Opinion: Leeds United’s chase of Carlos Corberan is something West Brom cannot afford | OneFootball

West Brom face a difficult period off the pitch this week as Leeds United potentially circle around their manager Carlos Corberan.

Jesse Marsch’s dismissal as manager of the Premier League side on Monday was quickly met with plenty of rumour and speculation as to who will be his successor.

Corberan emerged as one of the names high up on the shortlist of possible candidates.

The Spaniard has been a revelation at the Hawthorns, transforming the club from relegation battlers to a play-off promotion bid.

The Baggies have won 10 of their 13 league games with Corberan in charge, which has seen an impressive rise to 6th in the Championship table.

This has come at a time when the off-field issues at Albion have been at an all-time low.

A £20 million loan was agreed at the end of 2022, which is set to be repaid over the next four years, which will have a significant impact on the club’s finances.

It has become abundantly clear that a place in the Premier League will have a huge impact on the long-term health of the club.

That the loan was taken out against the club’s own assets, such as the training ground and the stadium, does not bode well for the short-term health of Albion.

But the rise of the team on the pitch under Corberan has seen a lot of those concerns dissipate, at least momentarily, with promotion now suddenly looking a realistic objective for this season.

While competition will of course be fierce, the form of the side has suggested that a play-off place is very possible and that they could even be the team to beat in the scenario of a top six finish.

But if Corberan did depart mid-season, and no one could blame him for accepting the Leeds role if offered, then it could be a total disaster for the Baggies.

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This could prove to be something the club literally cannot afford, as there are no guarantees that a replacement could continue to maintain their current form.

There are promising options available to West Brom if a successor must be found, but there is also a lot of risk that comes with changing managers.

Even just a minor blip could prove costly in the race for a top six finish and then the repayments to MSD Holdings will become that much more of a concern.

Despite recent optimism on the pitch, off-field issues may once again take centre stage at the Hawthorns in the worst way possible.