defender almost turning through his own net.
Surely they can deliver more than that at home?
Where does it come from? Players? Manager? It all honesty it is a bit of both, but Ryan Mason sets the tone and at the moment the tone is boring.
Albion fans outside all said the same thing, watching the team is just boring.
They have much more quality in there than this, but we aren’t seeing it.
It feels like we are seeing the same system and the same stuff served up every week. What is that famous quote, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every week and expecting the same result.
That is Albion at the moment. It has to change - there is more in this Albion team and we need to see it and fast.
Uninspiring changes & taking risks
Chasing a game in the second half, Mason turned to his bench and brought on Karlan Grant but it was a triple change of Charlie Taylor, Krystian Bielik and Aune Heggebo that baffled some supporters.
The two defenders coming on for Callum Styles and Alfie Gilchrist was down to the pair suffering cramp according to Mason, when asked about it after the game.
But he waited until the 90th minute to put Daryl Dike on, which in the end seemed like a pointless change given the timing.
The options he had on the bench weren’t lengthy, with Tammer Bany clearly not ready to come in after his injury lay off.
But you’ve got the likes of Ollie Bostock on the bench, and even though he is unknown at this level, throw him on.
Take the shackles off, let him go have a run at the Wednesday backline. There is no pressure on him if it doesn’t work.
But a bit of fearlessness may be what they needed to make something happen.
One small positive
Given the fact his starts in an Albion shirt prior to Watford have been less than memorable - it is hats off to Ousmane Diakite for his recent performances.
Diakite’s best Albion football has been coming off the bench in the last ten minutes of games to break things up and see them over the line.
But he has now been handed three straight starts - his best run since arriving at the club and he has grabbed his chance with both hands.
Albion collectively haven’t been great but his displays, certainly against Watford and then in the Sheffield Wednesday game have done him no harm.
He has broken up play, and not looked out of place. His distribution still leaves a bit to be desired, but we all know about that.
He becomes a more credible option for Albion now, even when Ryan Mason has more players to choose from.
He’s nowhere near the level of Youssouf Mulumbu, but he has a bit of Championship Mulumbu about him.