West Bromwich Albion

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Oxford United will seek to climb towards safety and drag West Bromwich Albion deeper into the mire when the two meet at the Kassam on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Albion would go into the game in the bottom-three should Leicester pick up a point against Norwich at lunchtime, having been pegged back by Charlton to draw 1-1 at the Hawthorns on Tuesday, which ended Eric Ramsay's winless eight-match reign as head coach after just 44 days.

The U's battled to a point at Middlesbrough last Saturday but a 2-1 defeat at Stoke on Wednesday left them six points adrift of the Baggies in 23rd and they have not scored a goal at home since Boxing Day, a run of six scoreless games in all competitions.

• Oxford are unbeaten in their past five home league games against West Brom (W3 D2), though their 1-1 draw last season is the only time they've hosted them this century.

• Following their 2-1 win in November, West Brom are looking to complete the league double over Oxford for the first time since 1990/91.

• Oxford have failed to score in each of their past five Championship home games, their longest run without a home goal in their league history.

• West Brom are winless in their past 13 away league games (D2 L11), while no side has lost more Championship away games this term than the Baggies (12).

• Only bottom side Sheffield Wednesday (11) have failed to score in more different Championship home games this season than Oxford (8).

Image source, Getty Images/Shutterstock

After Eric Ramsay was sacked as West Bromwich Albion head coach just 44 days on from his appointment, we asked for your views on whether it was the right decision and who should be the next Baggies boss.

Here are a selection of your responses:

Kieran: Honestly I think it is the right call for Eric to go. Unsure why the club hired him to begin with. If we can afford it I'd want Slaven Bilic back.

Stephen T: He was always the wrong appointment, his tenure has been a disaster from day one.

I just hope they take their time finding his replacement, even letting Mozza [James Morrison] take the reins till the end of the season with no pressure to stay up as the damage has been done.

Then we deal with whatever comes in the closed season and start rebuilding

Stephen W: Sadly, it was the correct decision to sack Eric Ramsay albeit it should have happened after the loss to Coventry. Out of his depth and his tactics - plus playing players in wrong positions - were confusing.

To bring stability I would leave Morrison in charge until the end of the season and, should we retain Championship status, break the bank and appoint Derek McInnes.

Scott: Ramsay was a risky and experimental appointment that, unfortunately, didn't work out so yes, it was the right decision. I'd love to have Bilic back or Lee Carsley if either are up for the challenge of keeping us up!

Rohan: I hate sacking managers, but even though he's a good guy, Ramsay's appalling record spoke for itself.

In terms of replacements, I don't think Dyche or Bilic would come, so I'd say [Lee] Bowyer after hearing him on a podcast. He's very experienced in these situations and has worked in worse. I'm surprisingly confident in Morrison too.

Ben: So although there were some improvements in defensive organisation under Ramsay, yes it is absolutely the right call.

The issues run deeper than him though as the Nestor situation shows and we just didn't replace the talent we lost in the summer.

I hope for a bounce back now as the players on paper are good enough to move the club to safety but with confidence so low, survival is probably 50-50.

Conrad: Ramsay, in spite of his excellent coaching credentials, did not have the experience and personality to tackle a group of players with complacency ingrained in them. He was also stubborn in his early games, attempting to impose his tactics within a short space of time - and failed miserably.

Overall, we've got 56 points from 53 league games under Mowbray, Mason and Ramsay. Three back-to-back appointments which have failed in the last 13-and-a-half months. The hierarchy needs to be accountable more than ever. I just hope we stay up.

Tom: Ramsay had to go, he appeared to be out of his depth and didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation.

We need someone who will fire everybody up for the last 12 games, the only person that fits that description really is Slaven Bilic, if he's ready to go it seems like the obvious choice.

Otherwise they may as well let James Morrison have it till the end of the season as he's WBA through and through and given his time with West Brom if anybody deserves a chance to show what he can do he does.

Chris: Albion probably were right to sack Ramsay but this is really still just papering over the cracks. The problems at the club run much deeper and, whatever division we're in next season, an absolutely huge internal review is needed this summer before this club can move forward.

Dave: Should he have been sacked? No. But he shouldn't have been appointed in the first place. I'd have brought in a mentor for him. As for a new manager, surely it's worth picking up the phone to Gareth Southgate...

Nigel: The club is in such a mess right now. This is the consequence of having an owner that doesn't understand English football. One poor decision after another.

