West Bromwich Albion are in big trouble this season. The Baggies are currently in the fight of their lives to avoid a shock relegation from the Championship after parting ways with Eric Ramsey after just nine games in charge.
Although they are not currently in the bottom three, their goal difference is worse at -18 compared to the Foxes’ -9, and they are just one point behind Leicester City in 22nd place.
Things certainly look precarious for the Midlands side and they need to get their next plans right.
But with some key matches remaining, what will their run-in look like?
West Brom’s survival run
It feels like there will be a lot of down time for West Brom in March. They need to pick up points to pull away from Leicester, but it won’t be easy. The final three games are at home to Southampton and Hull City, before a trip to Bristol City at the end of the month.
The Tigers currently hold a playoff berth, and both other teams are within four points of making the playoffs, so they have a big incentive. There is no doubt that it will be a tough game for the Baggies.
April is not so easy. There are further games against promotion contenders including Wrexham, Millwall and Ipswich Town.
However, these three games have been at the Hawthorns, who have fared better this season with six wins and six draws from their 17 home games.
Arguably the most important game before the end of the season will be against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Easter Monday. Lancaster are also in the relegation zone, so this could be an important game in the fight for relegation.
In their final game of the season, West Brom face relegated Sheffield Wednesday away, an ideal fixture if they want to avoid defeat. The Owls have won just once all season.
Rumors are swirling as to who will be in charge of this important conclusion to the 2025/26 campaign.
West Brom could hire Will Still instead
As you can imagine, there are several names being thrown around to find the best person to replace Ramsey.
One player who has caught the eye of Baggies fans is former manager Slaven Bilic. According to the Express and Star, there have been “talks” about bringing the man back to the club.
In his first stint at the club, he led West Brom to second place in the standings, gaining promotion from the Championship in the 2019/20 season. Bilic was sacked after a poor start to the Premier League season and had only one win in 13 top-flight games before being sacked.
Still, let’s take a look at some successful Tier 2 campaigns. Out of 46 matches, they won 22, drew 17 and lost only seven times.
Former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendry said his presence during his time managing the club in the Championship was “invaluable”.
Bilic – 2019/20 Championship | |
|---|---|
status | number |
match | 46 |
victory | twenty two |
draw | 17 |
loss | 7 |
the goal | 77 |
Number of goals against | 43 |
Average points per game | 1.8 |
One thing that stood out that season was the presence of Bilic’s team in front of goal. The Baggies’ 77 goals were the second-highest in the competition, only bettered by play-off runners-up Brentford.
If the Croatian is given the full-time job, there is a good chance he will be a better appointment than another candidate, Will Still. The 33-year-old was sacked by Southampton earlier this season and is currently unemployed.
Despite performing well in Ligue 1, he has struggled to adapt to English football, which could be a red flag for the Baggies board when it comes to their next appointment. He has just four wins in 16 games at St. Mary’s, which may highlight his lack of experience.
In addition, the former West Brom manager prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation, as opposed to the back three favored by Still.
The Baggies have tended to set up in Bilic’s ideal formation this season, with Ramsey experimenting with a back three but tinkering too much could be a hindrance, and there is no doubt that sticking with a back four would be ideal.
That’s a risk West Brom cannot afford. With relegation looming, they may rely on the experienced Bilic, who knows the club well and has had success in the league, to guide them to safety rather than the youthful Still.
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