West Brom owners set about third head coach appointment in a year

Mason's position at the helm was left untenable after a poorest sequence of away results in 99 years and just one shy of the club record.

The 34-year-old departs with his backroom staff Nigel Gibbs and Sam Pooley after 27 games at the helm and leaves the Baggies in 18th place in the Championship, closer to the bottom three than the top six.

Albion hope to name Mason's successor in time for the next league fixture, which is not until Friday week, January 16, at home to Middlesbrough.

First-team coach James Morrison has taken interim charge for the second time, and oversea Swansea in the FA Cup on Sunday, after he held the role in the wake of Tony Mowbray's sacking last April.

The Bilkul board now turn to a huge decision having overseen the brief and failed tenures of Mowbray and Mason. The former checked in as a stop-gap after Albion were unable to tie up a deal with Raphael Wicky, the Swiss coach who was initially the top target.

Wicky had remained out of work until he was appointed at MLS outfit Sporting Kansas City on Monday.

It is understood Albion's owners were proactive in their succession planning during the difficult latter weeks of Mason's reign.

At least one out-of-work boss was sounded out by the hierarchy as Bilkul plotted the next steps forward should the Baggies boss be dismissed.

One other possible candidate of interest could be England under-21s boss Lee Carsley.

The former Birmingham midfielder has admirers among the Albion owners and was previously contacted over the role.

Carsley, 51, has been in charge of the Young Lions since 2021 and is twice a European Championship winner.

Highly-regarded young coach Eric Ramsay, 34, was close to the Albion post when Mason was appointed and is still in work at Minnesota United.

The Englishman, from Shrewsbury, is a former Chelsea and Manchester United coach and has been linked with the Strasbourg role in France after Liam Rosenior's switch to Stamford Bridge.

Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby, one of the club's leadership group, faced the media after the late Foxes blow on Monday night.

The Irishman claimed he and his team-mates feel "embarrassed" by the club's away form, apologised to supporters and said the results were the responsibility of players and not Mason.

"On the road it's been absolutely dreadful and as players we have to take responsibility because it's not been good enough from myself and the rest of the lads," Molumby said. 

"We just need to apologise first and foremost because for our club the run we're on is pretty dreadful and that's coming from us players, We need to take responsibility."

The 26-year-old added: "Some of the games we've lost away from home this season have been embarrassing and that's how we feel - pretty embarrassed to represent this club with the form we're in.

"You can see he (Mason) lives and breathes football, I think the work they put in is unbelievable and I can only speak for the manager at the moment - he doesn't deserve the run we're on. No chance."