Charlie Austin says West Brom got major decision wrong last season | OneFootball

Charlie Austin has criticised West Brom's decision to appoint Eric Ramsay instead of James Morrison

Charlie Austin has claimed that West Brom should have appointed James Morrison much earlier than they did.

The former striker has criticised the decision to bring Eric Ramsay to the club in the aftermath of Ryan Mason’s sacking midway through last season.

The Baggies narrowly avoided relegation to League One, with the team finishing 21st in the table, just four points clear of the bottom three.

But it’s been a positive start to the new season under Morrison, who oversaw the final games of 2025/26 before being made the permanent head coach.

Albion drew 1-1 with QPR at the weekend, with the side now earning 14 points from their opening seven games.

West Brom are currently third in the Championship table, although they have played one game more than Middlesbrough and Wolves, who are fourth and seventh, respectively.

Charlie Austin makes James Morrison claim

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Austin has criticised the decision to appoint Ramsay last January, suggesting that Morrison should have already been at the helm by that point.

He praised the team’s start to the season, claiming that it’s about time that the Baggies are back at the top end of the Championship table, but that it’s too early to suggest they will be in the mix for promotion just yet.

“He should’ve got it last year, but they chucked in that American fella that came in, didn’t win a game,” said Austin, via The Charlie Austin Football Channel on YouTube.

“Tried to change everything, knew nothing about English football.

“[Morrison] is in charge now, got them in the right position.

“It’s about time, because for too long West Brom have been mid-table or bottom-end of the Championship, unfortunately.

“But now it’s about time that they started getting back it, and they’ve recruited some young players in there, good old players.

“Conor Townsend’s gone back there, who I played with years ago.

“So, look, it’s going to be exciting, it’s the Championship.

“There’s eight places, the play-offs go down to eight places now.

“We’ll have this conversation continuously obviously through the pod, but you go to the next international break, and then the next one, and then when you go to November, and there’s no more until March, that’s when you start to properly see it take shape.

“And then, all of sudden, it becomes a lot clearer, and that’s even before we get to the turn of the year.”

Ramsay was appointed on 11 January this year, taking over following a disappointing run of form under Mason that led to his dismissal.

The American oversaw nine games during his brief stint in charge at the Hawthorns, with West Brom failing to win a single game in that time.

This led to Albion sliding even further down the Championship table by the time Morrison was appointed as his successor on an initial interim basis.

The 40-year-old earned the permanent role over the course of the final weeks of the season after leading the club to safety.

West Brom’s start to the season

West Brom are unbeaten in their last four league games, winning two and drawing two, while also earning victories against Norwich City and Burnley in the opening weeks.

Their only defeat in the Championship came against Middlesbrough, although the Baggies also lost 3-2 to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup as well.

Morrison’s side are currently third in the table after the opening seven games of the campaign, earning 14 points from a possible 21, which equates to 27 per cent of their total from last season already.

Next up for Albion is a derby clash away to Wolves on 20 September in a 12pm kick-off.

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James Morrison appointment should’ve come sooner for West Brom

Morrison was ready and waiting for the West Brom role while the club gambled on Mason and Ramsay, who were both inexperienced options.

The 40-year-old was the most sensible choice, and the Baggies really fell into it, as they were really stuck for an appointment after Ramsay failed in the role.

But he’s there now, and West Brom are making the most of it, with a promising start to the season showing a path forward.

It’s too early to say that the club could contend for promotion this season just yet, but things are going quite well so far under Morrison, and that will keep supporters happy for the time being.