Ramsay 'disappointed' at late Albion loss published at 13:17 GMT 17 January
13:17 GMT 17 January
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Image caption,
Eric Ramsay's previous job was at MLS club Minnesota United
New head coach Eric Ramsay says he could not help but be disappointed as they lost a dramatic encounter with Middlesbrough in his first game in charge of West Bromwich Albion.
Having looked set to fall to a meek home defeat as they trailed 2-0, two goals in five minutes from Isaac Price and Jed Wallace brought the Baggies level.
But rather than grab a winner or a morale-boosting point, Delano Burgzorg struck a decisive 90th minute goal for Boro.
"It's very difficult not to feel very disappointed. I wouldn't be human if that wasn't the case and certainly after we got ourselves back into the game," said Ramsay.
"You could only see it going one way and the fact that it hasn't makes it incredibly disappointing."
West Brom and Ramsay now have three days to prepare for their next game as they welcome Norwich City to The Hawthorns.
For Ramsay, it is a case of trying to work with his new squad as best he can in such a short period of time.
"Coming into this game and irrespective of the outcome, it was going to be information for us as a coaching staff and as players which will give us food for thought as we move into Tuesday," he said.
"I'm very much wrapped in the process that we continue to get better so I'm not going to get drawn into the highs and lows but it's difficult not to get swept up in that."
Ramsay will bring much-needed clarity to West Brompublished at 16:05 GMT 15 January
16:05 GMT 15 January
Chris Hall Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It is the eternal question for young managers - when are you ready for a job in the unforgiving environment of the top two leagues of English football?
Most feel that some level of apprenticeship in the lower divisions is required or a natural progression with one club.
Very few jump straight into a job in the Championship with no experience and succeed, no matter how big their profile as a player was.
Ryan Mason was a prime example of this.
He arrived at The Hawthorns with solid coaching credentials, but Albion proved too big a challenge for someone making their first foray into senior management.
Yet a man a few months his junior seems much better prepared for the challenge as he steps into the Albion dugout for the first time on Friday night to face high-flying Middlesbrough.
While Eric Ramsay may be younger than Ryan Mason, he is more experienced.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea coach has gained an apprenticeship in management, spending two years at Minnesota United and leading them to their best ever season in Major League Soccer.
Moreover, he developed a very clear, if slightly unusual, approach in the USA.
A stick many Albion fans often used to beat Mason with was that they did not see a defined style of play or ethos to his Baggies team.
Similarly, the players often did not seem to understand what was required of them with Albion, until recently, topping the Championship chart for errors leading to opposition shots on goal.
Many of these mistakes came from hesitancy in possession and players seemingly not knowing what their next move should be.
He spoke of being clear about the information he was giving them, rather than overwhelming them with a lot of information in a short period of time.
This was echoed by defender Chris Mepham, someone who had worked with Ramsay before in the Welsh set-up, who said that the players came out of their first meeting with the new boss with a clear idea of how he wants them to play.
Undoubtedly this was the case at Minnesota United too.
While Minnesota had the lowest possession numbers in the entire MLS, they were organised and hard working without the ball and lightning fast on the counter-attack when they got it.
They were also the best dead-ball team in the league and were outstanding at keeping cleared set-pieces alive, returning the ball back into the box more frequently than anyone else in the league.
In short, every player knew exactly what was expected of them and executed that game plan to a level which allowed Minnesota to achieve a league position that belied their lowly budget.
Whether Ramsay can get his messages across in just five days and achieve a positive first result on Friday night, we shall have to wait and see.
Pick of the stats: West Bromwich Albion v Middlesbroughpublished at 11:27 GMT 15 January
11:27 GMT 15 January
Image source, Opta
The Championship weekend and the Eric Ramsay era begin at The Hawthorns as West Bromwich Albion host Middlesbrough on Friday night (20:00 GMT).
The Baggies lost four of Ryan Mason's final five games in charge to slip to 18th, seven points above the drop-zone, but the other was a 2-1 win over QPR in their most recent home game on 29 December.
Boro ended a run of one point from four games with a 4-0 thrashing of Southampton last time out in the league on 4 January and still lie second, six points behind leaders Coventry and two ahead of third-placed Ipswich, who have played a game fewer.
West Brom have won two of their past seven home league games against Middlesbrough (D2 L3), beating them in 2022/23 and 2023/24 under Carlos Corberan.
Middlesbrough have won each of their past four league games against West Brom, as many victories as across their prior 15 matches against the Baggies combined (D4 L7).
This will be the first game in charge of West Brom for manager Eric Ramsay, his first managerial job in English football. Only one of the last six permanent Baggies bosses have won their first league game in charge (D1 L4), a 1-0 win for Ryan Mason earlier this season against Blackburn Rovers. He'll also be the first Ramsay to manage in the Football League since George Ramsay in April 1926.
Middlesbrough have lost their past two away league matches, failing to score in both. They haven't lost three in a row without scoring since a run of four between April and August 2017.
