West Brom v Sheffield United: Ryan Mason 'can accept errors' but boss demanding so much more

It is not just a recent issue, either, and has followed inconsistent Albion for much of the season and left increased pressure on Mason ahead of the Friday night clash at home to Sheffield United as 16th faces 17th.

The head coach, in his first season at the club, said he can forgive individual errors but has been left extra frustration by 'principle and structural errors'. Mason was angry at St Mary's the other night with the manner of the hosts' first goal, where former player Tom Fellows was allowed the freedom of Albion's half to run at the backline having turned and evaded the pressing Chris Mepham.

"Individual errors happen," Mason said. "That's normal in football - and I'll accept mistakes. That's part of football. I was a player. I understand things happen.

"I think some frustrating ones are when they're principle-based, and we conceded a couple of goals the other night on our principles.

"It's something that we work on a lot, something we speak about a lot, something we show on video and practice a lot on the pitch in training.

"Mowey's mistake against QPR - he takes so much responsibility and these things happen. That's probably the first mistake Alex Mowatt has made all season. I accept that. I completely accept that that happens.

"I'll support my players and take responsibility for that. We need to be better at the structural ones and the principle-based ones that we work on day-to-day and that continues to be fed to the players. We need to improve on that."

Albion's seventh straight away defeat in midweek - where they were 3-0 down at half-time - had Mason stating he has more belief in his squad than out-of-confidence players.

"The other night, for example, you've got two contrasting halves," he explained. "They probably had four really good actions, really good moments and scored three goals.

"Goals, moments of brilliance, mistakes can cost and change the directions of the game.

"I knew and had massive belief this group of players, if they perform how I really think they can in that second half, could turn it around.

"Obviously, in the back of your head, there's a fear that this can't go four or five. I also understand football momentum and how it can change.

"Some home games this season, against Swansea and Oxford, to turn it around in the nature we did - you don't do that without personality and quality. But it can't take a reaction to make that feeling be there. 

"To come back and turn it round shows personality and quality. That's where my belief stems from. I see the players every day train and the work rate they put in is there, the quality is there. In football, you need to transfer it to a game, for 95, 100 minutes.

"At the moment, we're not getting that right. We're not being able to maintain certain levels for the whole game. That's something that needs to change."