A resurgent run of form has led to the Baggies boss being one of the highest-performing managers in the Championship.
Grady Diangana and Brandon Thomas-Asante’s goals lifted Albion to fifth place and gave the Baggies, under the direction of Carlos Corberan, their fourth league victory in six games. Albion has stated that they plan to be in the promotion picture at the end of the season.
The Black Country team’s victory, the Sky Blues’ first home loss in ten games, has pulled them to within two points of third-place Leeds United and eleven points of second-place Ipswich Town.
WBA has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis under the former Huddersfield Town manager. The Spaniard took over a team lacking confidence that had dropped to the bottom of the second division table following his first competitive match as manager in October of last year.
But after such a successful year, Corberan most definitely merits discussion in the same breath as some of the other accomplished Championship managers.
In what ways has Carlos Corberan led West Brom?
When Corberan first took over at The Hawthorns in October 2022, the team had fallen into the bottom three of the Championship under Steve Bruce, having won just one of the previous 13 league games under the 62-year-old.
Then, in a humiliating afternoon, Corberan’s team was mercilessly dismantled by Sheffield United, sending the Baggies to the bottom of the Championship standings.
However, the playing team responded after learning about his strategies by winning nine of their subsequent ten league games and recording seven clean sheets.
Last season, the 40-year-old was able to turn The Hawthorns into a formidable stronghold, as WBA won 10 of their 15 home league games.
Even though Corberan’s team eventually missed out on a play-off spot despite a comeback run, the possibility of promotion seemed remote when he first arrived in the West Midlands due to crippling injuries and a dearth of a strong goal scorer.
Under the Spaniard, Albion has also had a strong start to the season, having won six, drawn five, and lost just three of their fourteen home games.
Additionally, Corberan has been able to shore up a defence that was weak at the beginning of the season. In the Baggies’ last nine games, they have only allowed five goals while keeping seven clean sheets.
Journalist Elias Burke reported that Corberan has improved his form and now has 75 points from his first game in charge; only Michael Carrick of Middlesbrough, with 78 points, has more than him.
WBA are four points better off than Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland over the past 12 months.
What challenges has Carlos Corberan faced during his time at West Brom?
In his first two seasons as manager, the Albion manager has faced numerous difficult situations to overcome.
Guochuan Lai, the club’s controlling shareholder, had not made any transfers, so WBA was left to assemble a team that could compete at the top of the division using only loans and free agents. Josh Maja joined on a permanent basis from Bordeaux, while Jeremy Sarmiento and Pipa joined on loan agreements.
Corberan had to deal with the significant blow of losing his club captain, Dara O’Shea, to Premier League side Burnley, as the Republic of Ireland international was a mainstay in the side under the coach. Outgoings were the main priority in order to raise funds and balance the books after taking out a £20 million loan from MSD Holdings.
As a result, Corberan was forced to use Cedric Kipre, a defender who had just returned from a fruitful loan at Cardiff City. The Ivorian formed a solid defensive tandem with Kyle Bartley and Erik Pieters, and this helped the team record the most clean sheets in the second division thus far this season.
With Jeremy Sarmiento, Josh Maja, Adam Reach, Daryl Dike, and John Swift suffering protracted absences due to injury, Albion has also had unfortunate luck recently. As a result, Corberan has very little flexibility in rotating the team amid a demanding Championship schedule.
Corberan is currently one of the best and most reliable managers over the past year, and his team has a good chance to finish in the top six if this kind of form persists over time.
Despite all of the playing squad’s shortcomings and the off-field problems, Corberan is giving the Baggies supporters hope and allowing them to dream of a return to the top division.
While finding new owners for the team at some point next year, one of the most challenging tasks now facing the team will be steering Corberan away from any Premier League vacancy links. Albion supporters are eager to see where the team can go under Corberan if he is given significant financial backing.
