Inside James Morrison's work to help West Brom get the best from Isaac Price with simplicity, intelligence and emotion

The Northern Ireland international, who joined the club in January 2025, netted twice more in October but goals dried up and Price and team-mates copped flak from angry Albion fans at a lack of wins under both Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay.

It reached a nadir for Price at Portsmouth in late January with a frustrated verbal altercation with away supporters. The attacking midfielder has, at times, found himself a lightning rod for criticism, in part due to showing quality and promise earlier in his Baggies career.

Boss and former Hawthorns midfield star Morrison insists the key is simplicity. He said: "He's someone I've been trying to get around through my time being in this role.

"I think in that position, he can be a threat by running from deep and using his energy. Again, it's playing to his strengths, trying to simplify it when you're in a tougher spell.

"It's about him just maintaining a level-headedness and just focus on your job. Once one goes in, I'm sure he'll get back to the start of the season."

Price is a regular goalscorer and talisman for Northern Ireland, for whom he reached a tally of 10 goals in just 28 caps - a better rate than the legendary late George Best's nine in 37 appearances.

Former Everton youngster Price has previously stated he prefers playing from the left flank, being able to cut inside. For much of the season he was used as the central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1.

Now, under Morrison, he is the left-sided player in a 4-4-2. The energetic Price netted his seventh goal of the season with Saturday's third against Hull in the key first league win over 2026.

"I think his best position is that he can play multiple positions," added Morrison, who who a versatile option in his near 350-game Baggies career.

"Again, in my time I've played centre midfield, left, right, as a 10. It's a good arsenal to have in a squad where the manager trusts you in different positions. He can use his energy because that's one of his best strengths as well.

"I think he'll get carried away and he'll go and do a 60-yard press when he doesn't need to and I've been trying to tell him that. So that when he gets the ball, he's not knackered after his 60-yard dart. I'm trying to get that game intelligence into him as well."

Morrison revealed a lot of his work has been an arm around Price in a bid to lift spirits and get him producing for relegation-battling Albion.

"He's had one or two tough days," the head coach said. "When you're a young player you can let your emotions get the better of you. It's something that he's got to work on and he'll learn pretty quickly from what's happened.

"It'll make him a better player and a better person with understanding. I'm working closely with him and he's going to be a big, big player for us.

"We've seen at the start of the season what he can produce. I think it's up to us and him to try and make that more consistent. That's what you have to have in your game if you're going to be a top player - consistency week in, week out.

"Especially in this league because this game is thick and fast. I'm almost 100 per cent sure that he'll get that into his game."