West Bromwich Albion vs Middlesbrough Predictions

• West Brom have lost six of their last eight league games.
• Middlesbrough have won 13 league matches, second only to Coventry.
• Six of Boro’s 13 wins have been by a 2-1 scoreline.

Ramsay with a tough task

West Brom’s new manager Eric Ramsay faces a tough challenge in his first game in charge of the Championship side as the Baggies host second-placed Middlesbrough on Friday night.

Ramsay led Minnesota United to the MLS semi-finals in his first senior coaching job after working as a coach under Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United.

He certainly faces a task to turn around a difficult situation at West Brom, where they have lost six of their last eight league games and currently sit 18th in the table.

They have been better at home than on their travels but the hosts are still worth taking on when Middlesbrough come to the Hawthorns.

New manager bounce may not matter

Boro started very brightly under new boss Kim Hellberg before a disappointing run of three defeats from four games. However they did win the expected goals battle in all three of those losses, indicating they had been a touch unlucky.

Hellberg’s men duly bounced back with a 4-0 win over Southampton in their last Championship clash and the promotion candidates look a tempting price to get the better of these strugglers.

Boro have won six league games by a 2-1 scoreline this season, including in the reverse fixture, and a repeat of that is fancied in this clash.