Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Tue 24 March 2026 13:00, UK

West Bromwich Albion looked to have turned a corner in recent weeks, with two wins out of two.

James Morrison was placed in charge until the end of last season in February, following the dismal spell under Eric Ramsay, and he has quickly begun to put points on the board for the Baggies.

Now sitting four points clear of the drop zone, the Albion have given themselves a head start before the season’s final month.

One of the biggest changes has been the switch to a 4-4-2 formation, featuring two strikers up top.

During the latter days of Ryan Mason’s spell, and the entirety of Ramsay’s, goals were hard to come by – but Morrison seems to have found the perfect solution to guide West Brom to safety.

Goals have been a huge concern for West Brom

Scoring goals has been a prevalent issue throughout the campaign for the Black Country outfit, with only five sides scoring fewer Championship goals.

Summer signing Aune Heggebo has put up respectable numbers, but this simply has not been backed up by those around him.

The most concerning factor is that both Josh Maja and Daryl Dike have failed to get anywhere near the list, featuring two defenders and one midfielder, with two and zero Championship goals, respectively.

For a side looking to avoid relegation, the firepower simply hasn’t been there, which has seen them come out on the losing side even in encounters where they have started brightly or offered more promise.

Heggebo is not the archetypal goalscorer up top; instead, he is someone who works fantastically to bring others into the game, but the goals simply have not been coming elsewhere to justify him starting up top on his own for large parts of the term.

Two-striker formation has solved West Brom’s biggest issue

Since suffering defeat against Oxford last month, Morrison completely switched things up – opting for a two-pronged attack featuring Heggebo and Dike together.

While the pair did not get on the scoresheet that day, their overall presence was more than noticeable.

Following the 1-1 draw with Southampton, fellow striker Maja would partner the Norwegian up top against Hull City – a decision that paid dividends.

Scoring their ninth and second goals of the season respectively, the pair worked fantastically together, while Isaac Price was able to drift inside from the left.

While not as seamlessly as against Hull, it worked perfectly against Bristol City too, with captain Jed Wallace able to operate as a more natural wideman, with two big presences in the box, while Heggebo’s versatility saw him complete 12 carries over the course of the 90.

It is not just the goals from the front pair; it is the side as a whole that is benefiting the most, with Price in particular looking much more like the player seen in the season’s early days.

Isaac Price vs Bristol City:

• 26/21 accurate passes
• 12 carries
• 181.2m carrying distance
• 1 unsuccessful touch

Heading into the final stretch, Morrison has two big strikers up top who can work with each other, and while both are capable of scoring goals themselves, the attackers around them are simply much more impactful due to the correct profiling.

As of now, the Baggies are on track to secure their Championship survival, and the formation change under Morrison is a big reason as to why.