Newly-appointed West Bromwich Albion head coach James Morrison did not need a limp performance and defeat on the final day to bring a feeling of crashing back down to earth. The 39-year-old penned a deserved two-year deal at The Hawthorns last week after salvaging the club's Championship status. But he knew all too well the perils and pitfalls of the top job at the club he has represented for almost two decades.
Morrison's Pre-Monition
Morrison reckoned last week he could 'smell' an underwhelming day coming at Hillsborough. He tried to gee his troops up sufficiently despite having sealed survival the previous weekend, but Sheffield Wednesday, with the added boost of celebration at a takeover from Dejphon Chansiri, were deserved winners. The hosts achieved what they had failed to do all season long in a treacherous campaign at Hillsborough: earn three points.
A Tough Task
It was not a straightforward task for Morrison's visitors. Having secured survival last time out despite a controversial two-point deduction, it was always going to be tricky against an Owls side riding the crest of a wave with new owner David Storch in situ. And that transpired to be the case. Morrison went largely strong with his line-up, but Albion flattered to deceive badly.
Morrison wanted to end the season by making it 11 matches unbeaten after the ink dried on the two-year contract he agreed in the middle of last week. But the former Scotland international entered the job on a full-time basis with his eyes wide open to the scale of the job ahead.
No Illusions
Nobody is clearer on the size of the challenge than Morrison. A run of 10 matches unbeaten made the caretaker impossible for Shilen Patel's Bilkul Football WBA to ignore, but it did not fool Morrison into believing he had cracked the secret to head coaching and transforming Albion. The former midfielder knows full well the demands of this club, its supporters, and the job he has been entrusted with.
'Football's got a funny way of telling you not to get carried away,' he admitted afterwards. Morrison said he had 'smelled' a different mindset and tempo from his players heading into the clash that had served them so well for the previous seven weeks. It was a touch understandable, to an extent. Albion completed the survival act the previous weekend, and it is always difficult to maintain the levels once it is 'job done'.
Atmosphere at Hillsborough
Sheffield Wednesday, on the other hand, enjoyed their day in the sun as Storch's takeover from Chansiri was confirmed. The atmosphere in front of the Championship's biggest gate of the season was deafening, particularly pre-match where Storch addressed a crowd that lapped it up. Hillsborough's new American ownership confirmed next season would begin on zero points in League One, and no points deduction. It was some din.
Albion hope the only way is up under Morrison, and the newly-appointed head coach insisted he learned stacks from the 2-1 defeat in South Yorkshire. He has said on several occasions that more is taken from defeats, and this was a first in 11 matches. Albion deserved to take no more from the season finale.
Farewells and Future
The Baggies featured five out of contract players who might have made club farewells, either as starters or from the bench. If decisions on individuals' futures were not already made in the back of the head coach's mind, then Saturday may well have helped. Morrison has high standards, and it is abundantly clear he will not stand for the level of performance Albion delivered at Hillsborough.
The head coach revealed afterwards his anger at the manner of the no-show, and three half-time substitutions spoke for themselves. Things barely improved. Morrison cut a measured and reflective head coach at full-time, however, after saying thank you to almost 2,500 travelling fans. He was keen to stress his frustration at the display but balance it with the mitigation of efforts from the players in recent weeks.
Morrison knows more than anybody the hard work starts now. A finish of 21st in the Championship is unacceptable for this club, and it is the relief of everybody that this shambolic season has drawn to a close. Morrison's work bailed out the owners, who are fortunate to have not led the club to League One. Better has to come all round, and it will take a serious level of work and correct decisions in this important summer.
