West Brom fair play record may actually be concern for Carlos Corberan
West Brom have been dubbed the cleanest team in the Championship after it was found that they have the best fair-play record in the division.
West Brom may sit 21st in the Championship, but the Baggies do top the table in one area – discipline.
As revealed by the Yorkshire Post, West Brom have received just 31 yellow cards and one red card – Kyle Bartley’s dismissal against Millwall.
Amazingly, that places the Baggies at the top of the table for the least cards faced. It sounds like a feat to be proud of, but Carlos Corberan may want to see that record disappear in the second half of the season.
Fans were likely screaming at the team for their passive and nonchalant approach to games at the start of the season. The entire squad seemed to lack fight and motivation, and West Brom find themselves in their current position as a result.
The players seemingly stopped fighting for Steve Bruce, and as a result it seems the team hardly picked up any cards.
But it probably suggests that West Brom lacked fight, courage and determination more than it suggests good discipline. As Corberan looks to inspire his squad and fight his way up the Championship table in the second half of the season, he’ll probably want to see more tenacity from his players – and therefore inevitably more cards.
That doesn’t necessarily mean players running about picking up unnecessary cards and giving away silly fouls, but it does imply more effort and physicality from the side.
And already in Corberan’s short time in charge that seems to be the case. The Baggies have picked up seven yellow cards in the Spaniard’s last three Championship fixtures, including four in his first victory against Blackpool.
It shows that the players are reacting to his demands and are becoming a more physically challenging opponent to play against.
In other West Brom news, Simon Cox recalls a ‘joke’ West Brom manager application after Steve Bruce was sacked