West Brom new head coach special (12/01/2026)
Listen to a BBC Radio WM special on reaction to Eric Ramsay's appointment as West Bromwich Albion head coach.
The 34-year-old former Minnesota United boss was appointed on Sunday on a two-and-a-half-year contract following the sacking of Ryan Mason.
Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM's West Bromwich Albion commentator
Image source, Getty ImagesIt 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.
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?
Let us know your thoughts here and check back later to see a collection of fan verdicts.
Pundits Dion Dublin and Phil Jones join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's FA Cup ties.
And listen back to selected full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Image source, ShutterstockBirmingham 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.
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.
Derby v Leeds (12:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Derby & BBC Radio Leeds
Portsmouth v Arsenal (14:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Radio Solent
Hull v Blackburn (14:30) - BBC Radio Humberside & BBC Radio Lancashire
Norwich v Walsall (14:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Norfolk & BBC Radio WM
Sheff Utd v Mansfield (14:30) - BBC Radio Sheffield & BBC Radio Nottingham
Swansea v West Brom (14:30)
West Ham v QPR (14:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Radio London
Man Utd v Brighton (16:30) - BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Sussex
Kick-off times GMT
Follow all of the action and reaction here
And find out how to follow the FA Cup across the BBC this weekend here
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.
Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesWest 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."
Bartley: 'Ramsay is very tactically astute'
Is hiring another young manager, untested at Championship level a risk for West Bromwich Albion?
The Baggies are interested in former Manchester United first-team coach Eric Ramsay, 33, to replace Ryan Mason after the 34-year-old was sacked on Tuesday.
Ramsay's current role as Minnesota United boss is his first in senior management and would mean a second successive appointment of a relatively inexperienced figure in the dugout.
Former West Brom defender Kyle Bartley, who worked with Ramsay at Swansea City, thinks that the disappointment of Mason should not impact the decision to pursue young managerial talent.
"Any appointment that the hierarchy would make right now would be a risk," Bartley told BBC Radio WM.
"You look back and Tony [Mowbray] came in at the back end of last season and that didn't feel like a risk because of the job he's done previously and his record - and that didn't work out.
"They've tried something new with Ryan and that hasn't worked out.
"He [Ramsay] is very tactically astute, he's very intelligent, speaks multiple languages so if this is the direction that the owner wants to go in, trying to produce these young managers, I kind of credit him for sticking to his guns."
Bartley also believes Mason's exit has had an impact on the squad but the timing of the appointment of his replacement could play a crucial role in how it plays out on the pitch.
"I know the players really liked him," Bartley added. "Everyone I've spoke to in and around the club have absolutely loved Ryan; loved working with him, loved his ideas. Unfortunately, the results haven't been there.
"So I think it would have had an affect on a lot of the players, especially on the young ones, but it's important for them to get going quickly.
"It's probably a good thing we've got a cup match in between, give everyone a little bit time and hopefully if it is Eric Ramsay coming in, he can have a week to work with the players before the first league match."
Listen to Bartley's full thoughts and more West Bromwich Albion content on BBC Sounds.
Chris Hall
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesCould Eric Ramsay be Albion's match made in heaven?
Hiring managers is often quite similar to relationships.
After you have a bad one, you want the next one to be everything the last one wasn't.
For that reason, many Albion fans expected the Baggies' next hire following the dismissal of Ryan Mason to have the qualities they felt the previous incumbent had been sadly lacking.
Therefore, most expected Mason's replacement to be older, with Championship experience.
However, Andrew Nestor appears not to have allowed one bad relationship to shake his belief in what he's looking for.
Instead, he seems to have stuck to his guns, with 33-year-old Ramsay heavily tipped to be the next Baggies boss.
Rather than throw his entire philosophy out the window, it appears Nestor has subtly tweaked his requirements to resolve the deficiencies in Mason's managerial ability.
First, experience.
Despite being some eight months Mason's junior, Ramsay is far more experienced in coaching and management.
He was appointed Minnesota United manager in 2024 and has led the club to their best-ever season.
Prior to taking that job, he had a varied coaching career where he spent a decade learning at Swansea, Shrewsbury, Chelsea and Manchester United before heading across the Atlantic.
Second, there's his apprenticeship (if it's not incredibly disrespectful to call his time at Minnesota that).
Mason's only prior managerial experience was 13 games as Tottenham Hotspur's caretaker boss across two stints.
On neither occasion was he left much room for experimentation as he was thrust into big game after big game.
In his first spell, his second match was a cup final, while the second time around, his baptism of fire was Manchester United at home, followed by Liverpool away.
The chances are Mason didn't truly learn who he was (or wasn't) as a manager until he took the Albion hotseat.
Ramsay is quite different.
He told BBC Sport in February that he chose to go to the MLS rather than the Championship because "I wanted an experience that was going to give me the best chance to develop, the opportunity to make some mistakes and manage something that feels big".
Ramsay has been plotting his career for almost two decades, after saying publicly he found his coaching voice at around 14 or 15.
Most managers choose the role because it's the next best thing to playing once their body, or ability, has called time on a career on the pitch.
Ramsay is that rare entity, somebody who chose being a coach over being a player after he turned down a professional contract to study at university.
