Jed Wallace calls for patience with West Brom new boys Jeremy Sarmiento and Josh Maja
West Brom captain Jed Wallace warned it may take time for new boys Jeremy Sarmiento and Josh Maja to get up to speed with Carlos Corberan’s preferred style of player.
Neither of the Baggies’ two summer signings thus far were named in the starting XI as West Brom went down 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers in their Championship opener on Saturday (5 August), with Sarmiento coming off the bench and Maja not even in the squad.
Wallace said Corberan’s meticulous approach means it is not easy to just throw new signings straight into the fold.
In quotes reported by the Express and Star, Wallace said: “For me it’s been really refreshing working with someone like Carlos, I think you’ve seen a lot of detail, even from goal kicks, there’s so many ways we can set up.
“That’s why when new lads like Jeremy and Josh come in it’s not just a case of going straight in, they need to understand what we’re trying to do and build.
“As a manager if you want to come in and just smash it to the channels it’s probably a quicker way to get results but in the long term Carlos is trying to build the philosophy and mental resilience he talks about with us all the time.”
Patience is a virtue
Naturally when a club makes new signings, fans are always itching to see what the fresh faces can bring to their team.
That feeling is sure to be exacerbated at West Brom, where it has been a difficult close season off the pitch and the signings of Jeremy Sarmiento and Josh Maja brought a bit of light relief before the season.
West Brom were pretty bright at Blackburn and were made to rue a couple of costly individual errors at Ewood Park.
Which is why when Sarmiento and Maja do get up to speed there should be plenty of optimism for Baggies fans.
But Wallace is right in what he is saying. In Corberan, West Brom have a boss whose attention to detail is absolutely meticulous and it would be unwise to just throw players in at the deep end. Sarmiento and Maja will get their chances, and both could have big seasons at the Hawthorns.
For now, both for the players and the supporters, patience is a virtue.
In other West Brom news, Okay Yokuslu made an admission after the defeat versus Blackburn.