Shilen Patel braced for another financial loss at West Brom as Eric Ramsay unveiled to media
West Brom are entering a second new era of the season already after appointing Eric Ramsay as their latest head coach.
Ryan Mason was appointed West Brom manager in June of last year, with the former Tottenham first-team coach being handed the opportunity to take his first full-time managerial steps at The Hawthorns.
However, come the beginning of January, Mason was sacked as West Brom boss after 13 defeats in 26 games saw him leave his post with the Baggies sitting 18th in the Championship.
Shilen Patel moved quickly to appoint Ramsay earlier this week, with his West Brom debut coming on Friday night when Albion take on second-placed Middlesbrough.
Shilen Patel bracing for more financial hardship at West Brom
West Brom will be hoping that in Ramsay, they’ve finally found their manager of the future, as the 33-year-old is Albion’s third head coach in just over a year since Carlos Corberan left for Valencia.
Hiring and firing is not a cheap business, with Patel needing to pay compensation fees to get coaches out of their jobs, as well as buying out their contracts to sack them earlier than planned.
West Brom posted a loss of £33.9million in their last financial year of 2023-24, and as detailed in a report by BBC Sport, Patel is said to be bracing for further losses for the upcoming 2024-25 financial year.
However, the Albion chairman is hopeful that a brighter financial future is ahead at The Hawthorns. “I believe we are (in a healthier position).
“This was probably the most challenging of the three-year cycle – we’ve had so many PSR elements that we inherited.
“We are now at a point where, through some difficult decisions and manoeuvring around how we turn the squad over, I feel good about where we are relative to future compliance.
“It hasn’t been painless or without its challenges, but, in the things we can control and manage, the club is getting better.
“We continue to be committed at making things better. We can’t promise perfection but we can promise commitment to improvement.”
Patel must get Ramsay appointment right
It’s been far from plain sailing for Patel ever since his takeover of West Brom in February 2024, with PSR challenges off the pitch and disappointing performances on it.
As such, whilst it’s safe to say West Brom fans are far more content with Patel running the ship than they were under previous owner Guochuan Lai, he does need to prove he can get a managerial appointment right.
Tony Mowbray’s return was short-lived, and Mason didn’t live up to the hope and expectation that many around The Hawthorns held, so Ramsay’s hiring is crucial for fan trust.
- Mason finished with a 33 per cent win rate at West Brom
- Mowbray recorded a 29 per cent win rate
- Albion are seven points above the relegation zone
The Welshman needs to turn around results fast, as West Brom are quickly being dragged into a relegation battle, and his appointment must be a success for Patel, too.