Carlos Corberan moots new role for Grady Diangana at West Brom
Carlos Corberan has suggested Grady Diangana could play more of a central role in the absence of John Swift after his performance for West Brom against Queens Park Rangers.
Diangana scored and won a penalty in the 2-0 victory at The Hawthorns, and his manager was full of praise for the display and the way he adapted to a new role in his side.
The boss did suggest that this may not be a permanent solution, but the way Diangana plays suited the role he wanted him to play, as he is able to take the ball with his back to goal.
Speaking to the Express and Star on 26 October, Corberan shared: “I think he had a positive reaction after the last game he played. He was impacting positive things in attack, he was fouled for the penalty and scored the goal.
“He was producing good in one-on-one, he was a dangerous player and made some very good finishing. The players who play in the last third, for me it’s important they produce and he found a way to finish the action he started.
“The first half we attacked with Wallace on the right, Phillips on the left and him as a playmaker, now we don’t have a playmaker in Swift, and Sarmiento, you have two possibilities, a midfielder as a playmaker or a winger as a playmaker.
“A player I watched comfortably receiving the ball with his back turned is Grady, he can perform well. Maybe in another game, it doesn’t demand the same type of solution.
“When one player gives a step back or has an injury and is moved from the team, another needs to give a step forward, this is how football works.”
Versatility can be key
In a squad as thin as this West Brom one, with rotation always necessary and injuries causing problems, having players who are versatile in their ability to play several positions and different roles can prove to be a valuable commodity for Corberan.
It gives more options to replace players than it may initially seem. For example, you’d have looked when Swift got injured and thought it’d be Jed Wallace or Alex Mowatt in his role, but Diangana has stepped up to show he is also capable.
The fact that Diangana showed the boss he could step into a different role and still perform will also do wonders for his chances of playing regular football even in a fully fit squad.
The winger was linked with a move away during the summer as the club looked to bring in money from player sales, but no move emerged, and Diangana will now be looking to impress Corberan at The Hawthorns.
In other West Brom news, government officials are in conversations with the club over the ownership situation.