sack

Steve Hermon, West Brom commentator for BBC Radio WM

Eric Ramsay’s reign was nothing short of disastrous. His tenure lasted just 44 days, which happens to be the same as Brian Clough’s infamous spell at Leeds United in 1974.

That featured in a movie about the legendary manager’s life, The Damned United, and it had elements of comedy, but if the Welsh head coach’s stay at The Hawthorns were to be made into a film, the genre would have to be horror.

The 34-year-old leaves with a litany of unwanted records.

It is the shortest reign of any permanent Baggies boss in their history, he oversaw their heaviest home defeat in the second tier as they were hammered 5-0 by Norwich City, and his win percentage is 0%.

Taking just four points – courtesy of four draws – in his eight league games has dropped the club deep into a relegation battle.

Ramsay refused to say it, but he knew that Tuesday night’s game with Charlton Athletic was a must-win.

He told me in his interview after the 1-1 draw that it wasn’t good enough and that “what will be, will be”, as if knowing what was to come just minutes later.

The former Minnesota United boss and his assistant, Dennis Lawrence, were summoned into a boardroom meeting with chairman Shilen Patel after his media duties were complete, and the axe fell.

The Welshman accepted in his final interview with me that he was “not blameless”, and while he is no doubt a clever man, switching immediately to a 3-4-3 formation with players not equipped to play that way was not a smart move.

He promptly ditched it after another loss to Portsmouth.

Questions must also be asked of the players, whose failure to take chances has led to a second sacking of the season, and the third in less than a year, but the hierarchy must also provide answers to the fans.

Their naive decision to give the job to a second young head coach in a row has put the club at risk of an unthinkable drop into the third tier for only the second time in their history.

But there won’t be time to analyse a host of mistakes now.

James Morrison begins a third spell in interim charge in the space of less than 11 months.

The former midfielder is unbeaten in the three games he’s overseen and said, in his own words after the Swansea City FA Cup victory just hours before Ramsay’s arrival six weeks ago, West Brom is “in his DNA”.

With 12 games to go, he will do all he can to keep the club he loves in the Championship.

Meanwhile, back at boardroom level, and just days before the second anniversary of his takeover of the club, Patel will begin the search for his fourth head coach.

The Tottenham hierarchy now have a huge decision to make.

Thomas Frank’s future at the club is uncertain. That isn’t a secret, of course – it has been the case for weeks.

Large sections of the supporters want him sacked. The boos that rang round Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time were testament to that prevailing feeling from a disgruntled fanbase.

Crucially, there has been a loss of support towards the Dane internally.

So, the fact Frank’s disastrous first season in charge lurched to deeper depths following this defeat by Newcastle may have significant consequences.

If Nottingham Forest, who occupy 17th, beat Wolves on Wednesday night they will go level on points with Tottenham.

Frank is understandably hesitant to admit his side are in relegation fight – but the numbers don’t lie.

That said, it may not be Frank’s problem for much longer – Tottenham‘s latest loss will push the beleaguered manager closer to what appears an inevitable exit.

Indeed, such has been the level of contemplation regarding Frank’s immediate future at Tottenham in recent weeks that this loss will almost certainly trigger further soul-searching from the club’s leadership group.

The fact the Spurs board have stuck by Frank during such a difficult period proves they want the appointment to work.

The easier decision would have been to show Frank the door by now.

However, the Tottenham hierarchy believe Frank has been dealt a rough hand.

There’s an acknowledgment that the season has been disrupted by multiple injuries to key players.

There is also recognition that the squad needs repair work – particularly considering the departures of their two main sources of goals in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

There is also a sense behind the scenes that the squad is lacking in leadership. It was why they signed England international Conor Gallagher and tried to land Andy Robertson from Liverpool – both with plenty of Premier League experience.

There is also a sense from Tottenham‘s executive team that the club require a period of managerial stability.

But by the same token, sources have told BBC Sport that work towards a contingency plan in the event they make a decision they really don’t want to make illustrates the precarity of Frank’s position.

If the club decide to part with Frank in the immediate aftermath of this Newcastle defeat, they will have 12 days until their next fixture against Arsenal on 22 February.

That leaves Tottenham with a prolonged window to execute their replacement plan and leave Frank’s successor with time to implement a blueprint for the north London derby.

The pressure on Frank is at breaking point. We are about to find out if Tottenham crack.

ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons rookie star James Pearce Jr. was arrested near Miami on Saturday night after fleeing officers and then crashing his car following what police said was a domestic dispute with Sparks player Rickea Jackson.

Pearce, the first-round pick who led the Falcons in sacks and was third in NFL defensive rookie of the year voting, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after Doral police were summoned to investigate a reported domestic dispute between a man and a woman.

According to jail records, Pearce is facing charges of two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon as well as aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren. Bond was not immediately set on all the charges.

The Falcons said in a statement they are aware of the arrest.

“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami,” the Falcons said in a statement provided to the Associated Press. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”

WPLG TV in Miami reported Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez confirmed the dispute was between Pearce and Jackson, a forward for the WNBA’s Sparks. Jackson was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and averaged 14.7 points in 38 games, including 37 starts, in the 2025 season. Jackson played college basketball for Tennessee and Mississippi State.

Pearce, an edge rusher from Tennessee, was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft as the Falcons emphasized the pass rush. Pearce had 10 1/2 sacks and his 45 quarterback pressures set a team record for a rookie. Pearce had 26 tackles and 16 quarterback hits. He forced a fumble and recovered a fumble while playing in all 17 games.

The Falcons finished 8-9, leading to the firings of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as coach and Ian Cunningham as general manager.

Odum writes for the Associated Press. AP Sports Writer Maura Carey in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Wigan said Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow will take charge of the first team on an interim basis while the club “will work quickly to identify and appoint” a new head coach.

The club also thanked Lowe for “his efforts and wishes him all the best for the future”.

Lowe previously won promotion from League Two with Bury and Plymouth and finished 13th, 12th and 10th in the Championship with Preston.

Having arrived at the club at the tail end of the 2024-25 season, Lowe guided Wigan to a 15th-placed finish in the table.

After winning against Northampton on the opening day of this season, Wigan’s form soon tailed off as they secured just three victories from 17 matches in all competitions between late August and late November.

Wigan’s next match is at home in the league against Reading on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) before they travel to face Premier League leaders Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, 15 February (16:30).