West Brom’s progress under James Morrison has been obvious, with the former player quickly gaining the trust of the squad.

The 39-year-old is a modern-day Hawthorns legend, having played over 300 games in the blue and white stripes. Morrison has also worked as a coach at the club, so Albion is clearly close to his heart.

Nonetheless, when owner Shilen Patel requested the former Scotland international to take charge, he must have had reservations. After all, he had no management experience and was taking over a squad that had underperformed under both Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay, with no wins in 2026.

Ames Morrison has given belief back to West Brom.

With fans dissatisfied, Morrison would have wanted to get off to a positive start, but a 2-1 defeat to fellow relegation rivals Oxford was the worst conceivable scenario.

To his credit, the interim manager did not mince words in his appraisal of the players, and he swiftly received a response from the group after streamlining the approach and messaging.

The 4-4-2 style with two forwards has worked, and Albion followed up a nice point against Sheffield United with another against Southampton, though they were unlucky not to win after Cyle Larin scored an undeserved 90th-minute level.

Since then, the Baggies have won two games in a row, a feat they last accomplished in the season’s first two games. However, the true positive is that they won without surrendering a single goal.

George Campbell has established himself as a crucial player for West Brom under James Morrison.

For clubs in the bottom of any league, the aim is to become increasingly difficult to beat, and any success is built on keeping clean sheets.

In truth, Albion have struggled defensively throughout the season. Whether it was individual blunders, poor goalkeeping, or simply terrible luck, they always managed to find a way to let goals in. When combined with a lackluster assault, it’s little surprise West Brom were in danger.

So Morrison had to learn on the job who he could rely on, and he immediately realized that George Campbell needed to be at the center of the defense.

The USA international signed for Albion from Montreal in the summer for roughly £1.5 million, but he took some time to settle in. Campbell was frequently played at right-back under Mason and Ramsay, therefore he did not get a lot of playing time in his natural position.

That has changed in recent weeks, and Campbell has reacted with some outstanding performances for the Midlands team.

Not only has he been a rock in defence, but the 24-year-old has also scored two important goals. A magnificent long-range shot earned the club a point against Sheffield United, and he scored the winner at Bristol City the last time out.

Importantly, he is also carrying out his defensive duties. Campbell enjoys the physical confrontation that the Championship gives, and his recovery speed allows Morrison to play in ways that he might not be able to do if he is not in the XI.

Furthermore, Campbell appears to be accepting the role of becoming a main man for the Baggies. He organises those around him, and the fact that he stepped up in Albion’s time of need speaks volumes about his character.

Of course, West Brom’s work is far from done, as they are only four points above the relegation zone.

However, there is optimism and belief around the club for the first time in a long time thanks to Morrison, and while it has been a team effort, his decision to put Campbell at centre-back has been critical to their revival, and he will undoubtedly play a significant role in preserving Albion’s Championship status.