The latest West Bromwich Albion news from BirminghamLive as Baggies learn what to expect from Eric Ramsay
09:15, 15 Jan 2026
Clarity is the key word when describing new Albion boss Eric Ramsay’s management style and the way he wants to see them play.
It has been a busy week for the 34-year-old, who arrived from Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, where he achieved the club’s highest points total and a fourth-place Western Conference finish in the 2025 season before reaching the conference semi-finals of the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, and it is set to get even busier when they host high-flying Middlesbrough tomorrow night who currently occupy an automatic promotion spot.
Ramsay, who established his reputation as a coach with Chelsea, Manchester United and the Wales national team, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Hawthorns and will see his team play for the first time in the flesh at the Hawthorns tomorrow.
Asked about his style, he explained: “I’d like to use the word clarity when describing my management style and the way I want to see us play.
“I want to be very clear with the players and I want the expectations to be very clear. I want them to feel like it’s absolutely clear as to what is expected of them and how the team is set up to win games. I want the fans to be in our stadium knowing what to expect.
“I want to be very clear how we’re trying to win games and how we’re trying to move the club forward. I don’t want anyone to be uncertain in that sense.
“What that amounts to is an ability to control games with and without the ball. It will be a really important thing for us that we have a very strong idea of how control comes our way, both with and without the ball.
“If we can get that balance right, what we’ll see is an incredibly competitive team that is capable of having a chance of winning every week and one that feels really sure of itself.
“That’s a big thing for me, that the team feels really sure of itself and has that level of confidence going into games. If the team can reach a really good version of itself week-to-week, then we will get everything that comes with that.
“This club has a huge history and there is expectation. There’s also a sense of optimism and direction, but, as I’ve previously said, it doesn’t pay to look backwards or forwards too far.
“I’ve got to look at how we tackle the next day and how we tackle Friday’s game. We need to trust everything we put into each session amounts to a really competitive team. I’ll let the players know how important that is.”