So, Eric Ramsay, the Championship manager, has been a long time in the making.
Has he found his perfect partner in West Bromwich Albion?
Only time will tell.
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"I think he's been a little bit unfortunate because the performances have been better than their league position shows - but at the same time, and it's a harsh lesson in management, it's a results business.
"I can see why they've come to the decision but I have got a little sympathy with him."
The 72+ team are joined by former Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison to discuss West Bromwich Albion sacking head coach Ryan Mason and how the finer details influenced the decision.
Listen to the latest episode of the 72+ podcast and more on BBC Sounds.
What's next for Albion? (06/01/2026)
Former West Bromwich Albion midfielder Richard Sneekes says Ryan Mason's sacking was "inevitable" although the Baggies did not deserve to lose his final game at Leicester.
The Dutch midfielder, who made more than 220 appearance in a five-year spell at The Hawthorns, joined BBC WM's Tuesday night Football phone-in reacting to the news of Mason's departure.
Mason left after just seven months in charge following a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium on Monday - Albion's 10th straight defeat on the road.
"It was inevitable," Sneekes said. "I think Monday was the first time in a long time they were the better team for 90 minutes. There was a pattern of play and style of playing I hadn't seen before.
"The players were playing for him, there is absolutely no doubt about it. Did he still make some mistakes? Yes.
"I thought he must have known, deep down, that not winning could cost him his job, so he might as well have gone for it.
"I'd have done Daryl Dike instead of Isaac Price, go 4-4-2, [Leicester] weren't very good in the air, they struggled from crosses and corners.
"He went like for like. If your job's on the line you might as well go out with a bang and go for it and see if you can get the three points.
"I'm not saying Dike is the answer, but 17 squad involvements, 35 minutes, that's five minutes a game he's come on. He could have maybe been the saviour.
"They should have gone for it. It was a massive sucker-punch, they didn't deserve it. I truly thought if they'd got the win they could have kicked-on, but they don't."
Sneekes thinks rookie head coach Mason would have benefited from an experienced head to work, adding: "I just didn't see how he could change a game. Subs were like-for-like.
"I feel sorry for him in a way, but if you don't learn from your mistakes the consequences are this, that's football.
"I think he's a good coach, I just think he needed a mentor."
Sneekes said the stature of the club and the quality in the squad means the position will appeal to managers, and gave his own backing to former Baggies defender and boss Darren Moore returning in an interim role.
Moore, who was previously in charge at The Hawthorns from 2018-19, was sacked by Port Vale at the end of December.
"Somebody will want the job," Sneekes added. "It's a big club. It's just finding the right person. Monday showed there is a team there. It's a tough decision.
"Mooro is free and knows the club well, did well at Sheffield Wednesday. The goodwill will come back if he came back. He's got great knowledge of the club.
"I don't think that's a bad shout for the foreseeable future."
Image source, ShutterstockWest Brom lost 10 successive away games under Ryan Mason
We asked for your views after West Bromwich Albion sacked head coach Ryan Mason on Tuesday morning.
The former Tottenham coach was only appointed in June but leaves with the Baggies 18th in the Championship.
We had a brilliant response so, thanks for getting in touch and here is a selection of the thoughts of Albion supporters:
Andy - I don't think that's the right move. The problems run much deeper than just changing the manager.
The fans have become very toxic and are far too quick to boo the players. That only piles pressure on the team, so it's no wonder mistakes happen.
Scott - I always thought Mason seemed pragmatic and honest about the team and job in hand.
I don't doubt he is a very capable coach, and could go on to be a top manager but at the end of the day results are how managers are judged. Possibly a job too big for a young manager?
Rich - The 100% correct decision, but Andrew Nestor (sporting director) must tender his resignation today. Two appointments he's got completely wrong.
Paul - Should not have sacked him. Mid-table this year would have been acceptable with the play-offs being the goal next season. You can't head hunt someone and not give them time. How are young British managers going to get a chance?
Jimmy - Feel for him, but 10 straight away losses isn't just unlucky like they were against Leicester. It runs much deeper. We're not the best team in the Championship but we're better than 18th!
Get Slaven Bilic back, for me.
Don - Sacking the manager is the easy option. The players lost the Leicester game by poor finishing, poor concentration, and a lack of skill.
Whereas Mason did make mistakes we should look at the players too.
In addition the senior management need to take some responsibility for the current chain of events.
Terry - Mason's appointment divided opinion, his dismissal before the January window is also likely to divide opinion.
With the odd exception, performances were generally OK, results definitely weren't.
Were Albion in any real danger of relegation? Probably not. Will a change of manager propel them into the play-offs? Probably not.
David - Definitely. Given him plenty of time. Start by not losing if you cannot win.
Southampton were playing 'good football ' last year and not winning and look what happened to them.
West Bromwich Albion seriously look like they are going to be in a relegation battle unless something changes.
Marty - So they sell Alex Palmer, Tom Fellows, Torbjorn Heggem and Darnell Furlong and then sack the manager when we don't get the results they want.
I know they have been trying to navigate a tricky financial mess but I think it's a bit harsh on Mason.
Herefordbaggie - You could say he is an unlucky manager, but losing 10 away on the bounce is not luck alone. Poor substitution decisions and game management have cost him.
