Morrison confident Baggies will bounce back

(GETTY IMAGES)

James Morrison believes West Bromwich Albion paid the penalty for lacking players with top-flight experience after their relegation from the Premier League.

The Scotland international, who missed the conclusion of the campaign with a heel problem, feels by the time Albion got used to playing against the elite it was too late to salvage their season. Now Morrison wants the club to bring in a few players who are proven at the Championship level to aid their attempts to earn promotion at the first time of asking.

Morrison said: "I didn't want a relegation season on my CV but it's happened and we need to look to the future. All we can think is 'what if we'd done this and that?'

"We weren't far off all season. I just wish the season had gone on a bit longer. There is a real frustration. We all know in certain games it was just silly mistakes that cost us points.

"The lads now know how to win games in the Premier League, but we ran out of matches. The lack of top-flight experience in our squad has been one of the main factors of the season. It took time for the lads to get used to that level of football and, in the second half of the season, we started getting a grip of it.

"There are a lot of pluses despite relegation but it will be difficult because there is a lot of pressure on us to get straight back up." Morrison added: "At least we'll go into next season with the experience of getting promoted from the Championship before. Maybe a few more faces, who are used to the Championship, can help us and we'll hopefully get straight back up."

Morrison will inevitably be one of the players linked with a move away from the Hawthorns. A bid from Bolton was rejected during the last transfer window in January, but the former Middlesbrough player says he is focused on recovering from his heel problem in time for the start of pre-season training.

He said: "My heel has still not healed but my aim is to be fit for the start of pre-season. I'll keep coming in to the training ground until it's healed and then I'll be back in with the rest of the lads in July."