Simon Jordan reacts to ‘tragic’ Carlos Corberan contract situation at West Brom live on talkSPORT amid Leeds United interest
Simon Jordan has admitted Carlos Corberan and West Brom were “sensible” over the manager’s new contract but branded the entire situation “tragic”.
The Baggies boss signed an extension that runs to 2027 on Tuesday night (8 February) to head off the possibility that he might take over at Leeds United.
But while admitting he tried to do the same thing when in charge of Crystal Palace with former Albion boss Steve Bruce, whom he singled out for criticism along with Valerien Ismael, Jordan doesn’t believe a manager deserves particular praise for getting a new contract less than four months after his last one.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Wednesday morning (8 February, 10.33pm) Jordan said: “It’s a tragic effect of giving a manager an opportunity, him being successful, and then you have to go back to him to give him a new contract to keep him in a job he should already want to keep in the first place…
“I think both sides are sensible, I tried to do the same thing with Steve Bruce many years ago. He didn’t do what he should have done. He went to Birmingham.
“But the bottom line is I admire [Corberan’s] desire to stay at West Bromwich Albion because that’s where his bread is being buttered… he’s now back doing a job that quite frankly others should have done. It should have been done by Valerien Ismael and it certainly should have been done by Steve Bruce.
“I think it’s entirely appropriate that he stays there because WBA took the flight of fancy with him.
“The tragedy for me, and it might be an owner’s head going on, is you have to do something different than you’ve already done. ‘I got you in. I gave you an opportunity. You’re doing the job… and now all of a sudden I’ve got to give you a new contract with more dough’…
“I would imagine the opportunity has been seized on by his agent… I don’t want to sit here praising someone to high heaven for showing such integrity and loyalty when they’ve been given an incentive to do it.
“Let’s get the balance right. He has done that, but he hasn’t done it out of the goodness of his heart.”
Reality
There is some logic to Jordan’s issue, but it definitely is coming from an owner’s point of view, and even as an owner he has acknowledged it is the way of the world since he tried to do the same thing at Palace.
In this situation it didn’t really matter if it was three-and-a-half months ago that Corberan signed his first deal or three-and-a-half years.
He has proved himself vital to the West Brom cause and if he was given another offer elsewhere the club needed to make sure he didn’t take it.
Theoretically the Spaniard could have turned down the advances from Leeds while refusing to accept a new deal at the Hawthorns, but if he wanted long-term commitment anyway then this works for both parties.
It comes with the territory that if a manager does as well as the former Huddersfield man has since he took over from Bruce that other opportunities will come up, and whether it entails compensation between the clubs or a resignation those opportunities can be taken.
So giving Corberan an improved deal is a small price to pay if it keeps him at the Hawthorns, especially if he ends up leading this side back to the Premier League.
In other West Brom news, one ex-player was delighted and filled with respect at the development and reacted online.