Does Ramsay have the players to play his way?

Any managerial change is a risk.

However, to change manager, style and formation mid-season without the financial clout to overhaul the squad is certainly a gamble.

That's what Albion did earlier this month, parting ways with Ryan Mason and his 4-2-3-1 and appointing Eric Ramsay, who immediately transitioned the Baggies to a back three (or five, depending on your perspective) and a lower possession style.

The results were not immediate.

Albion lost their first two games under Ramsay, shipping eight goals in the process, but, with important players back and more time on the training pitch to implement his methods, the Welshman saw a much-improved display earn a point at Derby on Friday night.

So, will the gamble pay off for Albion?

Goalkeeper was a huge problem position for Ryan Mason.

Josh Griffiths and Joe Wildsmith let in around 12 more goals than the data says they should have.

The club have since moved to address this issue with the signing of Max O'Leary.

So, did Albion need a new goalkeeper more than they needed a new manager?

While issues between the sticks undoubtedly contributed to Albion's poor form under Mason, it wasn't the only factor.

The defence and midfield struggled with Mason asking them to play out from the back, and opponents had started to target the Baggies' deficiencies in this area with high presses resulting in goals against.

Then there were problems with game management, with the Baggies dropping a total of 10 points in the last 15 minutes of matches.

So, it was understandable that a change was made, but the question still remains: Does Ramsay have the players to play his way?

In defence and midfield, you could argue that many are better suited to his style.

Nat Philips and Chris Mepham had their confidence sapped by Mason's desire to play through them, but Ramsay's low-possession style asks less of them in this regard.

In midfield, it seems clear that Toby Collyer was supposed to be a huge part of Mason's build-up, but the Manchester United loanee's lack of fitness, coupled with intermittent absences for Jayson Molumby and Alex Mowatt, left Ousmane Diakite often fulfilling a role he did not seem technically quipped for.

But, on Friday night, the Malian was much more the destroyer-in-chief and looked far more at home. He also carries a substantial set-piece threat, which is a vital asset to a Ramsay team.

But there are issues.

Callum Styles is something of a hybrid full-back who should make a good wing-back, but I imagine the Baggies' coaching staff wish they could clone him so they had another on the other side.

Right wing-back has been a real problem position so far. Isaac Price and Mikey Johnston have given it a go, but both looked like a fish out of water.

Jed Wallace has looked the most at home, but has only played the role with Albion chasing the game. Whether he can be as effective from 0-0 remains to be seen.

And star man Johnston is also a problem in this shape.

The Championship's top assister has been somewhat tamed by the new system, both in his outing at right wing-back and in the narrower attacking role in which he was deployed on Friday.

The best we've seen from the Irish attacker under Ramsay was dovetailing with Samuel Iling-Junior on the left-hand side in the dynamic second-half comeback against Middlesbrough.

Albion's regular left-sided attacker, Karlan Grant, went off with a worrying-looking injury against Derby, which we hope is not serious.

If he is set for a spell on the sidelines, perhaps that could be Johnston's role for the foreseeable future.

The dramatic draw at Derby offered promise, as did the overall performance, which was much improved from the cataclysmic display against Norwich.

But if Albion are to find the kind of consistent results and performances to pull themselves clear of danger, then Ramsay must find solutions to the aforementioned quandaries in a squad that was not designed for his system.

Listen to more from Chris Hall at the Albion Analysis, external