West Brom’s £3m star is fast becoming the new Olson

The excruciating wait for West Bromwich Albion’s away victory in the Championship is finally over.

It has been a grueling 172 days since the West Midlands side last tasted the sweet success of victory when they left the Hawthorns for the Baggies’ game against Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

This crazy folly has now been eliminated, as James Morrison continues to look like a hopeless Eric Ramsay inspired replacement.

George Campbell was the winner of the day as West Brom secured a narrow 1-0 win on the road. The centre-back giant, much like Morrison, remains firmly on the Baggies’ good record, even if the season has mostly been a slump.

Campbell’s fan favorite status

West Brom fans are unlikely to look back on the 2025/26 season with much fondness when the campaign ends in May.

True, two managerial sackings have left the Baggies fighting for their lives near the bottom of the division, but things haven’t been all gloomy in recent months, with Campbell establishing himself as a fan favorite in times of crisis.

While West Brom had to put their bodies on the line to protect their second division status, the American defender quickly adapted to the serious task ahead of him, winning 4.9 duels per match in the Championship. To add context, this impressively exceeds the 4.4 duels won per match achieved by Chris Mepham despite being an EFL veteran.

He has also become a reliable figure to rescue West Brom in big moments in front of goal, with the 24-year-old making a major contribution to scoring his sixth goal of the season when he nodded home Callum Stiles’ corner against the Robins.

Having bravely won five duels in a 3-0 win over Hull City, the former Montreal man is now fading as a key figure in a team that will ensure survival under Morrison’s revitalized approach.

But surprisingly, there is another defender who could be considered the second coming of West Brom’s Jonas Olsson.

West Brom’s star is Mr Morrison himself, Olson.

Campbell has some catching up to do if he is to be considered in the same league as the Swedish stalwart.

During his nine years at the Hawthorns, Olson never wavered in his level of commitment to the cause, with former Baggies manager Tony Mowbray describing him as a “fantastic footballer” and “competitor”, before going on to make 261 appearances for the West Midlands side.

Campbell, who also scored 14 goals for West Brom, may reach this heroic status in time.

But Nat Phillips is now increasingly seen as a modern-day version of the 6ft 5in warrior, having been a monster in the air since leaving Liverpool for the Baggies for £3m last summer.

He has lived up to his reputation as a ‘lion’ branded by former Anfield coach Pepin Lijnders during his short stay at the Hawthorns so far, heroically winning 5.9 duels in every Championship encounter and blowing Campbell out of the water.

He has also used his towering 6ft 3in frame to score three goals this season.

The 29-year-old clearly brings within himself the same grit that Olson had at the Baggies, which has helped West Brom in their current woes, but he would certainly have moved to the West Midlands to join them in the promotion race and aim for a return to the Premier League.

West Brom will aim to get back into the promotion race if they are able to overcome the difficult circumstances this season and survive. Phillips has made 29 appearances for the Reds and is unfazed by the prospect of playing first-class football in the future.

This is where Olsson largely plied his trade with the Baggies, minus one season in the Championship, and Phillips, like a lofty Scandinavian, was desperate to age like fine wine in the top division.

But survival still needs to be ensured to get back to the present, and just as West Brom never doubted Olsson, Morrison will know he can rely on the 29-year-old to continue to put in gutsy performances.