Eric Ramsay sacked: Everything we know as West Brom put temporary plan in place
West Brom have sacked Eric Ramsay after their 1-1 draw against Charlton Athletic.
The Baggies are left languishing a point above the Championship drop zone, aided by Leicester’s draw with Middlesbrough, and were left with no choice but to act after a nine-match winless run across all competitions.
Ramsay was brought in at The Hawthorns just six weeks ago, replacing Ryan Mason, though things have continued to go from bad to worse.
Albion sat 18th and seven points clear of the relegation zone upon his January arrival, with the subsequent run seeing him become the second man to lose the West Brom job this term.
With Shilen Patel once again having to search for a new boss, West Brom News takes a look at everything we know following Ramsay’s sacking.
James Morrison placed in temporary West Brom charge
The Baggies took the lead for the first time under Ramsay against Charlton, with George Campbell netting on the stroke of half-time, before this was cancelled out by a 70th-minute Lyndon Dykes equaliser to see the Addicks take a point back home.
The Express & Star report that Ramsay and his assistant, Dennis Lawrence, met with owner and chairman in the aftermath of his final press conference, when the news was delivered.
West Brom’s club statement reads: “West Bromwich Albion have parted company with men’s first team head coach Eric Ramsay.
“The club would like to place on record its thanks to Eric and Ennis and wish them well for the future.
“First team coach James Morrison will oversee first-team affairs on an interim basis.”
Morrison made 341 appearances for Albion as a player and has taken interim charge twice at The Hawthorns following the sackings of Tony Mowbray and Mason, and is yet to lose across his three matches at the helm.
- Read more: Five contenders ready to save West Brom
West Brom need guaranteed results following Eric Ramsay sacking
After the failed Mason experiment, Patel is called into action once again, with the Baggies locked in a relegation battle.
Morrison is a popular man to have in temporary charge of the club, though there are obvious question marks around his experience at the level required, especially given Gary Rowett’s recent move to Leicester, where he has picked up two draws from two against Stoke and Middlesbrough.
Lee Carsley is a man perennially linked with jobs in the second tier, and a return to his native Midlands could be tempting. Though again, there is a lack of experience, having never seen out a season in charge of a club at this level.
Will Still also carries similar concerns. Despite his impressive work elsewhere, his failed tenure at Southampton brings about a huge element of risk this late in the season.
An extremely popular choice among the Baggies fanbase would be Slaven Bilic, having been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh in 2024.
The Croatian led Albion to promotion in 2020, and many will feel he has unfinished business after seeing out the latter days of his tenure with no supporters present.
But West Brom need results, and they need them quick.
West Brom’s upcoming fixtures
After falling to defeat against league leaders Coventry and dropping points against Charlton, Albion are left just a point above the relegation zone ahead of the trip to Oxford this Saturday.
Against a fellow relegation-threatened side, nothing less than three points will be enough, with rivals Leicester looking to take all three in their first home match under Rowett, as they welcome Norwich to the King Power.
But, things don’t get any easier for the Baggies, with clashes against multiple play-off chasing sides coming in March.
West Brom’s next six Championship matches:
- Oxford United (A) – 28 February
- Sheffield United (A) – 7 March
- Southampton (H) – 11 March
- Hull City (H) – 14 March
- Bristol City (A) – 21 March
- Wrexham (H) – 3 April
The simple fact of the matter is that Albion need points, and no matter the difficulty level of their upcoming fixtures, they need to stake their survival claim.
Leicester’s fixtures don’t get any easier either, with multiple promotion-chasing sides also facing the Foxes. But West Brom need to put themselves in a position where they are in control of their own destiny, rather than focusing on those the other side of the Midlands.
The Baggies travel to face Oxford this weekend. It is unclear at the moment whether there will be a new manager in charge, but either way, a win is needed to kick-start some form ahead of a crucial run to the end of the season.
For even more West Brom news and opinions, head over to Football Insider.