West Brom boss delighted to hear squad's promotion belief

Skipper George Campbell said this week he sees the squad as a ‘minimum play-off’ outfit and that “desperate” Albion have a “real chance” this year.

In learning about his captain’s comments Morrison - who takes the Baggies to tackle expected promotion contenders West Ham on Saturday - was enthused by a confidence that has developed during a positive start to the campaign and daily work at the club’s training base.

“It's good to hear the players have that belief and in their own ability and belief in the squad,” Morrison said. “It's the work you do on a daily basis not just in matches that create the kind of inner belief and motivation.

“You forget sometimes what it's like to be on the pitch. I sit 10 yards away from the touchline and you guys in the press watch from above in the stands where it can look easy. It's far from easy.

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“The season is hard and very, very long so it's obviously good that the captain's talking like that.”

The head coach added: “I want my players to be free. I don't want them to feel any negativity. I want them to believe that they're going to do good things.

“We know we're going to have to be at our best at West Ham.

“It’s important you have a style of play that you trust and you work to implement it every day.”

This weekend’s London Stadium test is seen as one of the sternest in the Championship with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men third after 12 games, with a squad packed full of players from their Premier League relegation and expectation to return.

For Albion the stage is a big one, with a 60,000 crowd in east London and a run of tough games including Southampton on the horizon at The Hawthorns on Tuesday night.

Memory flicks back to before the international break, where Morrison’s men endured stage fright and failed to perform on a big stage in the Black Country derby at Molineux.

“I felt in the Wolves game the crowd played a big part,” the head coach said. “We've got to learn from that experience and have more confidence in ourselves.

“I'd rather go there and have a go than watch a team I don't recognize.

“There will be times when the crowd get up and they will have chances. That's when we have to stand tall. It's playing the game you want to play. Be brave when you take the ball, when you're under pressure, manage the momentum, think cleverly.

“We're in a good place. It was only two weeks ago that we were coming off two defeats, so we know how quickly the Championship can turn and what a tough division it is.

“I mentioned a couple of weeks ago it's about fine margins and I certainly haven't changed my thinking. We've been in the majority of games and it can't be any different against a strong team like West Ham.”