HULL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Carlos Corberan, Manager of West Bromwich Albion, celebrates victory following the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City AFC and West Bromwich Albion FC at MKM Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Hull, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Lewis Cox’s predicted West Brom line-up vs Sunderland.
Carlos Corberan’s big call at Sunderland tonight is who he selects in place of Darnell Furlong.
The head coach described it as a “massive challenge” to be without the ever-present right-back, who is suspended, for the first time in his Baggies tenure.
He has options to fill in the void but none of them are ideal and may disrupt the rest of his side.
In my predicted side for the Stadium of Light I have opted for the return of Kyle Bartley to the heart of defence to shuffle Mason Holgate out to right-back.
Bartley returned to training last Thursday after a month out of the side and Corberan expected him to train on Sunday and Monday. The head coach was unsure on Saturday whether Bartley would be ready for a recall having originally predicted Preston on Saturday as a more likely timeframe
Other options could affect his backline with the potential of moving Callum Styles from left-back or Torbjorn Heggen from the middle.
The head coach may opt to change totally to a back five and use wing-backs. That would mean incorporating another centre-back – possibly Bartley or possibly midfielder Ousmane Diakite – and then you could look to Tom Fellows, Jed Wallace or perhaps Lewis Dobbin as a possible right wing-back.
“Warned off” – Pundit reacts to Leicester City links to West Brom boss Carlos Corberan.
Carlton Palmer believes that West Bromwich Albion will be worried about Carlos Corberan being linked with the vacant Leicester City job but that the way Steve Cooper left the club could put managers off joining the Foxes.
Cooper was sacked just 12 games into the Premier League season after signing a three-year deal with Leicester City in the summer, and Baggies boss Corberan is reportedly on the shortlist to replace him at the King Power Stadium.
It’s not the first time that the Spaniard has been linked with a move to Leicester and he was reportedly on the club’s radar after Enzo Maresca departed for Chelsea but the Foxes instead appointed Cooper.
However, Palmer believes that while West Brom will be worried about the possibility of Corberan moving to Leicester, managers could well be put off by the way the club sacked Cooper so early into the season, particularly as they sit outside the Premier League relegation zone.
Carlton Palmer on Carlos Corberan, Leicester City links
Carlton Palmer in charge of Mansfield Town in 2005
Former England international Palmer has branded the way Leicester have treated Cooper an “absolute disgrace” and believes Corberan, or any other candidate, won’t accept the job until they know what went on behind the scenes that saw Cooper leave.
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: “I think it’s an absolute disgrace that Steve Cooper has been sacked after 12 games by Leicester City.
“I mean, Leicester City sit six points clear of Southampton, who are bottom of the league, two points clear of Crystal Palace, and a point clear of Wolves and Ipswich. I think it’s an absolute disgrace that he’s been sacked so early in the season.
“It was always going to be difficult, they sold Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and haven’t exactly given him loads of money to spend, so it was always going to be a difficult season.
“What concerns me is the reason given for his sacking, is rumblings from the dressing room suggesting that the 44-year-old had not been able to win over the squad.
“So that worries me as it means the hierarchy are speaking to someone in the dressing room, and I hope it’s not a senior player like a Jamie Vardy. I’m not making accusations but players like him have been at the club a long time and those are the people that the chairman will go and have a chat to. I think it’s an absolute disgrace if that’s what’s happened and senior players have gone and got him the sack.
“Be careful what you wish for. It was always going to be a difficult situation.
“Now the links are with Carlos Corberan, who’s doing a really good job at West Brom, occupying a play-off place, but what’s happened at Leicester means that all potential candidates are going to be warned off about the job, and unless you’re really desperate to get a job you need to understand what has happened and why Steve Cooper has been sacked by the football club.
“It makes no sense whatsoever at this stage of the season as they’ve put some good performances in, and they lost against Chelsea, who are a very good side, going great guns in the Premier League, so that was no disgrace, and in every game they’ve been putting up a good account of themselves, so I really don’t get it.
“Some people have said they weren’t particularly sold on Steve Cooper in the first place, but regardless of that, whether you were sold on him or not, to treat him in that manner is an absolute disgrace.
“Of course, West Brom will always be worried as there are links with their manager, but they have put a clause in his contract which means if he’s to leave it will have to be for a significant amount of money.”
Staying at West Brom could be the best bet for Carlos Corberan
Daniel Farke, Carlos Corberan.
As Leicester have shown with Cooper, they’re not afraid to be ruthless when it comes to making managerial decisions, and if Corberan was to join them and couldn’t deliver results they’d have no qualms about sacking him.
The Spaniard has a good chance of becoming a Premier League manager with West Brom, and he should be wary about jumping ship to a club like Leicester who won’t have much patience for a project and will demand results however ugly the football may be.
