West Brom sack Eric Ramsay after 44-day reign described as 'a horror movie, not a comedy'

A dramatic and short-lived spell at the Hawthorns has ended as west brom parted company with head coach Eric Ramsay after just 44 days in charge. The 34-year-old's tenure left a trail of unwanted records, growing alarm over the club's league position, and an immediate move to install James Morrison as interim caretaker.

West Brom confirm departure after 1-1 home draw with Charlton

The decision came in the aftermath of a 1-1 Championship draw with Charlton Athletic at home. Ramsay and his assistant, Dennis Lawrence, were summoned to a boardroom meeting with owner and chairman Shilen Patel after the match; the head coach and assistant then left the club. The side were booed off after that fixture, with the club sitting 21st in the Championship — one point above the relegation zone — and with 12 games remaining in the season.

How short was Ramsay's reign and what records were set?

• Tenure length: 44 days, a club record for the shortest permanent managerial reign at West Brom, surpassing a previous benchmark of 17 games held by Pepe Mel and Tony Mowbray.
• Win return: 0% — Ramsay failed to register a victory in his spell in charge.
• Matches in charge: coverage notes nine matches in total since his move from MLS, with eight of those being Championship fixtures.
• League record within those eight Championship games: four draws and four losses, yielding four points.
• Heavy defeats and cup exit: Ramsay's stint included a 5-0 home defeat by Norwich City in the second tier and the team were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Norwich City.

Background to the appointment and tactical choices

Ramsay had been appointed in January on a two-and-a-half-year deal following the departure of Ryan Mason. The coach had previously been on the staff at Manchester United and had recently moved from MLS side Minnesota United to take the Albion job. During his brief spell he experimented with a 3-4-3 formation immediately after arriving; that system was abandoned after a subsequent loss to Portsmouth.

Internal reaction, responsibility and fan unrest

In his final interview the 34-year-old accepted he was "not blameless. " He also acknowledged the mounting pressure around a run of draws and defeats, and suggested the team had created chances but not taken them. There was a sense that the Charlton match had been viewed internally as a must-win, even though Ramsay did not frame it that way publicly; he used the phrase "what will be, will be" in a post-match interview. Supporters expressed their frustration at the result and atmosphere, booing the side at full-time.

Immediate interim plan and longer-term questions for the board

First-team coach James Morrison has been placed in interim charge for a third spell in less than 11 months. The former midfielder is unbeaten in the three matches he has overseen and has stated that West Brom is "in his DNA" after previously commenting in the wake of a Swansea City FA Cup victory just hours before Ramsay's arrival six weeks ago. With 12 games to play, Morrison will lead efforts to keep the club in the Championship.

At board level, Shilen Patel is preparing to begin the search for a fourth head coach for the senior men’s team, days before the second anniversary of his takeover of the club. Critics point to the decision to appoint a second young head coach in succession as a misstep that has increased the club's exposure to the possibility of an unthinkable drop into the third tier for only the second time in their history. Questions were also raised about player finishing and accountability after this second sacking of the season — the third in under a year.

A cultural footnote in commentary around the dismissal compared Ramsay's 44-day spell with a historically brief and infamous managerial stint elsewhere; that earlier case featured in a film called The Damned United. One line appearing alongside coverage reads: 'The day Brook showed he is an England leader' — unclear in the provided context.

Recent coverage noted variations in how Ramsay's brief record is described — some summaries cite nine matches in total without a win since his move from MLS, while match-by-match accounting highlights eight Championship fixtures producing four draws and four defeats. These figures are presented here as they appear in the available material. Details of the board's search for a permanent replacement and any manager appointments remain to be announced.