West Brom boss Carlos Corberan makes admission on Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland departure | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan has admitted that he was surprised when he heard Tony Mowbray had been sacked by Sunderland, speaking to the Baggies' media team ahead of his side's clash against the Black Cats.

The Wearside club decided to sack Mowbray on Monday following a poor run of form that saw them fall out of the promotion mix.

Winning just two of their previous nine games, they were at risk of sliding further down the table, although the club are still in ninth position at this point.

With the club in a reasonably strong position despite the high amount of transfer activity that occurred at the Stadium of Light during the summer transfer window and the Black Cats picking up a respectable draw at Millwall last weekend, his departure has come as a shock to many people.

This is a move that could potentially backfire, but the Wearside outfit are still in a position to secure a place in the top six and aren't in any danger of being relegated.

On the other hand, Mowbray was clearly a liked figure who will be missed following his departure.

Corberan has a lot of time for Mowbray - and had nothing but good things to say about the latter in his pre-match press conference.

He said: "I was very surprised to hear the news about Tony Mowbray leaving Sunderland earlier this week. For me, he did an incredible job there.

"He started at Sunderland when they were in the middle of the table in their first year back in the Championship. He put them in the play-offs.

"They are one team who play really, really good football so for me he is one coach who I have followed.

"I respect him a lot, not just because of his past with West Bromwich Albion, but because of the football his teams play."

West Brom could benefit from Tony Mowbray's departure

As previously mentioned, Mowbray was clearly loved by plenty of Sunderland players and supporters.

Luke O'Nien's recent social media post reinforces that.

And some players may be feeling despondent following the decision to sack him, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Black Cats end up losing against the Baggies this weekend.

It could potentially bring the players closer which would help the Wearside outfit, but without Mowbray at the helm, they may struggle despite the fact they are at the Stadium of Light.

Losing on more than one occasion at home this season, the Baggies know that they can take three points from this game if they play to their full potential.