Kyle Bartley out of the squad, Grady Diangana starts – Confirmed West Brom XI v Sheffield United
Carlos Corberan’s first West Brom starting XI has been confirmed by the club for the game against Sheffield United in the lunchtime kick-off.
The new era begins with the Blades’ visit to the Hawthorns and the Spanish manager has decided to make fairly significant changes from the defeat to Millwall on 22 October.
Kyle Bartley, a surprise starter in that game after his nightmare in the derby, is nowhere to be seen in the match-day squad, while an attacking line up sees Matt Phillips and Grady Diangana come into the XI along with club captain Jake Livermore.
Alex Palmer continues in goal, behind what looks to be a four-man defence of Darnell Furlong, Dara O’Shea, Erik Pieters and Conor Townsend.
Livermore and Taylor Gardner-Hickman seem likely to make up the central midfield pairing, with Phillips, Diangana and Jed Wallace supporting Karlan Grant up front.
New beginnings
After the increasing misery of the Steve Bruce reign, and the short-lived respite against Reading under interim boss Richard Beale, hopes are high for the Corberan era.
He has already started having an effect on the training ground, and with a combination of recent Championship play off experience and Marcelo Bielsa inspired rigorous standards he could be exactly what the Baggies need.
Frankly any sort of improvement would be welcome based on how things have gone so far this season, but if he can successfully raised the standards fast and start putting some results together there is plenty that can still be gained.
The manager search seems like it has been more extensive and reasoned that the decision to parachute Bruce in out of apparent retirement last time.
Since the most recent relegation from the Premier League Albion have now got the man in charge very wrong twice, so fans will be desperate for it to be third time lucky with the former Huddersfield boss.
It won’t be easy against a Blades side currently in the play off places, but they are in pretty miserable form and haven’t won since mid-September, so there is an opportunity.
In other West Brom news, the club have been told they can still make the play offs yet this season.