'Culture, professionalism and very coachable group' - Eric Ramsay and Shilen Patel underline West Brom belief

The former Minnesota United boss, who has also coached at Shrewsbury, Chelsea and Manchester United, faces a job to hit the ground running and lift the struggling Baggies clear of 18th - just seven points from the drop zone - in the second tier.

At his first press conference at The Hawthorns on Wednesday, speaking alongside chairman and owner Shilen Patel, Ramsay was coy on short or long-term targets but instead underlined his belief in the group of players he inherited to pull the club clear of trouble.

"I think it's a very coachable group," Ramsay said when asked about the dressing room he has walked into. "I think the word professionalism has been used a lot by the staff that are around the group.

"There is a very strong culture of work, there is a very strong support staff from a sports science and performance perspective that is wrapped around that group, and you really get that sense.

"So, as alluded to, in no way do I feel like I'm going into a club, or a changing room where there's a cultural problem, or where there are problems with professionalism. It's a really good group, and you can sense that already.

"My job is to now make sure that that sense of positivity lasts. I build real clarity in terms of the framework that the players are operating in. I demand within that, the staff demands within that, and we start to build some coherence and some consistency in terms of what's being asked."

Both Ramsay, who follows Tony Mowbray and Ryan Mason into The Hawthorns hotseat, and owner Patel described the remainder of the campaign a "20-game season".

The new boss has walked into a squad that recently lost a near-club record 10 away games on the spin and have failed to win successive matches since August.

Patel, who was speaking at an open media conference for the first time, emphasised his unwavering belief in the club.

"One hundred per cent - and I think everybody in the organisation would agree with that assessment," he said when asked of belief in the squad's capability.

"There are any number of reasons why we are where we are but I think we all have a belief about where we can be and what this group is capable of - the players, staff, everybody.

"We have to deal from the position we are in, but there is a conviction that we are among the better clubs in this league and that can show through."

The Tampa-based chairman added: "We have to deal with the reality of where we are, but I think the only way to do that is to succeed match-to-match, so the remit is that, to guarantee this group of players is as prepared as it could be for every match to get the best possible result. We will see what that's amounted to.

"There are 20 opportunities to prove what the club is capable of and we'll take it from there."