West Bromwich Albion

Chris Hall
Fan writer

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West Bromwich Albion currently find themselves on their longest unbeaten run for over a year, and while going six games without defeat might not seem miraculous on the face of it, the circumstances make it much more impressive.

First, there's what preceded it.

Albion had not won for three months prior to this run of form and had lost eight of their last 12 league games.

Were it not for Sheffield Wednesday, Albion would have been rock bottom of the Championship's form table.

The turnaround has been incredible; the Baggies now sit sixth in the current six-game form table, and everyone associated with the club has reason to believe this team can avoid the drop.

Of course, it could always be better.

Fans will be frustrated by points seemingly dropped in that run.

A 2-0 lead was squandered on Good Friday against Wrexham, while a last-minute equaliser at home to Southampton stopped Albion ending the Saints' own impressive unbeaten run.

However, the fact that we are left disappointed to not be beating that play-off chasing duo simply underlines how far we've come in such a short time under James Morrison. And we have done it with extremely limited options.

Throughout this six-game run, Morrison has been without Karlan Grant, Mikey Johnston, Tammer Bany and Chris Mepham, while Jed Wallace and Krystian Bielik have both suffered potentially season-ending injuries.

It has left Morrison going back to the well with the same group of players.

Seven outfield players have started every single one of those six unbeaten games, and between the Good Friday and Easter Monday games, Albion made just one outfield change.

This might go some way to explain why, across the Easter weekend, Albion were convincingly better in the first half of both games than the second, especially as Morrison lacked experienced options from the bench.

Just two of the Throstles' substitutes against Blackburn were aged over 22. The rest of the Albion bench represented a total of 12 league starts between them this season.

Not ideal for a relegation six-pointer, where Morrison admitted after that he wanted to rely on experience in such a big game.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, for the battle-weary Baggies who've given so much to this unbeaten run.

The interim boss confirmed that Mepham, Bany and Grant have all started training last week and their potential returns will be very welcome for a vital run-in as certain players must be feeling the effects of a long, hard season.

Aune Heggebo has now played over a year without a break (due to his previous club Brann's season running to a different schedule from the UK season) and has appeared in every league game for Albion and SK Brann in that time.

That's 64 league games in a row for the Norwegian, if you're counting.

Versatile attacker Isaac Price has appeared in every game for club and country for over a year, totalling 60 consecutive appearances.

And that's before you mention that Danny Imray, Callum Styles and George Campbell have played every minute of every game for over a month now, while Ousmane Diakite and Jayson Molumby have missed just 10 minutes and 13 minutes of football respectively in the same period.

It's something of a miracle Morrison has got so much out of so few players over the past month, and it's a testament to the players involved that they've given so much to the cause.

But I'm sure none of them would be averse to seeing the cavalry riding over the hill to help them out in the final weeks of this relegation battle.

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West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby claimed the side are "happy" with their goalless draw with Blackburn Rovers, as the bottom Championship clubs all dropped points across Easter Monday.

Oxford United and Portsmouth shared a 2-2 draw at Fratton Park in the lunchtime kick-off, before the game against Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City also resulted in a draw.

However, while the Irishman may have had a keen eye on the results elsewhere, his attention is still firmly on the side's own performance.

"The effort and the attitude was there so we are happy with a point in the end," Molumby told BBC Radio WM.

"I'd be lying if we weren't looking at the table after games because that's where we are at the minute.

"If the teams around us or below us drop points, then that's a bonus, but we are definitely focused on ourselves and trying to get as many points as possible before the end of the season."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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West Bromwich Albion interim head coach James Morrison praised his side's commitment in their 0-0 draw at fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers.

The Baggies had the best chance to break the deadlock when Aune Heggebo's first-half shot was superbly tipped onto the crossbar by Rovers goalkeeper Balazs Toth.

The point keeps West Brom four points above the relegation places with five games to play.

"I saw my players give everything," told BBC WM.

"We just lacked a bit of quality in the final third, just lacked that bit of composure - someone who's going to get that final pass off and give our strikers a chance in the box.

""Having said that, the keeper's made a terrific save off Heggebo. It was world-class. Then (had Albion scored) it would have been a different game, sat here 1-0 with a really good away performance.

