West Brom must have one eye on Carlos Corberan situation as Spaniard seals masterstroke moment | OneFootball

Corberan has been a hit at Valencia while the Baggies struggle to keep pace with the Championship top-six

Spanish head-coach Carlos Corberan left West Brom in December to join La Liga outfit Valencia, and he has been able to transform their fortunes over the last few months in the lead up to a famous victory against Real Madrid last weekend, while the Baggies have struggled for form since his departure.

Corberan took over at The Hawthorns in October 2022, after previously impressing while in charge of Huddersfield Town and taking the Terriers to an unprecedented play-off final earlier that same year.

He joined a team that were second-bottom in the Championship after 16 games, and was able to have an instant impact as they pushed for a play-off place but ultimately fell short. The Spaniard went on to guide the Baggies to a fifth-placed finish last season, and they were well in the race for the top-six this term prior to his Christmas Eve exit as Valencia triggered his release clause.

The 42-year-old was born about 20 miles from Valencia, and played in their academy as a young player, and he has been able to take Los Ches out of the La Liga relegation zone since his arrival.

They are now in a great position to avoid the drop following a vital win at the Santiago Bernabéu, but while those connected to West Brom will be pleased at his recent success, they will also be rueing his exit as returning manager Tony Mowbray struggles to replicate their early-season form.

Carlos Corberan was a top manager for West Brom

West Brom were at a real loose end when they took a gamble on the Spaniard back in October 2022, after Steve Bruce had been sacked following just one win from the opening 13 league games with the club in the relegation places.

He had an instant impact with nine wins in his first 11 games as boss, and eventually led his new side to a ninth-placed finish that season as they finished just three points off the play-off positions.

Last season saw his side improve even further, as they finished fifth to secure a play-off semi-final against Southampton, but were beaten 3-1 in the second-leg after an initial 0-0 draw at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies' development and improvement since the Spaniard's appointment was very clear to see, and his side's ascent only continued in the early stages of this season, with a brilliant start that saw them lose just twice in the first 20 league games and sit healthily inside the top six for the majority of that time.

The Sunday Mirror soon linked Leeds United with interest in his services, while Premier League outfit Southampton were also believed to be tracking his availability, but it was instead Valencia who moved to make him their new head-coach in December. The Spanish side paid out his release clause of around £3m to make him their new boss after club legend Ruben Baraja had been sacked just days earlier.

Corberan has been a hit at Valencia so far - Real Madrid win is a crowning moment

It was clear to see that Corberan had a real job on his hands when he took over at the Estadio Mestalla just before the turn of the year, with his boyhood club in serious danger of being embroiled in a relegation battle after Baraja had led his side to win just two of their first 17 games of the new La Liga season.

Lots of parallels were drawn to when he took over at West Brom, in terms of the state of the respective clubs and the tough task at hand, but much like he did at The Hawthorns three years ago, he has been able to turn the tide and take Valencia to safety with relegation now seeming highly unlikely.

It was not all plain-sailing at the beginning, as Los Ches were twice thrashed at the hands of Barcelona in both the league and Copa del Rey, but results have notably improved on home turf, and the club moved out of the bottom three for the first time this season with a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid last month.

Corberan's impact has been so clear that Valencia headed into an away clash against reigning La Liga and European champions Real Madrid last Saturday with a record of just one league defeat in their previous eight games, so their spirits and confidence of getting a result were undoubtedly high, and it showed as Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Vinícius Júnior's early spot-kick.

French centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby headed Corberan's side into the lead just three minutes later, but Madrid did hit back early in the second period, however, as Vinicius prodded home a corner at the back-post to level the scores.

Both teams had their chances to win it as time ticked on, but it was Valencia who stole the spoils and came away with a famous win at the Bernabeu. There were just two minutes of added-time left at the end of the game when Rafa Mir broke away and crossed for striker Hugo Duro to nod home and send Corberan's men seven points clear of the relegation zone with eight games left to play.

The Spaniard masterminded Valencia's first away win against the international powerhouses since 2008, and he has certainly done a stellar job so far since departing the West Midlands.

West Brom's

There was seemingly only one man for the job in many Baggies' supporters' eyes when Corberan quickly departed amid their push for promotion, and they got their wish as Tony Mowbray was re-appointed in January with the task of keeping them in contention for a play-off spot.

Mowbray is obviously well-liked at The Hawthorns for his exploits as manager of the club from 2006 to 2009, when he led them to promotion to the Premier League, but it is fair to say that the last few months have been a testing time for him and their fans as they get used to life without Corberan.

The 61-year-old picked up his first win back in charge of the Baggies a week after his arrival, in a 5-1 thrashing of Portsmouth, but his side have won just three of their 11 games since, and they are in danger of missing out on the top-six after a recent run of four games without a victory.

The Baggies have struggled to score goals at a decent rate this season, even throughout their best patches of form under Corberan, and Mowbray has been unable to change that despite insisting that he would take the handbrake off in terms of their attacking prowess.

They have scored just seven times in their previous nine outings, despite the January arrival of Adam Armstrong, who notched 34 combined goals and assists in the Championship for Southampton last season.

There has certainly not been a marked improvement since the Spaniard left for Valencia, and if anything, West Brom are getting worse at the worst time possible, with tough games against fellow promotion-chasers Bristol City and Coventry City coming up soon and their play-off place on the line.