Two games, two dramatic comebacks and six massive points for James Morrison’s Baggies. There’s certainty been no shortage of entertainment for Baggies supporters recently, but while the results have been fantastic, there’s one question we need to ask: are Albion showing the character of a side turning a corner, or are our slow starts becoming a serious concern?
Against Wrexham, Albion left it late, with Isaac Price and Aune Heggebø turning the game around in the closing stages. Then came Saturday’s extraordinary afternoon at The Hawthorns, where Blackburn Rovers raced into a 2-0 lead inside just 12 minutes. At that point, plenty of Albion fans feared the worst.
However, Barney Stewart gave us hope, Isaac Price showed nerves of steel with his cheeky Panenka penalty, and Felix Horn Myhre completed a remarkable turnaround with an 89th minute winner. From looking completely out of the contest to celebrating a 3-2 victory, it was the sort of afternoon that reminds us why we love football.
There’s no denying the spirit this Albion side is showing. After two disappointing derby defeats against Wolves and Birmingham, it would have been easy for heads to drop. Instead, Morrison’s players responded with determination, belief and a willingness to fight until the end.
But here’s the problem. We cannot keep giving teams a head start and expecting to rescue ourselves every week.
Conceding twice inside the opening 12 minutes against Blackburn was alarming. While the comeback deserves enormous credit, a stronger opponent might not have allowed Albion back into the game. Sooner or later, these slow starts to the game could prove costly in our promotion push.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect is that Albion now appear to have the confidence to recover from setbacks. Players like Price, Molumby and Heggebø are stepping up when it matters, and there’s a growing sense that this team won’t simply roll over when things go against them.
The challenge for James Morrison is finding a way to combine that fighting spirit with greater defensive organisations and concentration from the final whistle.
Personally, I’m delighted with back to back wins and sitting in the play off places with 20 points after our first 11 games with the character shown. You can’t help but enjoy matches in such dramatic fashion. But I’d much rather see Albion take control of games early than spend every Saturday putting our nerves through the wringler!
Now it’s over to you, Baggies fans!
Are these comebacks a sign that Morrison is building something special at The Hawthorns, or are Albion’s slow starts papering over cracks that could hurt us in the long run?
Let us know what you think!