Carlos Corberan got it completely wrong in 2-1 loss v Southampton as Conor Townsend drops West Brom stinker
West Brom saw their four-game unbeaten run come to an unfortunate end as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Southampton on Saturday (11 November) and Carlos Corberan will be rueing his decision to start Conor Towsend.
The hosts had the perfect start when Will Smallbone slotted home after Adam Armstrong’s initial shot was blocked before Kyle Bartley hit back for Albion after the break.
Armstrong scored the winner for Southampton as he took a touch before firing past Albion keeper Alex Palmer and the result meant West Brom dropped out of the top six and saw their opponents go four points clear of them into playoff places.
The Baggies can certainly count themselves incredibly unfortunate in the end in a match where they certainly matched their resurgent opponents pound-for-pound throughout the whole 90 minutes but it was Corberan’s selection which proved particularly costly.
The Spaniard strangely deviated from his rigid and fluid 3-5-2 system with Matt Phillips and Darnell Furlong or Pipa as wing-backs to go with a four-man defence.
However, it was a decision which completely took away their swift attacking threat with in-form men Phillips and Grady Diangana suffering as a result with just one key pass registered between them [SofaScore] all game.
Corberan has largely deployed that system to ensure defensive solidity but also a piercing threat on the counter and when pressing high and winning the ball back, but it was a performance which saw the Baggies register just two shots on target.
But, his decision to deploy Conor Townsend at left-back rather than a Matt Phillips wing-back role is one he will be massively regretting right now.
The 29-year-old full-back dropped an absolute stinker against the Saints, failing to win any of his six grounds and won just a disastrous 20% of his total duels, lost possession 15 times, completed one cross, two long balls and was dribbled past a worrying three times [SofaScore].
If West Brom are to climb back into the play-off places again after the international break, Corberan must axe Townsend and return to a system that has proven successful in recent weeks. Why change a winning formula?
In other West Brom news, a football expert has been left stunned after behind-the-scenes news has emerged at Hawthorns over the past few months.