Updated March 17, 2026
Promoted from League One but struggling to stay in the Championship
West Bromwich Albion's return to the Championship after promotion from League One has been a bruising reality check. One of the founding members of the Football League and a club that spent the best part of two decades in the Premier League, the Baggies currently sit twenty-first with just 40 points, perilously close to the relegation zone. The gap between League One quality and Championship demands has been laid bare in inconsistent performances that have left The Hawthorns anxious.
Ryan Mason's appointment has not yet delivered the desired results
Manager Ryan Mason was tasked with guiding West Brom through the transition from League One to the Championship, but results have been mixed at best. The squad, largely assembled for a promotion push from the third tier, has been found wanting against more established Championship sides, and the inconsistency under Mason has fuelled debate about whether the club needs a different approach to survive. With nine games remaining, every match is a must-win for a club of West Brom's stature.
The Hawthorns demands better from a fallen giant
The Hawthorns, with its capacity exceeding 26,000, is a ground built for higher-level football, and the supporters who fill it expect better than a relegation fight in the second tier. West Brom's fall from regular Premier League participants to League One and back is one of English football's more jarring declines, and the prospect of an immediate return to the third tier would be a humiliation the club may struggle to recover from. The final stretch of the season will define whether this is a stepping stone or another chapter in a painful decline.