West Brom have appointed former Minnesota boss Eric Ramsay as their new head coach.placeholder image
West Brom have appointed former Minnesota boss Eric Ramsay as their new head coach. | Getty Images
How new West Brom coach Eric Ramsay’s managerial record compares to rivals
West Bromwich Albion appointed the successor to former head coach Ryan Mason on Sunday, as ex-Man United coach Eric Ramsay was confirmed as the Baggies’ new boss.
Ramsay worked under Ole Gunnar Solaskjaer at Old Trafford before departing for his first managerial role at MLS outfit Minnesota United in 2024. The 34-year-old became the youngest permanent head coach in MLS history, having previously earnt the accolade of being the youngest British coach to achieve the UEFA Pro Licence.
He follows in the footsteps of Mason as a second successive young coach employed by West Brom – with the two men the same age – though Ramsay has more managerial experience under his belt and led Minnesota to their highest-ever Western Conference finish of fourth place last season, which evidently caught the attention of the Baggies hierarchy.
Ramsay will be tasked with the difficult job of turning around the Baggies’ recent slump and has a challenging start as his side face second-placed Middlesbrough at the Hawthorns on Friday evening.
Eric Ramsay: a risky or a smart move by the Baggies?
The Baggies’ decision to appoint youth into the dugout did not quite work out last time under Mason, but they will hope that Ramsay’s experience learning the managerial game over in the USA will make him better prepared for the demands of the Championship.
Ramsay displayed his vast coaching potential while in the MLS, where he achieved 34 victories in 81 matches with Minnesota, who are not one of the traditionally bigger clubs in the division. Baggies fans will hope this ability to over-achieve translates well to West Brom, who have done quite the opposite in recent years and currently sit down in 18th in the second tier – which would represent their lowest league finish since 1999/2000.
Interestingly, Ramsay never had a sustained professional playing career. He played in Wales in his youth and briefly played for the nation’s futsal team, before he became a youth team coach at Swansea City after graduating from Loughborough University. It can be argued, therefore, that the 34-year-old has been preparing for this moment for his entire professional career and therefore has coaching experience beyond his years. Whether this will translate into success in the Championship remains to be seen – but he has certainly had a bright start to his managerial career as far as the stats are concerned.
Eric Ramsay managerial win percentage compared to rivals
Eric Ramsay – Minnesota United win percentage: G81, W34, 42.98% win percentage
Chris Davies – Birmingham City win percentage: G89, W55, 61.80% win percentage
John Mousinho – Portsmouth win percentage: G150, W61, 40.67% win percentage
Frank Lampard – Coventry City win percentage: G62, W32, 51.61% win percentage
Kim Hellberg – Middlesbrough win percentage: G10, W5, 50% win percentage
Kieran McKenna – Ipswich Town win percentage: G200, W94, 47% win percentage
Paul Heckingbottom – Preston North End win percentage: G80, W25, 31.25% win percentage
Alex Neil – Millwall win percentage: G56, W27, 48.21% win percentage
Javi Gracia – Watford win percentage (2nd spell): G17, W8, 47.06% win percentage
Sergej Jakirovic – Hull City win percentage: G27, W12, 44.44% win percentage
Mark Robins – Stoke City win percentage: G52, W20, 38.46% win percentage
Phil Parkinson – Wrexham win percentage: G252, W148, 58.73% win percentage
Gerhard Struber – Bristol City win percentage: G29, W13, 44.83% win percentage
Julien Stephan – QPR win percentage: G28, W11, 39.29% win percentage
Marti Cifuentes – Leicester City win percentage: G28, W11, 39.29% win percentage
John Eustace – Derby County win percentage: G43, W15, 34.88% win percentage
Tonda Eckert – Southampton win percentage: G14, W7, 50% win percentage
Chris Wilder – Sheffield United win percentage (3rd spell): G21, W10, 47.62% win percentage
Vitor Matos – Swansea City win percentage: G11, W5, 45.45% win percentage
Nathan Jones – Charlton Athletic win percentage: G101, W44, 43.56% win percentage
Valerian Ismael – Blackburn Rovers win percentage: G39, W11, 28.21% win percentage
Philippe Clement – Norwich City win percentage: G12, W5, 41.67% win percentage
Matt Bloomfield – Oxford United: G0, career win percentage: 43.20%
Henrik Pedersen – Sheffield Wednesday win percentage: G29, W1, 3.45% win percentage
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