West Brom eyeing new Celtic raid in potential James Morrison boost | OneFootball

James Morrison is looking to expand his backroom team ahead of his first pre-season in charge at West Brom

James Morrison is readying West Brom for his first pre-season in charge of the club after being appointed the permanent head coach.

The 40-year-old was initially brought in on an interim basis following Eric Ramsay’s sacking in February.

Ramsay lasted just 44 days in charge after he took over in January in place of Ryan Mason, but a failure to win any of his nine games as head coach led to his dismissal.

Morrison oversaw four wins and six draws from his 12 matches as head coach, ensuring Albion’s survival in the Championship by four points.

West Brom will be keen to improve on their 21st place finish next season, and avoid a relegation battle altogether.

But while Morrison has earned the chance to be the permanent head coach, this will also be his first opportunity in that role in his career.

James Morrison targets additions to his West Brom backroom team

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It has been reported by the Express & Star that West Brom are targeting a move for Celtic coach Gavin Strachan to add to Morrison’s coaching staff.

It’s believed that the highly-rated coach is seen as a strong option to join the backroom for next season, as the new manager looks to find his number two.

The 47-year-old is the son of former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan, and he has also worked under the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Neil Lennon, Martin O’Neill and Brendan Rodgers during his time as a coach at Parkhead.

Strachan spent time in English football as a player, plying his trade with the likes of Peterborough United and Coventry City, among others, before retiring in 2011.

He focused on his coaching career, and has been a member of the first team staff with the Glasgow giants since 2020, earning him a strong reputation within the game.

And now Morrison is hoping he can convince him to move to the Hawthorns, as he looks to build a full team of coaching staff.

Tony McMahon is also being eyed for a role under the new West Brom boss, while it is hoped that Matt Gill will remain at the club.

McMahon played alongside Morrison during their time together at Middlesbrough, with the pair knowing each other well.

The West Brom players are expected to return for pre-season in the coming weeks, and Morrison will want his staff in place in time, with the fixtures list set to be released on 25 June.

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James Morrison is making exciting moves behind the scenes

Morrison did an impressive job in turning things around for West Brom, only losing one of his first 11 games in charge, with a loss coming in the 12th being a meaningless result in the grand scheme of things.

And now he is looking at some exciting options to bolster his coaching team, as Strachan has a lot of first team experience at a high level from his time at Celtic.

He’s also no stranger to English football, and has been an assistant manager at Doncaster Rovers and Peterborough United in the past.

Getting these moves done before pre-season would be a great start to the summer for Morrison, as their expertise will prove quite useful for his first full campaign as head coach.