West Brom relegation woes crank up as rival's victory sends Baggies into bottom three

The season has entered February and with just three months of the second-tier campaign remaining Albion have sunk into the division's drop zone and now occupy a relegation place.

It is a sad indictment of a thoroughly miserable campaign from the Baggies which has so far lurched from one failure to the next and there are now 16 fixtures remaining to avoid the third tier for the first time since 1993.

Relegation rivals Blackburn edged past doomed basement boys Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Ewood Park on Tuesday night to climb above the Baggies on goal difference.

It was managerless Blackburn's first match since former Albion boss Valerien Ismael was dismissed following a torrid run.

It has been the story of the ex-Baggies chiefs in Lancashire, with both Tony Mowbray - who also previously managed Rovers - and the out-of-work Slaven Bilic linked to the post.

It is understood a Blackburn return for Mowbray is unlikely. Mowbray's brief return stint at The Hawthorns lasted barely a couple of months before he was sacked last April.

Blackburn are reported to be keen on fellow Albion promotion-winner Bilic, who has been out of work since departing Saudi football in 2024.

Albion, now in 22nd, are on their second head coach of the season with current incumbent Eric Ramsay still searching for a first win after four games at the helm.

It has been a disastrous start for the 34-year-old, who succeeded Ryan Mason last month, with three defeats from four including heavy losses to lowly rivals Norwich and Portsmouth.

Albion are back in action at home to Stoke on Saturday where Ramsay is under increasing pressure to bag a first victory given the outlook.

The head coach has admitted he has been unable to spark the desired reaction from the squad.

Just a few days later comes a rearranged midweek trip to Birmingham.

The out-of-sorts Baggies tackle relegation rivals Charlton, at home, and head to second-bottom Oxford both this month. There is a crunch fixture at Blackburn on Easter Monday. The final game of the campaign is a trip to Sheffield Wednesday, who will be relegated by that stage.

Many of Albion's home fixtures in the second half of the campaign come against the division's big-hitters or in-form sides with Coventry, Southampton, Wrexham, Millwall and Ipswich all still to visit the Black Country.

Albion were only able to boost their squad with two new teenage loan attackers on deadline day as Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba and Hindolo Mustapha, when supporters had hoped for more nous given the dogfight.

Off the field there has been drama as club president and sporting director Andrew Nestor has been dismissed by owner and chairman Shilen Patel after repeated failings. Nestor's exit is still to be confirmed.