Inexperienced Ramsay was a terrible choice based on our league situation. Morrison would be our best bet at this point, but the quality on the pitch is lacking. I fear we are doomed to League One.

Image source, Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion fans, where to start?

Eric Ramsay has been sacked as head coach after just 44 days and nine games in charge.

It is the second managerial departure at The Hawthorns this season after Ryan Mason was also relieved of his duties in January.

First-team coach James Morrison will once again take over on an interim basis with the Baggies one point above the Championship relegation zone with 12 games to play.

• Do you think sacking Ramsay was the right decision?

• Should James Morrison carry on as interim boss until the end of the season?

• Or would you like a permanent replacement brought in right away? And if so, who do you want?

Let us know your thoughts here and check back later to see a selection of your responses.

Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM's West Bromwich Albion commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Eric Ramsay's reign was nothing short of disastrous. His tenure lasted just 44 days, which happens to be the same as Brian Clough's infamous spell at Leeds United in 1974.

That featured in a movie about the legendary manager's life, The Damned United, and it had elements of comedy, but if the Welsh head coach's stay at The Hawthorns were to be made into a film, the genre would have to be horror.

The 34-year-old leaves with a litany of unwanted records.

It is the shortest reign of any permanent Baggies boss in their history, he oversaw their heaviest home defeat in the second tier as they were hammered 5-0 by Norwich City, and his win percentage is 0%.

Taking just four points - courtesy of four draws - in his eight league games has dropped the club deep into a relegation battle.

Ramsay refused to say it, but he knew that Tuesday night's game with Charlton Athletic was a must-win.

He told me in his interview after the 1-1 draw that it wasn't good enough and that "what will be, will be", as if knowing what was to come just minutes later.

The former Minnesota United boss and his assistant, Dennis Lawrence, were summoned into a boardroom meeting with chairman Shilen Patel after his media duties were complete, and the axe fell.

The Welshman accepted in his final interview with me that he was "not blameless", and while he is no doubt a clever man, switching immediately to a 3-4-3 formation with players not equipped to play that way was not a smart move.

He promptly ditched it after another loss to Portsmouth.

Questions must also be asked of the players, whose failure to take chances has led to a second sacking of the season, and the third in less than a year, but the hierarchy must also provide answers to the fans.

Their naive decision to give the job to a second young head coach in a row has put the club at risk of an unthinkable drop into the third tier for only the second time in their history.

But there won't be time to analyse a host of mistakes now.

James Morrison begins a third spell in interim charge in the space of less than 11 months.

The former midfielder is unbeaten in the three games he's overseen and said, in his own words after the Swansea City FA Cup victory just hours before Ramsay's arrival six weeks ago, West Brom is "in his DNA".

With 12 games to go, he will do all he can to keep the club he loves in the Championship.

Meanwhile, back at boardroom level, and just days before the second anniversary of his takeover of the club, Patel will begin the search for his fourth head coach.

West Bromwich Albion head coach Eric Ramsay believes his side "absolutely" should have defeated Charlton Athletic following their 1-1 draw at home to the Addicks.

The Baggies boss was appointed in January but is yet to win any matches in the Championship since he arrived in the West Midlands and is under increasing pressure.

Albion initially led with George Campbell nodding in Alex Mowatt's corner in first-half stoppage time, but on 70 minutes Charlton's Lyndon Dykes raced onto a Kayne Ramsay pass and calmly finished between keeper Max O'Leary's legs to earn the visitors a point.

"Absolutely it's a game that we should have won and out of the three of the four games that we've drawn in the league recently, that's the one that you're looking at and feeling like we created good chances in open play," said Ramsay to BBC Radio WM after the game.

"We had a lot of territory at the top of the opposition's box and where we needed to convert that into more than a goal off a set play we didn't, and ultimately we put ourselves in a position where when the moment came that we did lack real decisiveness from a defensive perspective, we came unstuck and we find ourselves where we are.

"We only felt positive at half-time about the direction of travel of the game and I don't think that was a problem in the opening stages of the second-half.

"You felt like we'd be the team that would go on and score again and put the game to bed and we absolutely had to do that tonight."

West Bromwich Albion captain Jed Wallace says the struggling Baggies must target six points from two "huge" games in their battle to stay in the Championship.

Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by leaders Coventry left out-of-form Albion teetering a point and a place above the relegation zone and without a league win in 2026.

