James Morrison’s dilemma after West Brom’s shaky derby loss to Wolves

James Morrison watched his West Brom side fall 1‑0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Black County derby on Sunday, a loss sealed by Fer Lopez’s 50th‑minute strike after Nat Phillips’ wayward back‑pass. The goal proved decisive as Max O’Leary’s earlier saves could not prevent the hosts from taking all three points.

James graduated from the University of Leeds with an undergraduate degree in English Language and Linguistics in 2021 before achieving a Masters degree in Society, Culture and Media at the same university the following year. In his time with FLW, James has produced thousands of articles, covering the Championship, League One and League Two.

The piece was logged as a thread on FLW, with the author prompting readers to ‘Show me the facts’ and ‘Give me a light‑hearted recap’. Here is a fact‑based summary of the story, and the author even asked the platform to ‘Explain it like I’m 5’. Like many fan‑generated columns, it blends analysis with a conversational tone.

Early season form and league standing

West Brom have been among the early front‑runners in the Championship after a strong start, winning four and drawing two of their opening seven games. After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, the Baggies sit fifth on the table, just one point behind second‑placed West Ham United and three points behind leaders Swansea City.

Wolves, fresh from relegation from the Premier League, have also made an impressive start, creating plenty of chances in the first half. Cesar Peixoto’s men saw Max O’Leary make a number of stunning saves to keep the scores level before the decisive moment.

Derby drama and key moments

The decisive moment arrived in the 50th minute when Fer Lopez latched onto Nat Phillips’ stray back‑pass and slotted the ball past O’Leary at Molineux. The hosts held on for all three points, claiming local bragging rights and leap‑frogging West Brom in the table.

With the extended international break looming, West Brom head into it still fifth, while Wolves move ahead of them, tightening the race at the top of the Championship.

Defensive options and future selection

When asked if Phillips should be dropped, FLW pundit Callum Burgess said, “I do think that, if you’re going to ask defenders to play out from the back, then that’s not really Nat Phillips’ game… In the moments after his mistake, he did seem a bit shaken by it, so I do wonder if that might open the door for Chris Mepham to start more in the future.”

West Brom boast the joint‑third best defence in the Championship, having conceded just eight goals, with only Swansea and QPR better. Phillips, now 29, has started seven of the Baggies’ eight league games, but if Morrison insists on a possession‑based brand of football, Chris Mepham could provide a more suitable alternative.