'The fire still rages' - but ice-cool West Brom boss James Morrison feels no pressure
The intensity was on as James Morrison had to ensure survival last season - and now there is a different demand as he prepares to go at the role full-time
“Winner” James Morrison has been backed to remain ice-cool while leading Albion as head coach.
Morrison’s tenure in permanent charge takes another step forward on Thursday as the Baggies return for pre-season training to the club’s base in Walsall.
The head coach and his new backroom staff, appointed this week, will get a first look at the squad and the three new transfers as players arrive for medical and physical testing.
Former Albion star Andy Johnson, who covers the club for the Baggies in-house media, does not believed Morrison is swayed by pressure of believes the new boss is born for the role.
“He's wholehearted,” Johnson told the Express & Star. “If there's one thing you could say about what Moz - he's a winner.
"He can be quite quiet and quite shy, but he's got that fire that burns inside of him.
"He just wins. He will not concede, and he wants to win everything he does. That fire goes out with some people, over years, it dwindles. With him, it hasn't. It's still raging and he's still wanting to win every single football match. That's a real talent.
“I don’t think he feels the pressure. Some people were born for this sort of thing.”
Morrison led the fight for Championship survival last term and was rewarded by being appointed on a full-time basis one game before the end of last season.
A summer break has allowed a recharge but Morrison and his staff are planning to lead a turnaround. Johnson believes a familiarity and connection will help.
He added: "Moz has always been there. He bleeds West Brom through and through. He knows the club. He understands the club.
"He understands the supporters of the football club as well. He gets the area.
"He's really in touch. He's got his finger on the pulse of everything that goes on, and also the wider field in the local areas.
"He's worked with the Foundation. He knows everything about the football club. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best guy to appoint for the job.
"The results that he's got from that just show you that the players love playing for him.”
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