On Tuesday, they host 17th-placed Charlton at The Hawthorns before heading to second-bottom Oxford on Saturday, with pressure already mounting on boss Eric Ramsay, who was appointed just last month but is winless after eight games.

"We've lost to the league leaders and coming into this week, six points was the target for us, so we have two games now that are just huge, no getting away from it," Wallace told BBC Radio WM.

"It [Charlton] is a must-win. It's West Brom, we shouldn't be where we are, it's a privilege to play for this club and we need to start winning games."

Wallace was disappointed at conceding "so easily" to their West Midlands rivals and believed the performance was a step back from successive draws with Stoke and Birmingham.

After a run of four league matches without a goal, and just three points from their past nine games, Wallace said improvement is needed from every position in their fight against the drop.

"There's 13 games left, but regardless of what happens, people need to have a look at themselves in the short term and the long term, and we need to do better because we're letting the club down at the moment," he added.

Yet Wallace insists the lack of points is not down to a deficiency of effort or attitude.

"It matters, it's everything to the players, trust me on that," he said. "It's the last thing you think about when you go to bed at night. I'm there, I understand how everyone feels, I feel the same myself."

West Bromwich Albion can avoid a potential drop into the bottom three if they win Charlton Athletic at the Hawthorns on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

The West Midlands side, who have yet to win under boss Eric Ramsay, may be at risk of entering the relegation zone should Leicester pick up all three point at Middlesbrough.

However, visitors Charlton will also be keen on ascending up the table, with a victory possibly taking them 10 points clear of relegation.

• West Brom have won just one of their last five home league games against Charlton (D1 L3), though this is the first time they've hosted them since a 2-2 draw in October 2019.

• Following their 1-0 win in November, Charlton are looking to complete the league double over West Brom for just the third time after 2002-03 and 1936-37.

• West Brom have won nine of their last 13 home league games against promoted sides (D2 L2), though failed to beat Birmingham in their only such game this season (1-1).

• West Brom have won just one of their last 12 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches (D3 L8), beating Norwich 1-0 in October.

• Charlton have lost four of their last six midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) league games (W1 D1), with their one win in this run coming against Stoke earlier this month.

Image source, PA Media

West Brom boss Eric Ramsay insists "there are no easy answers" to their plight after they lost 2-0 at home to Coventry to deepen their relegation woes.

The Baggies are just a point and a place above the bottom three and Ramsay is winless in his first eight games in charge.

West Brom fans booed at the end and Ramsay says there is no obvious way out.

He told BBC Radio WM: "There's no easy answer to our position and if there was an easy answer, someone would have arrived at it by now.

"We have to make sure we keep the approach, where we grind away, we don't get distracted, we make sure we push the messages we feel are important day to day and that the group responds to those.

"I was extremely disappointed with the manner of the goals and to come away with nothing, which in our situation is far from ideal and not what we would want in any way.

"I felt we started the game positively and aggressively, we connected with the crowd and there was real energy.

"Then we really let ourselves down after five or six minutes. Unfortunately another goal followed that quickly and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb."

West Bromwich Albion enter this Midlands derby still seeking a first win under head coach Eric Ramsay.

Having been appointed on 12 January, the Baggies have lost four and drawn three of his seven games in charge, which leaves them only two points clear of the relegation zone.

Coventry returned to the top of the table with their first win in four games when beating second-placed Middlesbrough on Monday night.

• West Brom have lost their past two league games against Coventry, while they have not suffered three defeats in a row against them since August 1968 (a run of four).

• After winning this season's reverse fixture (3-2 in November), Coventry will be aiming to do the league double over West Brom for the first time since the 1969-70 campaign (in the top flight).

• West Brom have drawn their past two league matches 0-0 (v Stoke and Birmingham); they last played out three consecutive goalless draws in league competition in February-March 1983 (a run of four).

• Since the start of December, only West Brom (2) and Sheffield Wednesday (1) have won fewer points away from home in the Championship than league leaders Coventry (3 – W0 D3 L4).

• Haji Wright has scored five of Coventry's last eight league goals, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough last time out (3-1) – his second hat-trick in the Championship (also vs Sunderland in March 2025).

Former West Bromwich Albion defender Kyle Bartley has called for Baggies fans to get behind their team when they host league leaders Coventry City on Saturday (12:30 GMT) in their fight against relegation.