"It keeps the momentum and we've seen that the results have gone for us again, so we've just got to keep getting the results and points on the board and keep moving forward."

West Bromwich Albion interim head coach James Morrison is preferring to focus on the positives after his side's Good Friday home draw with Wrexham.

The Baggies gave up a two-goal half-time lead to only share the points with their play-off chasing Welsh visitors.

But for Morrison, it was another game ticked off in their battle for survival as the gap between West Brom and the bottom three remains at four points with six matches to go.

"I was really pleased with the first half performance, disappointed with the second half, but happy with getting a point in the end," he told BBC Radio WM.

"It's another game ticked off, another point, five unbeaten and I'm happy we saw it out as we were under a lot of pressure.

"Every point in this situation's a good point, it sets us up nicely to go into Blackburn.

"We have to keep the same belief we've had in recent weeks, go into it positively and we'll be ready."

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Interim Albion boss James Morrison says he has a welcome selection headache for the Baggies' Good Friday visit of Wrexham (15:00 BST).

Goalkeeper Max O'Leary is fit to return after limping off against Hull City on 14 March, with Josh Griffiths coming on to see-out the 3-0 win and then kept a clean sheet in a win at O'Leary's former club Bristol City on 21 March.

"I've made my decision on who starts," Morrison told BBC Radio WM. "It's good for them to compete. They are both important.

"Josh came in and was ready. Max did well leading up to the games he missed. It's a good [headache] to have."

Defender Chris Mepham and attacking midfielder Tammer Bany have also returned to training and Morrison added: "It's a big plus, getting a few faces back. It's positive for the group.

"Ultimately I want people fighting for the spot, putting pressure on people starting. When someone drops out, someone replaces them with the same level of intensity and fight, that's what I've been banging the drum about."

Morrison said it was unlikely either would be ready to feature until after the Easter Monday trip to Blackburn, managed by Michael O'Neill, who also took charge of Northern Ireland in their 1-1 friendly draw against Wales on Tuesday.

Morrison admitted he'd had "genuine concerns" about Isaac Price's involvement in the game, given the significance of Monday's match against O'Neill's club, but added: "I was happy that he only got 45 minutes - Michael did the right thing and I was happy about it."

Bany is hoping to represent Jordan at the World Cup but has played just one solitary minute in the Championship this season and has missed the past 16 games because of a thigh injury.

"He's very keen. He just wants to get back on the pitch to show what he can do," Morrison added. "He's had a difficult period. He's a day to day one, see how he is in training and go from there.

"He's young, come into a new club, when you're injured it can be lonely, sometimes he's on his own. He'll probably feel a bit embarrassed he's been injured for all this period.

"He is young, eager to impress and wants to help on the pitch, it's important he feels the love."

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Championship clubs spent just over £69.5m on agents fees over the past 12 months according to figures released by the Football Association,, external an increase of £6m on the previous year.

The figures cover the period from February 2025 with Ipswich Town the top spenders, paying £11.7m having spent the first three months of the accounting period in the Premier League.

Southampton (£8.3m) and Leicester (£5.8m), who were relegated alongside Ipswich are the second and third-highest payers on the list.

Troubled Sheffield Wednesday were the most frugal when dealing with agents, spending £534,559.

Wrexham come in sixth on the list with an outlay of £3.6m while current Championship leaders Coventry spent just short of £1.5m.

Championship agents' fee spending, external

• Ipswich - £11,738,920

• Southampton - £8,381,358

• Leicester City - £5,866,587

• Sheffield United - £5,005,498

• Norwich - £4,020,206

• Wrexham - £3,660,584

• Swansea - £3,088,645

• Middlesbrough - £2,900,314

• Bristol City - £2,774,990

• Hull City - £2,450,431

• Stoke City - £2,088,886

• Birmingham City - £1,996,502

• Millwall - £1,982,348

• Preston North End - £1,831,233

• QPR - £1,829,036

• Watford - £1,612,833

• Coventry - £1,497,990

• Derby - £1,409,507

• West Brom - £1,346,030

• Oxford - £1,235,536

• Charlton - £904,698

• Portsmouth - £831,818

• Blackburn - £676,980

• Sheffield Wednesday - £534,559

This is the first league meeting between these two sides at The Hawthorns (15:00 BST) with both having different aims for the remainder of the season.

