'It's important' - James Morrison drops West Brom update | OneFootball

James Morrison feels that he already knows what system he prefers and the type of players he wants to attract for it this summer

West Brom recorded their lowest league finish since the turn of the century last season, narrowly avoiding a disastrous relegation into the third tier for just the second time in their history.

The Baggies found form at the right time to stop those worries of being a League One club coming to fruition, though, going on a 10-game unbeaten run in the lead up to the final day to ensure safety.

A lot of that upturn in form was down to club legend James Morrison, who stepped in as interim following the sacking of Eric Ramsay. At the time, West Brom were teetering precariously above the drop, and would actually fall in momentarily after going winless in Morrison's first three games in charge.

But the latter two draws in that three-game winless run turned into 10 without defeat, with seven clean sheets in an eight-game stretch. It was a remarkable turnaround, and one that earned the 40-year-old the permanent dugout role.

Now, all the focus is on sweeping last season under the rug and returning to being one of the premier sides in the division, and all eyes are on what the Baggies will look like after Morrison has a full pre-season under his belt.

James Morrison keen to keep a similar environment at West Brom ahead of next season

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It turns out that James Morrison doesn't think that the good form to end the 2025/26 term was a case of a "new manager bounce," as he feels that the culture he created is the right one to move into next season.

Per the Express and Star, the West Brom head coach feels that this summer won't be a case of finding a new identity. Instead, he'll be focusing on adding quality recruits who fit the environment he's already begun to put in place during his short time in the role, which gives him a "head start."

"I've created an environment that I like. I know the players," he said.

"If you're talking about head starts, then I've had two months of putting a system in place and players knowing it. So in that case, I've had a head start with what we've done for two months.

"It's important. There will be a process of working together with everyone. I hope that's really important, to come together, because when you work together, you can build success."

There was a real grit and fight amongst the West Brom side in the latter stages of the campaign under Morrison, highlighted by the number of clean sheets they picked up in the run-in, three of which came against sides who would finish in the top six.

More of the same will be needed, alongside a demand for top attacking incomings, to ensure that the Baggies can continue on an upward trajectory in Morrison's first full season in charge at the Hawthorns.

James Morrison is right to want to keep a similar environment ahead of next season

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Last season was a massive underperformance for the Baggies for the large majority of the campaign. The personnel were much better than the results suggested over the first 35 games, and thankfully for them, Morrison was able to get the best out of them.

West Brom have some of the best defenders in the division, with the likes of Nat Phillips, George Campbell, Chris Mepham and more on the Baggies' books, and they were able to showcase that under the 40-year-old.

Using Isaac Price as a wide playmaker seemed to work better than it did in the months that preceded Morrison's appointment, too, so keeping that role for the Northern Irishman could lead to an improved campaign as a whole next year.

The focus clearly has to be at the top end of the pitch, though. With Daryl Dike already departing and Josh Maja and Karlan Grant yet to agree on extensions, a big reset will be needed at the top end of the pitch. Arguably, it would have been a necessity regardless, as the Baggies were massive underperformers of their underlying attacking numbers last season.

Luckily enough, Morrison seems to know the type of player he wants and who will fit into the new environment at the Hawthorns the best.