Carlos Corberan admits out-of-favour Jake Livermore still leading by example at West Brom
Carlos Corberan has revealed that West Brom midfielder Jake Livermore is still leading by example in training despite his lack of minutes in recent months, according to the Express and Star.
After starting in Corberan’s first match as manager at The Hawthorns, Livermore has had to settle for a single Championship appearance from the bench and three FA Cup outings since.
Despite his lack of consistent game time this season, the Spaniard heaped praise on the former Spurs player for “accepting the situation” and continuing to show his leadership on a daily basis in training.
As quoted by the Express and Star (Monday 20 February), Corberan said: “We know how important he has been, and how important right now he is, even though he has not been involved in the previous games.
“He accepted the situation. He can accept and not help, or he can accept and help. As a coach, you need to take the responsibilities, but he was not just accepting the situation, he was ready to help in his position.
“He maybe since [the World Cup] hasn’t played the number of minutes you might expect for someone like him, someone who has made such a contribution to the club with his personality and values.
“He is working excellently, but in a different way because not every player is going to be in the first XI, or even in the squad. Some players will unfortunately be out of the squad, but he is someone who is never going to give up. He is an example of how to train and how to manage these different situations.”
Good to hear
Sometimes when a new manager comes into a club and ruffles a few feathers, players take a step back, check out, and say no thank you.
It is promising to hear this is not the case with Livermore, despite not getting the minutes he would have hoped for when Steve Bruce was sacked.
In any successful team, it isn’t just the eleven players that take to the pitch who are important, but also those who continue to drive standards behind the scenes. The likes of James Milner at Liverpool or Ashley Young at Aston Villa are prime examples that these types of players remain crucial to a side despite their limited impact on the pitch.
Considering he has been at the club for so long, Livermore will still play a pivotal role if the club are to successfully navigate their way to the playoffs and beyond this term.
Corberan may be readying a summer exodus of players such as Livermore, but he can still have one final telling impact at West Brom.
In other West Brom news, a defender may never feature for the club again after what happened recently and may even leave for free.