West Brom have moved four points clear of the Championship's relegation zone and are hoping to win three games in a row for the first time this season.

Wrexham will move back into the play-off places with at least a point with Southampton not in league action as they face Arsenal in the FA Cup over the weekend.

• West Brom won the reverse fixture 3-2 in August, and have done the double over each of the past four opponents they have faced for the first time in a league campaign (Scunthorpe 2007-08, Colchester 2006-07, Gillingham 2000-01, Wimbledon 2000-01).

• Wrexham have lost just one of their past nine Football League games played on Good Friday (W5 D3), going down 3-0 at home to Swindon in April 1984.

• West Brom have won their past two league games, as many as they had in their previous 19 (D6 L11). They have kept a clean sheet in these wins, last winning three in a row without conceding in September 2024.

• Wrexham have won 11 of their 17 league games since Christmas (D2 L4), with only Norwich (12) winning more in the Championship in that time.

• Only Hull (14.6%) have a higher shot conversion rate than Wrexham (13.6%) in the Championship this season, with the Welsh ranking fifth for goals (60) but only 19th for total shots (440).

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West Bromwich Albion defender Nat Phillips has praised boss James Morrison's attacking style of play as the side enjoy an uptick in form.

The Baggies are undefeated across their past four league matches, winning their past two under the former assistant coach.

It's a big turnaround from where they were under the guidance of previous boss Eric Ramsay, who was unable to take a win with the team during his nine-game tenure.

"He's [Morrison] been watching us all season, and he would have had his own ideas on what our shortfalls may have been and what he can improve on," Phillips told BBC Radio WM.

"It was one of those things where it just didn't work [with Ramsay]. He wanted to sure things up, especially with the position in the league, and taking away elements of risk and being a bit more direct.

"We've got players who want to dominate possession, who want to have the ball, and be a bit more forward-thinking. Lately, that's shown to have worked better."

Albion will face play-off contenders Wrexham on Friday (15:00 BST) for their first game back following the international break.

But while the side have had some time away from the Championship, the 29-year-old claims the mindset hasn't drifted from the league.

"At a time where results and performances have improved, you want to continue to build on that," Phillips added.

"But I think physically is the big one. It's been a busy period with lots of injuries, and some boys need looking after, so it's given the team a chance to do that."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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The BBC's 72+ EFL podcast team have taken a look at the Championship relegation picture, with some huge games in store at the end of the international break.

Easter Monday (6 April) sees Blackburn and West Brom face-off, level on points just above the drop zone, just hours after second-bottom Oxford United head to Portsmouth.

Third-bottom Leicester will also head to Portsmouth and Blackburn during the run-in.

Former Watford and Reading winger Jobi McAnuff said: "We know Easter weekend is absolutely pivotal and that Portsmouth v Oxford game is looming large, though they both have another game first (on Good Friday).

"It could genuinely could come down to those matches against the teams in and around you. They are absolutely massive.

"Portsmouth are, at the moment, the team I'd be a little bit concerned about in terms of their current form.

"You take it game by game, of course, but that is 100% one everyone in the squad is looking at going 'we need to win that game - if we are going to stay up that is a must win.'

"This two weeks now for Portsmouth is going to be the longest because it's doom and gloom - (losing) 6-1 against a team on their holidays in QPR (in their final game before the break)."

McAnuff also hailed the impact of interim West Brom boss James Morrison, who has taken eight points from his five games at the helm after replacing Eric Ramsey, winning the past two and only being denied three straight wins by a last-gasp leveller against Southampton.

"The big thing about those games - clean sheets," McAnuff said. "When you are in a battle, being hard to beat is the fundamental thing.

"They were really close against Southampton and got pegged back right in the last couple of minutes. It could have been a killer blow.

"To come back from that and now find those couple of wins, they'll have gone into this break absolutely bouncing. The confidence, that feeling back in the dressing room, is absolutely massive at this stage.

"Massive credit to James Morrison because there were a few eyebrows raised. He knows the club inside out and sometimes that's what it takes.

"At the moment he's had a really positive upturn."

Chris Hall
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Albion's defeat by Oxford United on 28 February could well end up being one of the most important days in their season.

