Morrison appointed as permanent West Brom head coach
The decision to give James Morrison the job permanently is a no‑brainer. The work he has done in his third interim spell has been nothing short of remarkable. When he stepped in after the sacking of Eric Ramsay, Albion were rock bottom in confidence and on a 10‑game winless run.
His first match - a 2–1 loss to fellow strugglers Oxford at the end of February - prompted him to call out some players for an "unacceptable" performance. It's a dangerous card to play, but the squad responded with a miraculous turnaround that has seen them go 10 unbeaten. He brought in Matt Gill in the days after that U's defeat, praising the former Southampton assistant for his 'fun' training sessions.
Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill, who've been by his side for all of his caretaker stints have also been credited, and under-21 boss Leigh Downing was brought into the mix as well. Morrison has leaned on experience too, picking up the phone to former Albion managers Steve Clarke and survival specialist Tony Pulis. It looks like he took particular inspiration from the latter.
Since the catastrophe at the Kassam, the Baggies have gone back to basics, proving that a simple 4‑4‑2 can still work in the modern game. They've been defensively solid - seven clean sheets in their last eight - but also more threatening going forward, with more crosses into the box and more touches in the opposition area than under Ryan Mason or Ramsay. The man they call 'Mozza' - only his mother calls him James, he joked in an early radio interview - has also been impressive when a microphone has been shoved in his face.
By his own admission laid back, but in the pressure cooker of a relegation battle and a points deduction being thrown into the mix, that's an ideal trait. Despite being softly spoken his words are filled with passion and honesty, which is all the fans want to hear. That authenticity, combined with the improvement on the pitch, has brought the fans back on side.