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West Brom briefing: Baggies braced for major step up as Norwich await James Morrison’s team looked good in brushing aside Rotherham but far bigger tests are ahead. It is always risky to read much into pre-season. No matter how bad or good a team might look, friendly matches can never replicate the feel of a competitive fixture. They are occasions when building fitness is always more important than the result. Albion’s Carabao Cup win at Rotherham obviously didn’t fall into that bracket but it is still a match of which any analysis needs handling with caution. No question, the Baggies looked an impressive unit as they cruised to a 4-1 win but they did so against an opponent who will be competing two divisions beneath them this season. What 90 minutes at the New York Stadium told us about how they will fare in the Championship over the next nine months. In truth, we probably didn’t learn much, aside from the fact they would almost certainly romp League Two. A step into the unknown Albion, of course, aren’t the only team who opened their season with a comfortable win against lower league opposition. Saturday’s opponents Norwich also kicked off with a 4-1 victory and though MK Dons might be playing in League One this term, both they and the Baggies both know they are facing a serious step up in class when they meet at Carrow Road. One suspects, given the choice, both James Morrison and opposite number Philippe Clement would have preferred a more traditional start to the campaign, with clubs typically facing their strongest pre-season opponent the weekend before the league opener. Morrison certainly acknowledged Saturday will represent something of a step into the unknown. A packed Carrow Road is going to feel very different to a more than half-empty Rotherham, where the travelling army of Baggies supporters outnumbered the home. “It’s always full of emotion, the opening game,” he said. “The excitement and the nerves, all the drama around the first day of the season. We will make sure we are ready. “I do feel we are in a good place. A performance like Saturday puts you in good stead but deep down, you know it is another step up.” The need to suffer Morrison noted his team will be required to “suffer” against Norwich far more than they have at any stage until now. It is why the lapse in concentration which led to Rotherham netting a late consolation was the cause of such frustration among staff and players. The Baggies had more than 70 per cent possession against the Millers and though that might be great for developing patterns of play and understanding in attack, they will almost certainly see far less of the ball against the Canaries. At no stage of pre-season have we seen them subjected to sustained pressure. Admittedly, the Baggies did play Coventry City in a behind-closed-doors fixture which may have been useful in that regard, while Morrison has sought to prepare his players for the relentless league schedule by making pre-season training particularly hard. “That’s how I get my kicks, by making them work,” he smiled at Rotherham. Such preparation is designed to build resilience for the next nine months. Even after Norwich, there will still be 45 Championship matches to go. But at least after then, we’ll know a bit more about the true shape the Baggies are in to tackle it.