West Bromwich Albion's Mikey Johnston has the most assists of any Championship player this season (9), assisting a goal in each of his past two games at the Hawthorns.
🎧Risky business in the Championshippublished at 09:50 GMT 15 January
09:50 GMT 15 January
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"It's obviously a little bit of a gamble from their point of view."
Will it work out between West Bromwich Albion and fresh face Eric Ramsay? Is Matt Bloomfield the man who will keep Oxford United up?
The 72+ pod are joined by AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson to discuss the latest managerial appointments in the Championship, the struggles at Shrewsbury Town, Jackson's experience with the Dons in League One as well as reflecting on a big FA Cup weekend.
'Some fans will have reservations over Ramsay'published at 11:05 GMT 12 January
11:05 GMT 12 January
Steve Hermon BBC Radio WM's West Bromwich Albion commentator
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It has been a dramatic 2026 for West Bromwich Albion and there is a fitting sense of narrative that Eric Ramsay takes the reins just hours after the Baggies have finally ended their away woes at the football club where he earned his first professional coaching role in the game.
His route into coaching began at Swansea after he stopped playing in the Welsh Premier League for Welshpool, near to where he grew up.
That decision means that while he might be the same age as predecessor Ryan Mason, he has racked up some valuable experience at Swansea, Shrewsbury, Manchester United and Chelsea, which is where he became the youngest person to achieve their Uefa Pro License.
Despite interest from English clubs, he took the bold step of becoming a head coach in the MLS in 2024. He was tasked with coaching a Minnesota United squad that did not have the biggest budget, and he got them into the play-offs in his two seasons there.
He will be hoping to do exactly same at Albion, perhaps not this season, but certainly there will be the expectation to make a push for the top six in the next campaign.
Some fans will have reservations that the club has gone for another young head coach, but the cliché is that age is just a number and owners Bilkul have praised his "significant experience" and "deep understanding" of English football.
They have also picked out his "intensity, organisation, and adaptability", and he will need all those skills to help make an immediate impact and move this underperforming squad back in a positive direction.
Albion appoint another young boss - will it work?published at 09:55 GMT 12 January
09:55 GMT 12 January
Like his predecessor Ryan Mason, West Bromwich Albion will be a new horizon for incoming boss Eric Ramsay.
The 34-year-old has a wealth of coaching experience, including time at Manchester United, Swansea City and the Wales international team, but only one managerial position under his belt with Major League Soccer side Minnesota United.
Are you excited to see what Ramsay can bring to the table?
Or is it a risk you would rather not have taken to appoint another untested, young talent?
Former Birmingham winger Hopkins dies aged 64published at 14:02 GMT 11 January
14:02 GMT 11 January
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Birmingham City have announced former winger Robert Hopkins has died at the age of 64.
Hopkins, who was affectionately known to former team-mates and fans as 'Hoppo', played 207 times for Birmingham City across two spells and was part of the squad which won promotion to the First Division in 1984-85.
He was one of seven former players inducted into the Birmingham City Hall of Fame in 2012.
In between his two spells at St Andrew's, Hopkins played for West Bromwich Albion between 1987 and 1989, making 83 league appearances.
The Baggies will wear black armbands in tribute to Hopkins for their FA Cup third round against Swansea on Sunday.
He also appeared for clubs including Aston Villa, Manchester City, Shrewsbury Town and Colchester United.
Follow Sunday's FA Cup ties livepublished at 10:51 GMT 11 January
10:51 GMT 11 January
There are eight third-round ties in the FA Cup on Sunday - as Premier League and Championship teams enter the competition - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Derby County v Leeds United" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Portsmouth v Arsenal", for instance.
Mowatt out of FA Cup trip to Swanseapublished at 17:22 GMT 9 January
17:22 GMT 9 January
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West Bromwich Albion midfielder Alex Mowatt will miss the trip to Swansea City in the FA Cup third round on Sunday with a foot injury.
The 30-year-old was forced off in the 79th minute of the 2-1 defeat at Leicester in the Championship on Monday.
"Mowatt will be out, he took a bang again on his foot, he's been carrying it for a couple of weeks now so again he was unlucky," caretaker manager James Morrison told BBC Radio WM.
"But we're pretty sure he will be OK leading into the following weeks."
Fellow midfielder Jayson Molumby could also miss out, but 20-year-old Harry Whitwell and Cole Deeming, 18, who have been recalled from loan spells with Forest Green Rovers and Truro City respectively, are in contention.
"Firstly, I'm glad for Harry and Cole to go out and get some experience, it was vital for their development," Morrison added.
"Harry walked through the door and he's grown a couple of inches, he'd filled out. I followed his performances and he's done well. He will be in the squad.
"We've got some questions of players who are 50-50 but we will be going as strong as possible and trying to win the game.
"Whether that be with some young players in there, we will wait and see."
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