John Percy reveal sums up attitude of some West Brom players despite recent impressive form
Things may not be as rosy as they seem inside the West Brom dressing room if claims from The Telegraph’s John Percy are to be believed.
West Brom seem to be in dreamland at the moment. Just months ago Baggies fans didn’t dare glance at the Championship table with things seemingly getting worse and worse under Steve Bruce.
But Carlos Corberan’s appointment was the catalyst for change, and suddenly the club find themselves just five points off the playoff positions with a game in hand.
Five wins on the bounce, only one goal conceded and a handful of players returning from injury – everything seems perfect, right? Well, Percy’s latest reveal is a reminder that there is still plenty of work to be done.
Via The Telegraph, Percy wrote: “It is understood that some players were initially concerned that Corberan’s training methods and high-energy football would be too similar to Valerien Ismael, who was dismissed after seven months last season.”
While it’s easy to point out that Corberan has had a bigger immediate impact than Ismael, it’s not uncommon for new managers to enjoy a honeymoon period and then tail off – it’s something West Brom will be very wary of.
Clearly some Baggies players had their doubts about Corberan and the Spaniard won’t have swayed everyone by winning five on the bounce.
There are still some key issues he has to tackle at The Hawthorns. With the January window hovering on the horizon, Corberan will be wondering what changes – if any – he wants to make to his squad.
Based on his first few weeks at the club he may deem it unnecessary to refresh or overhaul the squad, but a deep dive shows that changes are needed sooner rather than later.
There are a number of senior players at the club that need to be moved on. Kyle Bartley recently triggered a one-year extension with the club, but offering the 31-year-old a new multi-year contract would be a grave error. Jake Livermore, Matt Phillips and Kenneth Zohore are three others who have fallen out of favour and need to be moved on swiftly.
It’s a ruthless but necessary decision that Corberan needs to make. This current squad is ageing quickly and it’s down to the board and the manager to freshen it up.
Corberan’s project at The Hawthorns is for the long term, but it’s important he gets things right on and off the field this season to stamp his authority on a dressing room known to have previously down tools.
In other West Brom news, Nigel Quashie urges Corberan to carefully monitor one player in particular this season