James Morrison’s end-of-season ‘get tough’ message to West Brom squad
James Morrison has urged Albion players to use their period of reflection to discover how to grab big moments.
Morrison, 38, ended his caretaker stint with a 5-3 final-day success over Luton with players jetting away on breaks as Albion hierarchy continue rebuild plans.
Former midfielder Morrison, who was first-team coach under Tony Mowbray, urged the players to self-reflect after a late-season collapse saw the Baggies tumble out of play-off contention.
The coach believes Albion must be stronger in critical points during games and when things get tough.
“I think in certain big games we need to step up and be in the mix when certain opportunities get tough,” Morrison said.
“Like at the end of games, in the first five minutes, at crucial times of games, to make sure we are there and ready and have that focus. That’s where I stand on it.”
A theme of Albion’s season has been shipping costly late goals, a problem which plagued the squad despite managerial changes.
An unbeaten start to the season under Carlos Corberan was ended in the closing stages at Sheffield Wednesday and Corberan’s side also shipped two points when pegged back at Oxford in October.
Similar came at Swansea under Chris Brunt’s interim spell in early January and late collapses continued under Mowbray, against Hull, Norwich and Bristol City.
Asked if the dressing room felt regret, Morrison added: “That’s it – the frustration of the season. You look back on games at certain times, dropping points, times we didn’t turn up. It (all) adds up.
“The new man will come and will assess the season, work with the board who are really tuned in. They will have a plan and structure and work towards that.
“It was just about getting a positive result and then have the reflection that I said to them in there
Daryl Dike’s key ingredient to stay mentally strong during West Brom rehab
Albion striker Daryl Dike hailed the support of colleagues, friends and family for keeping him strong on the long comeback from a latest agonising absence.
Dike, 24, marked the final day of the Championship campaign on Saturday with one of the Baggies’ feelgood stories of a forgettable season as he scored on a long-awaited return to starters orders.
Indeed, Dike’s selection by interim boss James Morrison was his first Championship start in 750 days, since April 2023 where he ruptured an Achilles for the first time in Stoke.
Upon that return he was a substitute at Ipswich’s Portman Road the following February, where the same injury on the other side saw him karted off in tears.
Seldom has a player suffered such cruel misfortune with injuries and a total of at least a couple of years on the sidelines have led to questions about the United States international striker’s future prospects.
Prior to his breakdown in Ipswich, Dike had returned with 45 minutes and a goal against non-league Aldershot in the FA Cup. After that he told the Express & Star the key to his resilience to return was down to those around him. Around 14 months later the message is similar.
“Naturally you have doubts about yourself, doubts about your body, whatever it may be,” Dike said.
“Luckily when I have the people around me, people in the squad, family back home, friends back home, tons of staff around to lift you up.
“After training every single day, after working every single day, to be able to put on a decent performance today you show yourself that there is a way.”
Incredibly Dike did not learn he was leading the Baggies’ line against Luton at The Hawthorns until moments before everybody else did. That was unusual practice for Albion, with the team usual outlined at least the day before a game.
Caretaker boss Morrison left hints in his press conference 24 hours earlier, with a smile and a glint in his eye while admitting ‘the simple answer is yes’ when quizzed if Dike was in his thoughts.
“I actually didn’t know until an hour-and-a-half or two hours before kick-off!” Dike laughed. “It was left a little bit late and he came out with the teamsheet, I looked and I was like ‘I’m starting!’
“I don’t usually get nervous before matches but this was one of the few matches where I was a little bit nervous, but it turned out well.”
Dike, who cost £7million from Orlando City in January 2022, added: “I was trying to get myself back into the mindset of ‘you’ve done this before, you’ve played before’.
“I was a little bit nervous, I don’t really get nervous. I was just focusing on things I don’t usually focus on, getting my touches right.
“In my brain I was just like ‘score, score, score, score’ – and luckily I did!”
