Carlos Corberan can use coaching lessons from Pep Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa to succeed at West Brom – The Athletic
Carlos Corberan’s two managerial idols taught the new West Brom manager a lot – he’ll need every trick of the trade to help the Baggies escape relegation.
Corberan was appointed as the new West Brom boss on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday the Spaniard had already started to implement his playing style on the players during his first training session.
The Athletic describe Corberan as an “intense” and “demanding individual”, and the 39-year-old’s managerial mentors paint the picture of how hard he is going to drill his newly-inherited West Brom squad.
Pep Guardiola is the first mentioned in the report, which insists Corberan admired the Manchester City boss “above all others” after competing against him during his time as a coach at Villarreal.
The other key managerial figure that moulded Corberan’s coaching career was Marcelo Bielsa, who joined Leeds United one season into Corberan’s spell with the Under-23s.
Corberan since said Bielsa arriving at Leeds was “the key moment” in his career.
Journalists Phil Hay and Richard Sutcliffe end the article by suggesting that “Corberan needs to hit the ground running.
“Albion fans must hope all those coaching lessons learned under Guardiola and Bielsa can be to good use. It promises to be quite the ride.”
An exciting blend
If Corberan’s style of play blends what he learned from Guardiola and Bielsa together, then West Brom fans are in for a ride.
Guardiola’s City side has been completely dominant in the Premier League in recent seasons, and the Catalan-born boss is rightfully regarded as one of – if not the best- manager in the world.
Corberan learning from the best should definitely excite Baggies fans, although implementing such a style on the current West Brom squad could take a lot of patience.
Likewise, Bielsa is revered around Yorkshire for the job he did at Leeds United. The Argentine manager had the Whites playing high-energy football at Elland Road, and his coaching style inevitably trickled down into Corberan’s work with the Under-23s.
Admittedly, there is a worry about whether Corberan can make his style work at The Hawthorns – which it obviously didn’t at Olympiacos because he was sacked after just 11 games. But it’s certainly an exciting idea for fans to buy in to, and it can’t be worse than the terrible football on display before Corberan’s arrival.
In other West Brom news, Carlos Corberan will get the best out of on-loan ace Caleb Taylor