James Morrison has struck West Brom gold with £1.5m star - Mason and Ramsay should take note | OneFootball

George Campbell has been key to West Brom's upturn in form since James Morrison was named as interim boss for the rest of the season.

West Brom’s improvement under James Morrison has been clear to see, with the former player immediately getting a tune out of the squad.

The 39-year-old is a modern day legend at The Hawthorns, having made over 300 appearances in the blue-and-white stripes. Having also worked for the club as a coach, it’s clear Albion are in Morrison’s heart.

Nevertheless, when owner Shilen Patel asked the ex-Scotland international to take over, he must’ve had doubts. After all, he had zero management experience, and he was taking over a team that had underwhelmed under both Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay, whilst they hadn’t won in 2026.

James Morrison has brought belief back to West Brom

With fans frustrated, Morrison would’ve wanted to get off to a good start, but a 2-1 loss against fellow relegation rivals Oxford was the worst possible outcome.

Yet, to his credit, the interim boss pulled no punches with his assessment of the players, and he quickly got a response from the group after simplifying the approach and the message.

The 4-4-2 system with two strikers has worked, and Albion followed up a good point at Sheffield United with another one against Southampton, although they were unfortunate not to win as Cyle Larin grabbed an undeserved 90th minute equaliser.

Since then, the Baggies have recorded back-to-back wins, something they last did in the opening two games of the season. But, the real positive is that they secured those victories without conceding a goal.

George Campbell has established himself as a key player for West Brom under James Morrison

For clubs at the bottom of any league, the priority is regularly to become harder to beat, and any success is built on keeping clean sheets.

In truth, Albion have been poor defensively for much of the campaign. Whether it’s individual errors, poor goalkeeping or just bad luck, they often seemed to find a way to let in goals. When you combine that with a toothless attack, it’s no wonder West Brom were in trouble.

So, Morrison had to learn on the job about who he could trust, and he quickly realised that George Campbell needed to be at the heart of the defence.

The USA international joined Albion in the summer from Montreal for around £1.5m, but he took time to fully make an impact. Under both Mason and Ramsay, Campbell was often used at right-back, so he didn’t get a regular run in his preferred position.

That has changed in recent weeks, and Campbell has responded with some huge performances for the Midlands outfit.

Not only has he been a rock at the back, but the 24-year-old has popped up with two crucial goals. A superb long-range effort at Sheffield United earned the team a point, and he scored the winner at Bristol City last time out.

Importantly, he is doing his job defensively as well. Campbell relishes the physical battle that the Championship provides, and his recovery pace allows Morrison to play in a way they maybe can’t if he isn’t in the XI.

As well as that, Campbell appears to be embracing the responsibility of becoming a main man for the Baggies. He organises those around him, and the fact he has stepped up in Albion’s hour of need says a lot about his character.

Of course, the job isn’t done for West Brom just yet, as they’re only four points above the relegation zone.

However, there is optimism and belief around the club for the first time in a long time thanks to Morrison, and whilst it has been a team effort, his decision to put Campbell at centre-back has been key to their revival, and he is sure to have a big role to play in preserving Albion’s Championship status.