West Brom sack Eric Ramsay after nine games as club hovers above relegation zone
West Bromwich Albion have sacked eric ramsay after just nine matches in charge, the club confirming the decision after Tuesday’s 1-1 home draw with Charlton. The change comes with the Baggies sitting one point above the Championship relegation zone and a temporary coaching arrangement installed.
Eric Ramsay's appointment, background and contract
The 34-year-old was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year deal on 11 January to replace Ryan Mason, having moved from Minnesota United in Major League Soccer. He had led Minnesota United to back-to-back Conference play-off semi-finals and earlier worked as a first-team coach at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag and as an assistant coach with the Wales men’s team. The club noted he is Shrewsbury-born and had taken the step from manager in the MLS to head coach at The Hawthorns; his dismissal came 44 days after his appointment.
Match sequence from Middlesbrough to Charlton
Ramsay’s tenure opened with a 3-2 loss at home to Middlesbrough and was followed by a 5-0 defeat by Norwich, the club’s biggest-ever home defeat outside the top flight. The side drew 1-1 at Derby, recorded goalless draws against Stoke and Birmingham, and were beaten by Portsmouth. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by Norwich and later defeated by leaders Coventry before the 1-1 draw with Charlton, which was the only match in Ramsay’s spell where the team took the lead.
Eric Ramsay's record and West Brom's league position
Across nine matches in charge the Baggies failed to register a win; eight of those came in the Championship, where Ramsay’s side drew four and lost four of their league fixtures, collecting just four points. That record left West Brom 21st in the Championship — one point above the relegation zone — and marked the club as winless in 10 games after the draw with Charlton. When Ramsay took over the club had been 18th and seven points clear of the bottom three.
Club statement, departures and interim coaching plan
The club confirmed that it had parted company with men’s first-team head coach Eric Ramsay and that assistant head coach Dennis Lawrence had also departed The Hawthorns. First-team coach James Morrison will oversee first-team affairs on an interim basis. The club placed on record its thanks to Eric and Dennis and wished them well for the future.
Ramsay's response and assessment of results
After the Charlton draw Ramsay told WM that questions over his job were not something he could answer and that he had tried to control what he could each day. Speaking after the same match he also reflected that the performance could not be viewed in isolation, pointing to multiple draws, not enough wins and missed opportunities: he said the number of chances was sufficient to win the game but that it had not been good enough and that wins were now required rather than further draws.
Because the side repeatedly failed to convert chances into victories and remained perilously close to the relegation zone, the club moved to remove the head coach and his assistant and install an interim solution. What makes this notable is how quickly the club’s position shifted from being seven points clear of the bottom three when Ramsay arrived to sitting one point above relegation, a collapse that crystallised the decision to act.
Unclear in the provided context is the club’s long-term replacement plan beyond James Morrison’s interim oversight.
