Eric Ramsay decision could come back to bite West Brom as Leicester move for Gary Rowett
It is extremely tight at the bottom end of the Championship.
West Brom dropped to 21st in the standings this week, with relegation rivals Portsmouth winning one of their two games in hand against Charlton, before Albion welcome league leaders Coventry to The Hawthorns on Saturday.
The Baggies are yet to win under Eric Ramsay, who replaced Ryan Mason following his sacking last month.
All the while, their rivals are making moves in the manager market, with Blackburn appointing the experienced Michael O’Neil, while Leicester are close to appointing Gary Rowett.
The Foxes sit one place below West Brom for now, but this could change drastically with their latest managerial move.
Leicester have moved for a stable Championship option
When it comes to the direction of West Brom, compared with those around them, the plan could not be more different.
While Ramsay’s full career will not be judged on his time in the Black Country, he does lack the experience when compared with O’Neil and Rowett – particularly the latter, who has taken charge of six Championship clubs, achieving varying levels of success.
It is unlikely that the Bromsgrove-born man will be the one to lead Leicester back to the top-flight, but in the short term, he is a reliable and stable option for a Foxes side stripped of their confidence and now sitting in the relegation zone as a result of their recent six-point deduction.
Only Sheffield Wednesday have conceded more than Leicester’s 57 thus far, and this is something that Rowett will be keen to sort out immediately at the King Power.
“This division is about becoming hard to beat and we need to do that a little bit better,” said Rowett in one of his final press conferences with Oxford United in December.
The decision to switch to Matt Bloomfield’s guidance hasn’t gone as planned for the club either, emphasising Rowett’s impact.
He will look to make Leicester hard to beat, while making use of the supreme attacking talent possessed by Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi and more.
Should he sort out the Foxes’ issues and get a run of form going, the question will remain at Albion as to why someone of Rowett’s ilk wasn’t targeted.
Upcoming fixtures will be huge for West Brom
Next up at The Hawthorns are league leaders Coventry City, fresh off the back of their 3-1 win against promotion rivals Middlesbrough, before they face Charlton and Rowett’s previous club, Oxford.
While a win is far from expected against the table toppers, a sizeable points haul would make a huge difference, with Leicester facing Stoke, Middlesbrough and Norwich in the same time period.
From a Leicester standpoint, Rowett’s appointment is for matches such as those mentioned, where the added resilience completely changes the prospect of heading in.
West Brom’s next three matches:
- Coventry City – Saturday 21st Feb (H)
- Charlton Athletic – Tuesday 24th Feb (H)
- Oxford United – Saturday 28th Feb (A)
If he is to make an immediate impact in the coming weeks, Albion need to ensure that they are well-positioned to respond – particularly in their home bout with Charlton, and visit to Oxford, where on paper, West Brom are considered favourites.
Blackburn have been dragged back into the fight, but it is Leicester that the Baggies will have a close eye on.
West Brom have been left with a manager carrying no real experience in this situation, which could come back to bite them should there not be an instant reaction to ongoing developments around them.
For even more West Brom news and opinions, head over to Football Insider.