Albion are currently two points above the drop zone and have not won a Championship game in 2026 so far.

But the 34-year-old believes the home stands can help change the tide for the struggling side.

"I would urge every single West Brom fan, for these next two home games, to get behind the team," Bartley told BBC Radio WM.

"From a player's perspective, and being in that situation, the fans can have a real effect on the team and on individuals.

"Just try and stick behind the team. If we can get to the end of the season and stay in the Championship, the recruitment process in the summer will look a lot different from what it has done in the past two years."

Listen to more of Bartley's thoughts on BBC Sounds

Listen to more West Bromwich Albion content on BBC Sounds

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Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Chris Hall
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo once said: "Goals are like ketchup. Sometimes, as much as you try, they don't come out, and when they come, many come all at the same time."

West Bromwich Albion have to hope they are at the point in their season where the ketchup bottle is ready to pay out because they've been starved of sauce for quite some time.

Only Stoke, Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday have failed to score on more occasions than the Baggies this season.

Albion have drawn a blank in 11 Championship games this campaign, but the much more pressing concern is how many of those ducks have come recently.

Eric Ramsay's side have failed to find the back of the net in four of their past six league outings, and in the trio of goalless games that preceded the FA Cup clash with Norwich they didn't really deserve to score a goal either.

The Baggies created precious little in those games, averaging a measly 0.29xG per game and while the back-to-back clean sheets against Stoke and Birmingham were welcome, it's wins Albion need in many of the upcoming games, not draws.

The spectre of relegation looms large.

Portsmouth's victory on Tuesday left Albion just one place and two points outside the relegation zone and the Baggies face three relegation rivals in their next four games.

So, what do Albion need to do to start firing again and drag themselves clear of danger?

The biggest priority seems to be to get their attacking players match fit.

Karlan Grant is the one Albion will have to do without for much of the remainder of the season and that is a huge blow.

The wide forward had scored three of Albion's previous 10 goals prior to his injury against Derby County and was, statistically, by far and away the Throstles' most dangerous player at that point.

Grant's absence has been further compounded by fitness struggles for his opposite number on the other side of the field, Mikey Johnston.

The Irishman remains the Championship's top assister with nine but has failed to start either of the past two league games due to a groin injury.

Albion will be hoping he can shake that off ahead of the visit of Coventry on Saturday, against whom Johnston produced two brilliant assists earlier in the season.

Those assists were both delivered to Aune Heggebo during a run where the Norwegian really caught fire, scoring seven goals in seven games across November and December.

However, that success came at a price as the Scandinavian frontman was asked to play a whopping six consecutive 90 minutes in just 28 days across the hectic December period.

That seems to have left Heggebo looking jaded and, unfortunately, his understudies haven't proved ready for Championship action.

Ramsay has spoken about how he is currently "nudging" Josh Maja and Daryl Dike toward 90-minute fitness, which is a worrying thing to say in February.

However, you can see why this is a problem he must fix when you consider that previous boss Ryan Mason only gave Maja an average of 23 minutes per game he was available and Dike a pitiful two minutes per game.

Ramsay has significantly upped those numbers to get the duo up to speed.

Maja bagged 12 goals in 26 starts last season prior to injury, while Dike hit seven in 14 back in 2022-23 (the last time he was fit for a significant period), so both have the pedigree to score goals at this level.

If Ramsay can get them fit and firing, it could be Albion's saving grace.

They certainly need something because if they don't start scoring soon, the Baggies will undoubtedly find themselves playing ketchup with the rest of the relegation battlers.

See more from Chris Hall at Albion Analysis, external

West Brom manager Eric Ramsay said there were positives to take from his side's FA Cup exit at Norwich City.

The Baggies head coach told BBC Radio WM: "I'm really disappointed to lose the game, particularly given how the second half went, and how we felt that we grew into the game and played with some real authority for a large portion of that second half.

"I felt strongly before the game that, irrespective of the outcome, we had to come out feeling positive across a number of other elements and there were strong performances from the young players Ollie [Bostock], Harry [Whitwell] and from Hindo [Mustapha] and we had to feel that we were nudging players towards 90 minutes fit.

"The guys that haven't been able to hit 90 minutes all that regularly so far this season. The fact we've done that across the board is pleasing.

"We weren't happy with the first-half performance. There wasn't the level of aggression and competitiveness that we would have expected and we lacked control on the ball. That was entirely different in the second half."