BBC reporter hits out after West Brom leak at Fratton Park, Eric Ramsay won’t be happy
West Brom fell to a heavy defeat against fellow Championship strugglers Portsmouth as the problems continue to mount for Eric Ramsay.
Portsmouth were comfortable 3-0 winners over West Brom at Fratton Park thanks to goals from Conor Chaplin, Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams.
It leaves Ramsay still seeking his first win as Albion boss, having so far taken one point from the 12 on offer to leave the Baggies in 19th place.
And it appears the recently-appointed manager has another issue to plug as some key team news was leaked prior to the game on the South Coast.
Steve Hermon calls out West Brom ITKs
News circulated on social media prior to the game that West Brom would be without a number of key players at Fratton Park.
It was even implied by one source on X that Danny Imray would be making a swift debut.
When the team news officially dropped a little over an hour before kick-off, those reports proved true as Krystian Bielik, Karlan Grant and George Campbell were all confirmed out.
Campbell is expected to miss around a month of action with a hamstring problem.
Reacting to the team news update via X on Saturday afternoon, BBC reporter Steve Hermon said: “I’m not an ITK account, but it doesn’t mean I’m not ‘in the know’.
“Not sure what benefit there is sharing team news info with the opposition ahead of a crucial game.“
Hermon certainly has a point, and the constant ‘leaks’ suggest that someone inside The Hawthorns is handing out what should be private information too freely.
What did Eric Ramsay have to say about West Brom’s latest loss?
West Brom fans would have been expecting a new-manager bounce upon Ramsay’s arrival, but that has not been the case.
A last-gasp point at Derby County last weekend was a good result, but Ramsay has overseen 5-0 and 3-0 losses to Norwich City and Portsmouth respectively either side, while also losing 3-2 to Middlesbrough.
Norwich and Portsmouth are two of West Brom’s relegation rivals, and even the most positive Albion fan will admit right now that the Baggies are in serious trouble.
With a clash against Stoke City to come next weekend, Ramsay is not hiding from the size of the task facing his side to stay up.
“It was tough today,” he told BBC WM. “We have to own the performance, take accountability and look inward as individuals and as a collective. And we have to get better.
“I am concerned we didn’t handle what was an inevitable quick start – a team that really draws on the crowd.
“We set up in a way trying not to feed that momentum but we did the opposite and it affected the players and we need to deal with it better.
“We have to address some of the basics in terms of competition of the second balls and that, as we regain possession, we are neat and tidy.”
Ramsay is not entirely to blame for West Brom’s woes, of course, given he only took over a few weeks ago, but Albion’s performances against Norwich and Portsmouth are worse than anything seen under Ryan Mason.
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