New West Brom boss Eric Ramsay's first big tactical decision will thrill The Hawthorns faithful

Eric Ramsay is officially West Bromwich Albion’s new head coach, replacing Ryan Mason with immediate effect.

The Baggies, down in 18th in the Championship and 10 points adrift from the top six, decided they needed to move in another direction. Albion owners Bilkul were reluctant to fire Mason but were left with little choice due to just how badly things had gone in the first half or so of the season.

Letting Mason go was one thing, but hiring a suitable replacement was another. Albion have failed to find suitable managers since Carlos Corberan left last winter, first re-hiring Tony Mowbray to no success before failing with their gamble to hand Mason his first full-time managerial gig.

All involved with West Brom will have everything crossed that Ramsay has more success than his immediate predecessors, then, but what exactly can supporters expect?

What tactics does Eric Ramsay use?

Ramsay may have only managed one club at a senior level - Minnesota United - but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been able to develop a style. The 33-year-old, who won 38 of his 81 matches in charge of Minnesota, became popular at the Major League Soccer club for his pragmatism and fresh ideas.

The former Manchester United and Chelsea coach doesn’t prioritise dominating the ball, in fact his Minnesota side had the MLS’ lowest average possession share at 39.7%, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In terms of chances creation, Ramsay likes his teams to take advantage of the opposition’s frailties on the transition, countering vertically with pace and purpose.

Typically setting up in either a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 shape, Ramsay likes to play with fluidity and he’s not afraid to make tactical tweaks either mid-game or from team-to-team. He was self-aware of his relative inexperience but made up for it with his tactical versatility.

Back in November, Ramsay admitted as much, telling MLSsoccer.com: “I've really learned as a coach in that sense, that I won't stray too far away from being very pragmatic in the real, truest sense of the word, in terms of just squeezing the most out of the capabilities of the players that you have in front of you, and being very adaptable and being very flexible.”

Ramsay’s tactics should thrill West Brom fans

It will be tricky for Ramsay to adapt to the demands of the Championship immediately, especially as there’s often so much more space available to players in the MLS, but there’s plenty for West Brom fans to get excited about.

One of Mason’s main flaws in the dugout at The Hawthorns, many may argue, was his refusal to sway from his 4-2-3-1 system. Some of the games Albion drew or lost they dominated, in fairness to Mason, but there seemed to be a refusal to adapt when his side wasn’t putting their chances away.

There shouldn’t be that same approach from Ramsay. As mentioned, the Shrewsbury-born coach tends to react to situations as they unfold. In that sense, there should some visible differences, and not just from the change in formation.