Furious James Morrison hits out at West Brom performance and questions 'personality' and 'trust' after dismal Oxford defeat

An emotional Morrison, appointed to the role in midweek following Eric Ramsay's sacking, labelled the performance "not good enough" at the beginning of the press conference before he launched into a scathing attack of his side's display in all areas, including the hapless defending for Oxford's two set-piece goals.

When asked by the Express & Star if he felt let down by the players he inherited in midweek Morrison - who is popular with the players - agreed.

He replied: "Yes, I do (feel let down), yeah.

"I've said to them before, I'm with them 100 per cent, I feel like one of them.

"I felt the tools were there to put a performance in, and it wasn't there.

"Especially with all the possession we had. I don't know what the possession stats were, what, 65 per cent? But what did we do with it? Backwards, sidewards, cross from deep, perfect for them.

"When Ollie did when he came on, he's had a shot, he's tried something."

Teenager Bostock scored a first senior goal with a deflected strike on half hour to reduce the deficit, but that was as good as it got for the visitors after Stan Mills and Will Lankshear's easy headed goals inside the first 26 minutes.

Makeshift centre-back Charlie Taylor endured more of the jeers than most of his colleagues after his sloppy pass led to the opener from a corner and he, among others, lost former Baggie loanee Lankshear for the second.

But Morrison got stuck into goalkeeper Max O'Leary for failing to claim the second in his six-yard box and "big centre-half" Krystian Bielik for not winning the header.

"It was not good enough," he summarised."The game started okay, we were putting pressure on them and then the story of the season, we gave them two goals.

"I said to you in the week, set-plays are big for them, I think nearly half of the goals they scored were set plays.

"We had a throw-in in the first one, could have been easy possession, it's just one pass, one pass and we're out. We give it away, that's the first corner.

"We said all week leading into it, the strikers like backing in, like to win fouls. We know Will (Lankshear), that's one of his strengths. What happens? He wins a foul, ball in the box, my goalkeeper doesn't come and collect it, it's the middle of the 6-yard box."

He added: "Defend the set-play, my big centre-half - where is he? It's in his zone, where is he? Go and head it. He wasn't there.

"Little things, probably there's about five or six things you can say that have led you up to the goal."

Albion slumped to one of their most humiliating defeats of the season that has included sackings for Ryan Mason and Ramsay.

Asked about what any manager or head coach can do about repeat failings on the pitch, a pensive Morrison replied: "What can we do...?

"I'm hurting inside, you can probably see that.

"Just the manner of it, how big of a game it was... to not have a personality around the box.

"We brought an 18-year-old on and he was the one who looked like he was doing the most damage.

"Maybe it's the personality you pick? You think you can trust and it wasn't there, maybe you've got to look at that? Maybe we've got to pick the biggest side that we can put out and play for set plays? I don't see any other way."

Albion just about remain outside the Championship drop zone, by a single place and point, but failed to take advantage of rivals losing elsewhere.