Eric Ramsay spoke in detail about his desire for West Bromwich Albion to showcase a clear style of play in his first WBA TV interview.
The 34-year-old was appointed Head Coach late on Sunday night, signing a two-and-a-half year contract at The Hawthorns after departing MLS outfit Minnesota United.
Ramsay, who arrives at Albion with an outstanding reputation as a coach, insists he wants the players to completely understand what is expected of them on the pitch both in and out of possession.
The boss hopes the fans see a Baggies team full of identity and confidence, stating he can’t wait to get to work and help get the club “moving forward” as one.
Eric said: “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.”
Ramsay helped Minnesota reach the Conference semi-finals in the 2025 campaign after achieving their highest-ever finish of fourth in the Western Conference.
He was in charge of United for two years and believes the timing of his arrival at the Albion allows him to attack the challenge ahead full of the required energy.
Eric added: “It’s an incredibly proud day for me and my family to become the Head Coach of West Bromwich Albion.
“Anyone connected in any type of way to my football journey would recognise that this is a huge step. I’m delighted to be able to take it at a club that I feel so positively about in terms of prospects, standing, stature and everything that goes with being at a club that is woven into the fabric of English football and has such a rich history, as well as optimism for the future.
“When you weigh all that up, it’s difficult not to feel just incredibly positive about the situation that I’m in. I’m really proud to be here and I’m really proud to play, hopefully, a small part in the club moving forward.
“The timing of coming here was really important. It’s on the back of two full seasons in the MLS and having had the opportunity to have a bit of a break. I think anything that would have led to me leaving America and finding myself jumping straight back into a role in the midway point of an English season would have been tough.
“The timing was really good and really important for me to come into this job feeling like I’ve been able to have a break and a reset and refreshed with the energy that is going to be needed to meet this challenge.”
The former Manchester United coach revealed he’s been watching plenty of footage of Baggies matches from the 2025/26 term.
Eric says every player is starting from a “fresh slate” and is confident he can propel the team up the Sky Bet Championship table.
“I’ve spent the last week or so watching clips from this season in real detail. I feel like I know the squad as if it’s my own, which I think is a really important thing going into the really busy period that we find ourselves in front of now.
“I think it’s important to have my finger on what has gone on previously. What I want to achieve over the course of the coming days as we move into Friday’s game is to take that knowledge and push it towards what the team is going to look like moving forward. I don’t think it pays all that much to look at what has gone on before because I think everyone is starting from a fresh slate from this point onwards.
“I won’t cast any judgement until I really feel that environment from the players. I’m sure there will be a fresh sense of optimism as there always is in these situations, so I’ve just got to make sure that lasts.
“It’s undeniable that the squad is capable of more than where it is at the moment, and that’s not making reference to anything that has gone before in terms of how the team has played or how the team has been set up.
“Everyone who has watched a good chunk of this season will recognise there’s been an element of misfortune. People will also look at the group and the calibre of players and the squad that has been put together and feel that there’s only one way from this point onwards, and that is up.
“However, I would caveat that by saying that entails some real work and a real focus on the very short term, the minute-to-minute, the session-to-session and the day-to-day.
“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 tomorrow, and then the next day and then 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.”
