James Morrison has steadied West Brom, Bilkul now must prove bigger lessons were learned

West Bromwich Albion are aiming for bigger things in the 2026-27 season.

The Baggies endured a turbulent run last season, resulting in the sackings of both Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay.

James Morrison took interim charge after Ramsay's sacking in February, with the club sliding towards relegation.

The former midfielder went on to guide Albion to Championship safety, and was then rewarded with the permanent position.

With his appointment in mind, supporters' club chairman John Homer has suggested that the Bilkul ownership group must learn from what went wrong, and what did eventually work.

James Morrison has Albion on even keel, says John Homer

Speaking to the Express & Star, Homer said Bilkul deserve credit for turning to Morrison when Albion were in serious trouble.

“I think they probably now have a stable ship, and they would have been chuffed that their decision to appoint Mozza as a firefighter has worked,” he said.

“And we have to give them credit for that. Hopefully, everybody learns from the past, so whatever they've learned from the appointment of Mason and Ramsay, hopefully, there is a positive in some respects.

"It's an education for them in terms of the Championship and what's required in terms of leadership at the helm."

Looking at the appointment, alongside the importance of Mark Miles' return as executive director, Homer outlined the positive of having: "another chap who's ingrained in the football club and loves this football club and knows it inside out."

Miles certainly fits this bill with 23 years of service, alongside the man in charge of the squad in Morrison.

Since February, the hierarchy have cultivated a strong atmosphere around The Hawthorns, and this must now come above any future decisions.

Are Bilkul on the other side of the learning curve?

Since taking over in 2024, it has not been the easiest ride for the West Brom owners.

Carlos Corberan would move on in December 2024, while Tony Mowbray's return simply did not work.

Following this, they approached the 'project' route, with two managers coming in with bags of ideas in Mason and Ramsay.

And it is not necessarily their inexperience that is the problem, with Morrison being able to steady the ship despite the job being his first.

The difference is his connection with the club, and the real test for the ownership group will be to see whether they understand this.

Shilen Patel did write to the fans last week, outlining his apologies for the turbulent period, but the hierarchy are not quite safe just yet.

Over the next 12 months, Bilkul will need to prove to fans in the Black Country that they well and truly have learned from prior errors.