Chris Wilder dissects Carlos Corberan tactical misjudgment in West Brom loss v Burnley
Chris Wilder has criticised the negative tactics of West Brom manager Carlos Corberan in the second half of their top-of-the-table clash against Burnley in the Championship.
The Baggies got off to the perfect start through Darnell Furlong’s seventh-minute header, but after imposing themselves early in the encounter, dropped deeper and deeper as Burnley grew into the match.
Eventually, the overwhelming pressure from the Clarets told, and Nathan Tella netted from a swift attacking move that caught the Baggies off guard before Scott Twine scored a superb freekick in the dying embers of the match.
Commentating live on Sky Sports (Friday 20 January, 21:38), former Sheffield United manager Wilder cast his eye over the tactics of Corberan’s side after Tella struck the second goal of the night.
He said: “I think for the first term ever, I’ve completely contradicted myself Andy [Hinchcliffe].
“I’ve been telling them [West Brom] to get up the pitch and go find one more goal, but I think there is a balance to being too high up the pitch and sitting on the edge of your box and inviting 18 crosses into your box – because you just know something is going to happen.
“You’re thinking they’re [Burnley] going to find a precise cross, and I don’t think anyone can defend 18, 19, 20 crosses and get a result out of a game or expect something to happen, but a great run from Tella, and a fabulous finish.”
Momentum
There was little Corberan and West Brom could do about the inspired second-half performance of Burnley on Friday night, and the winning goal from Twine was a thing of beauty.
Yes, you could argue the Baggies didn’t show enough attacking intent to nab a crucial second goal, but Tella’s goal showed exactly why West Brom were wary of doing so.
After building a promising attack and pushing bodies for one of the first times in the second half, Corberan’s side were cut apart by a clinical counter-attack.
If this swift move was anything to go by, West Brom had little option but to try and defend their lead as long as they possibly could. Burnley proved themselves as the class act of the Championship in their come-back victory, and there was something Manchester City-esque about the relentless pressure they poured on in the second 45.
West Brom were by no means poor; they were just cut apart by a team destined for the Premier League promotion.
In other West Brom news, a Sky Sports commentator was blown away by a Baggies player after what he did in the loss to Burnley.