Not Maja: Mason must axe Heggebo & unleash West Brom’s “natural goalscorer”

It hasn’t been all bad for Elias Heggebø since his move to the West Midlands, with his scrappy finish against Middlesbrough marking his first Championship goal of the season.

However, the Norwegian forward has since struggled to build on that moment, going five consecutive league games without scoring since that strike against Rob Edwards’ side.

His recent outing against Watford was particularly underwhelming. Despite spending 70 minutes on the pitch, the Bergen-born striker failed to register a single shot on goal.

From just 14 touches, he lost possession five times and came out second-best in 11 of his 13 duels, cutting a lonely and ineffective figure in attack.

Fellow forward Josh Maja hasn’t been in better form either, with the former Sunderland man also goalless throughout October.

With goals drying up, Carlos Corberán (or Mason, depending on the original source) may be tempted to shake things up ahead of West Brom’s clash with Ipswich Town, turning to a different attacking option in search of a spark.

Could Mason unleash West Brom’s “natural goalscorer”?

Both Maja and Heggebø will still have chances to prove themselves as the season progresses, especially while Daryl Dike continues to work his way back to full fitness after another long injury layoff.

In the meantime, though, this could be the ideal moment for Mason to hand Karlan Grant another opportunity. The former Huddersfield Town forward has previously been described as a “natural goalscorer” by his ex-manager Jan Siewert, thanks to his prolific form in the Championship earlier in his career.

Grant — also praised as “versatile” by former West Brom player Carlton Palmer — boasts an impressive 54 goals in 227 Championship appearances, including 28 for the Baggies. Of those, 22 came while playing through the middle, even though he’s often deployed out wide.

With Heggebø and Maja both struggling to make an impact, Grant could soon get his chance to reclaim a central role — and his scoring touch. The 28-year-old managed seven league goals last season when given a consistent run in the side, despite appearing to be on his way out of The Hawthorns at one stage.

If Mason decides to show faith in Grant and restore him to the starting lineup, he might just rediscover the confident, clinical striker of old — and, in doing so, finally kickstart West Brom’s push for more consistent results in front of goal.