James Morrison was left seething after West Bromwich Albion's lacklustre 2-1 defeat at relegated Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the Championship season. The Baggies boss, however, tempered his frustration by reflecting on the team's recent form that secured their safety.
Morrison's Half-Time Anger
Morrison, in his first match since being permanently appointed on Thursday, admitted he was furious at his players' display in the first half. The Owls, who had not won at home all season, scored two quickfire goals from set-pieces in four minutes before the interval.
"I'm a little bit frustrated," Morrison conceded. "I didn't recognise the performance. We've set a standard and that wasn't the standard we set."
Substitute Karlan Grant pulled one back late on, but it was not enough to extend Albion's unbeaten run to 11 games. Morrison revealed he had to confront his players at half-time for the first time since taking charge.
"It was the first time I've had to get angry at half-time," he added. "The positive thought came into my head, thinking about where we were and where we've been and what we've achieved. Because imagine if we didn't do it last week, coming here today, needing something. It would have been tough."
Sheffield Wednesday's Celebrations
The match at Hillsborough was a celebration for the Owls, who confirmed their takeover by David Storch before kick-off in front of a season-high Championship crowd of 33,750. Morrison felt his side were affected by the occasion.
"It was certainly their celebration, and we let their occasion probably affect us, really," he said. "They probably wanted it a bit more than us, which is disappointing. That's what we've built our principles on, really, of that fight and that hard work, and it wasn't there today."
When asked about balancing his emotions, Morrison replied: "It'll just be time. It'll be time, and having people around me to take my mind off it."