At the time, most thought it would be the day that signalled the beginning of the end for the Baggies' Championship survival hopes.

However, it appears that day might have been used as a line in the sand.

James Morrison said after the game: "When it gets tough, we don't get going."

That comment seems to have landed with many in the squad because "get going" is exactly what they have done since.

Albion are now four unbeaten since that dismal day (two draws and two wins), and ended a wait for an away win that stretched back to 1 October when they defeated Bristol City on Saturday.

It has been a remarkable revival for which head coach Morrison has been rightly credited.

But, while his leadership off the field has been integral, his captain's has been equally important on it.

Jed Wallace missed 16 league games through injury between late October and early January.

Albion lost a whopping 10 of those 16 games, yet few put the Baggies' poor form down to the absence of their skipper.

He returned with a bang after Ryan Mason was dismissed, scoring in the FA Cup for then interim boss Morrison before claiming a goal and an assist in Eric Ramsay's first game in charge.

Despite that impact, Ramsay only used Wallace sparingly across his eight league games with the Throstles' skipper averaging 41 minutes per match under the Welshman.

Morrison's appreciation for his captain appears much greater.

Wallace has started all but one of the five league games under Morrison so far, and he has embodied the new head coach's messages perfectly.

After the defeat at Kassam Stadium, Morrison demanded bravery, a stronger mentality and for experienced players to step up.

Wallace has not just heeded that call, he has set an example for others to follow.

No player in the Albion squad has recovered the ball more times, or won more ground duels, than Wallace over the past three games. Only midfield enforcer Ousmane Diakite has made more tackles in that period. Not bad for a right-winger!

But our captain has offered more than just tenacity and hard work - he has delivered quality and creativity too.

He has topped the charts for expected assists (xA) over the past three games, and only Isaac Price has created more chances than him.

Wallace turns 32 this week, but you wouldn't know it to watch him.

The way he flies around the pitch belies his age, and how he snaps at the heels of opposition players like a Yorkshire Terrier must make him a nightmare to play against.

His energy and enthusiasm appear to be rubbing off on his team-mates, who collectively made more tackles on Saturday than in any game for three months.

Former US president John Quincy Adams summed up the impact a true leader can have on a group better than I ever could, so I leave you with his immortal words.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

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West Bromwich Albion manager James Morrison has got his players "believing in themselves" after a second successive win, said the club's record goalscorer Tony 'Bomber' Brown.

The Baggies have escaped the relegation zone and moved four points clear of danger after their victory against Bristol City at the weekend, extending their undefeated run to a fourth Championship game.

"Albion, it runs through his [Morrison's] veins - he loves this club," Brown told BBC Radio WM after the win.

"He's took charge at such a difficult time and he's turned it round so quickly.

"He's gone to a system that suits them, I think that's a big reason. You have to be comfortable as a player when you're playing, you have to know your job, you have to know what you're meant to do and that's what Mozza has done."

But Brown thinks Morrison is not the only one who deserves credit for Albion's change in fortunes.

"You look to your captain to lead your team because he is the leader and Jed Wallace has led by example," Brown added.

"His work rate and commitment, they've all followed him. They've all seen that and they've all worked their socks off."

Listen to Brown's full thoughts on BBC Sounds

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Marc Webber
BBC Final Score reporter

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There may be a few West Brom fans tempted to ring up Fifa today and ask for the international break to be cancelled.

Because it interrupts a rejuvenation in form and performance which most players and fans will not want to end.

If beating Hull at home was not impressive enough, Saturday's result and performance away at Bristol City felt like a potential turning point.

Sure, Bristol City were not that impressive and now have problems of their own, but West Brom were committed and played in a determined manner.

Determined not just to win the game but determined to fight for a clean sheet and build a recovery.

For me the most impressive part of the win at Ashton Gate was how they held off a period of Bristol City pressure late in the game. The West Brom of mid-season may have capitulated to an equaliser in that scenario. This West Brom didn't.

A mirror of the past week faces The Baggies when they eventually return to play at Easter - a play-off chaser at home in Wrexham and an away trip to another team lower down the league, Blackburn.

Keeping minds focused and match fit will be the big challenge facing interim manager James Morrison in the next two weeks.