West Brom v Oxford: Ryan Mason needs more than a system change - he needs major solutions to Albion's attacking woes
The statistics surrounding Ryan Mason's first 14 games in charge of West Brom do not make for good reading - and they need to change.
After that impressive start which delivered three wins from the first four games - the lack of victories and more so the lack of goals have seen Albion slip down a tight Championship table.
They have won just two of the last ten games - and in that time they have netted on just six occasions.
More startling, Mason's side have scored three times in the last six outings - and two of them came in the same game.
Albion's scoring statistics rank down there with the sides in the relegation zone - and if they can't find a solution soon they may well find themselves slipping towards that end of the table.
The latest defeat at Charlton was a gut punch of a result - with the winner coming courtesy of a 95th Sonny Carey goal, after Albion had spurned the games big chances.
In truth, the performance at The Valley was better than in previous weeks in terms of creating chances, although they had set a pretty low bar.
A switch to a back three and a formation that looked like a 3-4-2-1 system seemed to have worked for Albion. It certainly would have been praised had Isaac Price taken two of his guilt edged chances - and Samuel Iling-Junior tucked away an early opportunity.
Despite the flack being thrown Mason's way at the moment - there was some praise for switching to a different system for the first time, as it seemed to yield at least some attacking creativity.
But speaking after the defeat in London, the under fire Albion head coach insisted the change in formation was not about creating, but nullifying Nathan Jones' side.
He said: "It was more to combat their strengths. They're a very good team at what they do.
"They play a lot of direct balls.
"They land on a lot of second balls. I felt obviously having Krystian, Nat and Charlie as the back three allowed us to cope with that, that physicality, that side of the game."
I thought we nullified a lot of their strengths. So that was the thinking. But at the same time, it was maintaining our shape and our belief and personality with the ball as well.
"Listen, we had moments, of course we did. I think that's clear to see. Goals change games for sure.
"That was the thinking. Did we play a good match? Yes, but we lost. So that's the most important thing."
When Oxford come to The Hawthorns on Saturday, it won't be about nullifying for Mason, but trying to find a solution to Albion's attacking woes.
He mixed it up on Tuesday and given the awful form he has to consider doing it again. Injuries leave him hamstrung in certain areas - but with the likes of Daryl Dike, Tammer Bany and even young Ollie Bostock on the sidelines, he has to try something different.
If he does and it delivers a more attack minded Albion, supporters may just accept it.
However, if he fails to change anything and a blunt Albion sleepwalk towards another dull afternoon - the boos will no doubt ring out for a second straight weekend.