Carlos Corberan makes ‘marathon’ admission in new West Brom verdict
Carlos Corberan has attempted to ease expectations at West Brom with a reminder that the Championship season is a marathon.
The boss said he would not judge the progress of his side until the halfway point when they have played every other team in the division once so that they can gauge their quality compared to the others.
He stated that at the mid-way point last season, Middlesbrough, Coventry and Luton were all in mid-table before a late resurgence saw them reach the playoffs, so anything could happen.
Speaking to the Express & Star on 4 November, Corberan shared: “The only possibility you have for any conclusion or evaluation is when you have played one game against every team and in that moment you see where you are and compare with all the other teams who have played against each other.
“This still is a long time (away) with some games to arrive to this moment. I was thinking the other day, teams that achieved the play-offs last year, for example, Middlesbrough was one in the middle of the year were middle of the table.
“Luton in the middle of the year were in the middle of the table, Coventry and Sunderland in the middle of the year in the middle of the table.
“Just these examples show you what the Championship is. The Championship is a marathon. It is not important where you are in the first 10 kilometres, the only important thing is where you are at the end of the league.”
Perspective is important
The Baggies have been in good form of late, rising to fifth in the Championship table and having lost just one of their last eight games, but it is important to keep expectations realistic and not get too far ahead of yourselves because it is a long season.
We are rapidly approaching the stage of the season where teams face two or three games per week in a packed winter schedule, which can often be the downfall of prospective playoff hopefuls like Corberan’s West Brom side, particularly with smaller squads.
The lack of investment in the summer, coupled with an ongoing injury crisis with key players like John Swift and Josh Maja hit, could prove to make it a difficult season when fitness starts to become more of an issue.
While expectations must be tempered, you can’t blame fans for being hopeful, and under the steady guidance of Corberan, there is no reason this Baggies squad can’t make something great happen this season.
In other West Brom news, an injury expert has provided a new boost.