James Morrison was “proud” of the way his players dug in defensively and showed “composure” towards the top end of the pitch at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.
The Baggies claimed a 2-1 win over Norwich City on the opening day of the Sky Bet Championship campaign, with forwards Aune Heggebø and JJ Morgan both on target.
Morrison's men had to weather the Canaries storm at times, with goalkeeper Max O’Leary and the defenders in front of him making a number of terrific saves, blocks and tackles with the score at 0-0.
The boss admits there’s still plenty for his players to work on, but was delighted to pick up three points miles away from home on matchday one.
Morrison said: “I’m very proud. We had to dig in because the opposition were strong today. We rode our luck at times and we had to.
“Max O’Leary and the defenders made some great saves and some great blocks. The lads kept going until the final whistle and then we showed that composure at the top end of the pitch when it mattered. JJ Morgan showed his class, like he did throughout pre-season.
“There’s plenty to work on. I think we could be a lot better at times with the ball. I spoke to the lads at half time and I told them that I wanted us to play our way and have that belief to do what we’ve been doing because I didn’t see that in the first half. I also didn’t see us winning battles and second balls, which is what we’re big on. They came out on top in that aspect in the opening half.
“There’s a lot to work on, but, ultimately, I’m really pleased with the result.
“The Championship is about staying in games and being patient when you need to and then capitalising when space opens up, and I think we did that.
“Our away form hasn’t been good enough over the last few years and that’s something that has to change this season. Performances like that, where you need to be resilient, defend and put your body on the line at times, that’s what is going to get us away victories.
“I asked Max O’Leary for big saves and big moments today. He was ready today. The back four also did really well. We had to defend 19 crosses throughout the afternoon and there were times where my heart was in my mouth.
“I want to give a big shout out to the substitutes today. They were called upon and they stepped up. We’ll need that going forward, that collective squad effort.
“I’m really pleased to see Aune Heggebø score. He had a bit of an illness on Thursday, so he didn’t train on Friday. He stepped up today. I haven’t seen the goals back yet – all I saw for his was the cross coming in and Aune being there. He thrives on good crosses as we saw last year. He got off his sickness bed and performed well and scored today.
“For the second, it’s really good for Max to get an assist. We’ve seen how good JJ Morgan is in the box through pre-season. He’s a threat and I want him to continue to be one. We’ve given him an opportunity to step up to the Championship and prove himself. I’m going to stay on him and keep making sure he’s working hard. He’ll have a swagger and we like his attributes.
“We want to win games for the fans. They’ll see the hard work that went into that performance and this club demands hard work and effort. It’s pleasing for them and they can enjoy their Saturday nights.”
