Joe Ellis

Thu 27 October 2022 18:02, UK

Ron Gourlay has admitted that he will take the responsibility for the recent years of struggle at West Brom in a press conference at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies held a special media session to unveil new manager Carlos Corberan who is set to take charge of his first game as Albion manager on Saturday (29 October) at home to Sheffield United.

Gourlay, the club’s CEO, publicly revealed that only Steve Bruce was considered when he was hired back in February but the process was much more thorough this time and he acknowledged the mistakes.

“I take responsibility. When I came into the club, I knew this would take time,” Gourlay said, as quoted by Birmingham Live. “One thing you won’t get is time, it’s dictated by football results – and that’s not just at West Brom.

“Of course, I take responsibility, we have good times, we have tough times, there’s not a lot of time in football. We’ve had 8 or 9 months, it’s been challenging and I’m not running away from those challenges.”

Last chance

Bruce wasn’t the only failure of a manager for West Brom under Gourlay, though, with Valerien Ismael costing the club a great deal both when he was prized away from Barsnely and then once he was sacked from his post with more than three years left on his contract.

Corberan’s deal doesn’t quite last that long but it would still take him to the end of the 2024-25 season should he ride it out and if he fails to do so, it might be the last chance Gourlay gets.

Albion can not afford to see more managers come and go with such frequency if they have any desire to return to the Premier League and then stay there for a prolonged period of time.

If there is any cash to be thrown behind Corberan in January then the gamble has to be taken because dropping into League One would be catastrophic for the football club which should be in the top flight comfortably.

In other West Brom news, this starlet would suit the Spaniard down to the ground but he is currently being a star out on loan in League One.