Sam Parkin concerned by West Brom appointment amid dressing room damage
Former Ipswich Town striker Sam Parkin says it is a “tough ask” for West Brom caretaker boss James Morrison to keep the club in the Championship.
West Brom have been looking for a new manager after sacking head coach Eric Ramsay on 24 February – just nine games into his Baggies tenure.
This comes less than two months after dismissing summer appointee Ryan Mason in January, highlighting what a mess The Hawthorns outfit are in right now.
Despite being linked with former West Brom bosses Darren Moore and Slaven Bilic, the Midlands outfit decided to appoint Morrison until the end of the season.
West Brom sit just one place outside the relegation zone ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sheffield United, and now, Parkin has delivered a worrying verdict on what lies ahead for them.
- Read more: James Morrison can stake claim for West Brom job permanently with 28-year first vs Sheffield United
West Brom need ‘steadier hand’ than James Morrison
Before Morrison got the job until the end of the season, ex-Millwall man Parkin was asked on the Benjamin Bloom YouTube channel about what the best course of action was for the Baggies in the managerial department.
Parkin was quick to stress that Morrison was a “brilliant” player and is a West Brom legend but it was a tall order to galvanise such a “damaged dressing room”.
Moreover, he felt a manager with previous experience of such a predicament would be the better option. West Brom didn’t think so, though, and appointed Morrison – who is in his third caretaker stint at the club.
He said on Wednesday: “I don’t know enough about James Morrison. I know he was a brilliant player, he’s a club legend and he is supposed to be a great lad, great person.
“I don’t know what coaching experience he’s got but it feels like a bit of a tough ask to galvanise such a damaged dressing room.
“Absolutely keep him involved because that experience may give you an extra per cent or so at being at the club and being in this predicament before but you probably need a steadier hand, someone who has actually experienced this type of scenario at a big club who are hugely underperforming.”
Parkin also backed Sheffield United to beat West Brom 2-0 at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
However, the Baggies have been backed to stay out of the bottom three as Parkin believes Leicester City will lose at Ipswich Town on the same day.
Lack of know-how could doom West Brom
Heading into the final stretch of the season, West Brom seem destined to drop into the relegation zone, considering their last league win was on 29 December.
The Baggies are on an 11-match winless streak, with just four of those games ending in a draw. West Brom have a squad capable of achieving a top half finish but they look out of their depth for this relegation fight.
And Parkin thinks because they haven’t been in this position before, other, more battle-hardened teams around them could capitalise and send West Brom down.
He added: “I was listening to Final Score when I was on the way back from Portsmouth on Saturday, and Aaron McLean made a good point.
“He said a lot of these West Brom lads and the Leicester [City] boys won’t have experienced this before in the Championship and they won’t have anticipated being in this situation.”
Bloom also pointed out that if they get relegated, there could be a mass exodus at West Brom, too. They need wins and fast.
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