'Everyone needs to take step forward' - West Brom boss focuses on much-needed improvement in final third

But the 34-year-old head coach is yet to taste victory in seven games at the helm and is already feeling the heat ahead of a monumental eight days of action.

Albion have led for just four minutes - in extra time at Swansea in the FA Cup on January 11 - in 2026 and carving out chances required to win games is a huge concern among supporters. Ramsay is buoyed by defensive progress but knows more attacking improvement is urgently needed.

"They're not easy to come by as people connected with this club well know," Ramsay said of clean sheets. "It's very difficult to go back-to-back, Saturday and Tuesday clean sheets, difficult atmospheres, lots of pressure and I think the fact that we did that was a real step forward.

"But I'm also aware that step forward doesn't represent what is necessary at the moment and we've got to go beyond, we've got to do that and we've got to win and we've got to win repeatedly.

"So it's a step forward but it's still not where we need to be."

Striker Aune Heggebo, with nine, is Albion's top goalscorer but he has not netted since December 12. Mikey Johnston still jointly-leads the Championship assist reckoning with nine but does not have one this calendar year.

"We've got another step forward that is needed and quickly in that sense," Ramsay said of his side from an attacking perspective.

"But I would say as bare minimum at the moment what we've got is a sense of progress and that's really important.

"To have been able to feel like we've turned a corner, to feel like there is the basis of a really competitive team there, that's important. That was a big first hurdle to overcome and we've overcome that and now we've got to make sure that on top of that, that's retained and we're adding goals and we're adding wins."

Johnston has struggled with injury of late which has reduced him to a substitute role in the last two league games.

Fellow attacker Isaac Price, one of Albion's leading talents in the final third, has been unable to fire with just one goal or assist since November 8 after a red-hot start to the season. Neither have delivered in attack under Ramsay.

But the boss said improvement is needed across the board.

"We are at a point in the year where everyone needs to take a step forward everyone needs to raise the level," he said.

"If that wasn't the case we wouldn't be where we are, so I wouldn't put added pressure on those two on top of anything that we've demanded of the group in general.

"The group in general is not satisfied with where it is at the moment so I would certainly put those two in that bracket with everyone."