West Brom Boss James Morrison Points to Strong Home Record Ahead of Millwall Visit
West Bromwich Albion head coach James Morrison has expressed strong confidence in his team's ability to perform against top opposition as they prepare to host promotion-chasing Millwall at The Hawthorns on Friday evening. The Baggies are currently enjoying an impressive six-match unbeaten run in the Championship and have demonstrated notable resilience in recent home fixtures against in-form sides.
Morrison Focuses on Team Performance Against Tough Opposition
Morrison emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on their own game plan rather than worrying about the league table. "We just have to focus on ourselves, that's all we can do," stated the Albion manager. "I am trying not to look at the table. I am just trying to focus on each game and picking up points. If we can do that, we will be fine."
The head coach specifically highlighted his team's tendency to rise to the occasion against challenging opponents. "There is another home game coming up on Friday against a tough side. We tend to do well against tough sides," Morrison noted, referencing recent positive performances against Southampton, Hull City, and Wrexham from which Albion collected five points.
Millwall's Form and Albion's Recent Draw
Millwall, managed by Alex Neil, have been one of the Championship's surprise packages this season and currently sit in second place following their Good Friday victory at Middlesbrough. However, they suffered a setback with a home defeat to in-form Norwich City on Monday.
West Brom extended their unbeaten streak to six matches with a goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers on Easter Monday, despite being unable to break down their opponents despite strong support from 7,500 traveling fans. Morrison made only one substitution during the match, bringing on striker Daryl Dike with under twenty minutes remaining.
Squad Challenges and Injury Updates
The Baggies are currently dealing with significant injury absences that have left their squad threadbare. Their bench against Blackburn featured five teenagers: Harry Whitwell, Ollie Bostock, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, Hindolo Mustapha, and Eseosa Sule. However, there is positive news on the injury front with several players including Chris Mepham, Tammer Bany, and Karlan Grant expected to return to contention in the coming days.
Morrison explained his cautious approach to substitutions during the Blackburn match, stating "I was thinking about changing it all through the game on Monday but we were competitive and I didn't want to lose that. That's why I made a couple of changes to the line-up, to be competitive and fight. You saw that on Monday, so I have no complaints."
As Friday's match approaches, Morrison remains optimistic about his team's prospects against another of the division's top performers, looking forward to "a game against opponents who test you in many different ways."
