Ben Foster: 'I'm buzzing for James Morrison and he's already proved me wrong at West Brom'

Ben Foster has revealed that James Morrison has already proved him wrong despite his short stint in the West Brom dugout.

Morrison took over as interim boss in February, before being handed the permanent role at the end of April.

The 40-year-old led the Baggies to a 10-game unbeaten streak that saw his side survive in the Championship despite a two-point deduction.

He stabilised the Black Country outfit after the dismal reigns of Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay left them in serious peril.

Foster played 143 times with Morrison in their time together with Albion, and he is delighted with the turnaround that he has inspired.

The goalkeeper-turned-podcaster has admitted that he did not see Morrison having the impact that he has done at The Hawthorns.

Why was James Morrison's progression so unexpected for Ben Foster?

West Brom News has regularly covered how Morrison has exceeded expectations in the West Midlands so far, saving the historic club from the drop zone last season.

Foster provided insight into the Throstles boss when he was asked about the situation, explained why he did not see him becoming a manager and why what he has done is so good.

Speaking on the Fozcast on Friday, he said: “Love it, I never ever thought I’d see James Morrison as a manager at all, full stop, he just wasn’t that way inclined.

“However, towards the end of his career, he really started taking more of an interest in it, started his coaching badges, even when I was there.

“You could see it was something you though ‘oh, he might get involved with’, whether it was coaching or management.

“What I can say is when he was given the job at the end of last season, the Baggies were in an absolute mess, a genuine mess, they were going down, so close to going down.

“He turned the ship round, like you wouldn’t believe, and I am buzzing for him, because he is a great lad, he’s got a great coaching staff there as well.

“Hopefully, he can carry on the form from the end of last season into the new season, and we can see Baggies up in the playoff zone early doors.”

That is a glowing endorsement for the current Albion boss, but whether Foster's hope realistic is another matter.

Can Morrison really take West Brom to the playoffs?

While Foster has admitted that he would like to see Albion make the playoffs under Morrison, it may not be a realistic option at this moment.

There is plenty of competition for those places, and the situation that the West Midlands club found themselves in last season makes it a big ask given the quality of their fellow contenders.

They have made encouraging signings, such as Barney Stewart and Jimmy-Jay Morgan but many observers would still say that they lack top talent to get out of the division.

They would need a very favourable set of circumstances to go their way if they are to make it, but they do have a chance as the end of season showcase has been expanded to six teams.

That gives them more hope than usual, but they still require a lot of luck if they are to fulfil Foster's wish, and have a chance of being promoted to the top-flight with their former star in the dugout.