Tony Mowbray should ditch West Brom experiment and seek Carlos Corberan trend's return | OneFootball

With West Brom without a clean sheet under Tony Mowbray, the Baggies boss should ditch Albion experiment and follow Carlos Corberan's selection.

With an underwhelming start for returning West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray, the manager is faced with major issues to address and should take inspiration from the man he succeeded in The Hawthorns hot seat, Carlos Corberan.

What had all the possibilities of a romantic return with Mowbray back at the helm of West Brom after 16 years away, has so far left more to be desired as his second spell has begun with two wins two draws and three losses.

Although no quick assumptions and suggestions should be made about such a revered coach, especially with Mowbray merely replicating his first seven results from his first tenure at the club, which ended with Baggies claiming Championship glory in 2007/08, questions should be raised about why the squad are struggling to get into gear under the new man in charge – particularly after such a successful winter window.

The late addition of Adam Armstrong has yet to see the side soar with goals like many predicted West Brom would, with the squad struggling to involve the Southampton man who has touched the ball just 97 times in three matches.

However, of even more concern than the lack of goals they are scoring, is the lack they are keeping out.

Albion have been unable to keep a clean sheet since the 22nd of December, a 2-0 victory versus Bristol which also happened to be Carlos Corberan's final match as Baggies boss, an unsurprising coincidence considering the signature the Spaniard left at the club of defensive prowess.

Although Albion's destiny very much still resides within their own hands, the Baggies faltering form has left a slew of sides breathing down their backs, something that could be combated with a return to one of Corberan's early selection choices that put the club in the position they are in and saw the side keep 11 clean sheets in Corberan's 22 matches in charge.

Tony Mowbray can combat defensive crisis by looking to left-back mainstay

After West Brom's scintillating start to the 2024/25 campaign taking 16 points from their first six games, the club looked very likely to be challenging around the automatic places come the business end of the season.

But since the defensive injury crisis sidelined both senior centre-backs Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley stalled Baggies' promotion progress, Corberan found a fix turning summer signing Callum Styles into a mainstay in the starting side as they instead settle for attempting to sustain a play-off place.

After managing just 20 minutes of first-team football within his first nine games in the blue and white stripes, Styles has since started 18 of his 23 appearances for the club, being favoured as Corberan and Mowbray's starting left-back through trying times and gained quick praise for his combinations with the left-winger and ability going forward.

However, it has been his ability defensively that has left lots to be desired, with his lack of physicality leaving him liable for right-wingers to consistently penetrate the space beyond the full-back and deliver crosses into the box.

With 48.7% of duels won % the Hungarian is ranked within the bottom 22% of left-backs in the league for his success within duels and also within the bottom 12% for aerial duels won %.

This lack of physicality to stall opposition attackers has too routinely been at fault for dangerous balls being allowed to enter the Albion area and is a key reason as to why the side have not kept a single clean sheet since the 22nd of December.

Being dribbled past 13 times already this season, Styles' struggles have frequently caused Albion's centre-half duo to drift to the left-hand side to support the former Tykes defender, something that then leaves considerable space in the centre of the pitch to be capitalized on.

Tony Mowbray should take advantage of Torbjorn Heggem

The Baggies boss looks to have already caught wind of the problem position, hooking the full-back before the full-time whistle in West Brom latest away day at The Den, the first time Styles has been subbed since Albion's New Year's Day clash versus Preston.

With the substitution of Mason Holgate for the Hungarian, Mowbray managed to revert somewhat back to the defensive foundation Corberan started the season with as Semi Ajayi returned from injury (aside from Holgate for the suspended Bartley) but was also importantly able to return summer signing Torbjorn Heggem to the left-back position.

It was here where the Nord gained notoriety as one of Baggie's best bits of business for years, costing a figure of just over £500,000, which the defender has definitely surpassed and seems a fraction of the true worth of the player.

Heggem alongside substitute skipper Darnel Furlong, have been not only been by far Albion's most consistent and reliable defenders – they are is still yet to miss a Championship match – but two of the finest defenders to play in the second tier this season.

Heggem holds the most blocks out of all Championship centre-backs this term and ranks within the top 10% for tackles won and duels won throughout the campaign, demonstrating the obvious defensive discipline the Nord boasts over Styles.

However, it is also his attacking stats that are startling in comparison to Styles considering he only played a short spell in the full-back position, surpassing Styles in every attacking discipline listed above, all of which are vital for Mowbray's repeatedly reported attacking philosophy of committing men into the box and confidently carrying the ball forwards.

Without compromising his attacking ambition, Mowbray could use Heggem to plug the defensive gap that is routinely costing the side points and finally register his first clean sheet as Baggies boss since the departure of Corberan.

A stronger defensive foundation with Heggem at the heart could prove key for Albion in not only reducing the amount of cheap goals they concede but also lighten the load on Albion's array of attacking talent to find multiple goals just to outscore opposition.

With West Brom approaching the business end of this year's second-tier term, every point is becoming crucial, but with a stronger defensive foundation, Mowbray may find it easier to start taking three far more often and gain a foothold in the play-off race as he seeks to be at least fourth across the finishing line.