Corberan makes Callum Styles admission at West Brom amid ‘Outstanding’ Torbjorn Heggem verdict
Carlos Corberan says Callum Styles has outperformed Gianluca Frabotta when they have been given their respective opportunities for West Brom so far this season.
The Baggies boss says utility man Styles was brought in from Barnsley primarily as a full-back, competing with Frabotta but also the “outstanding” Torbjorn Heggem, who was also signed over the summer.
With an injury crisis hitting the Albion defence hard – Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi and Paddy McNair all affected – Heggem has shifted across centrally with Styles impressing in the left-back berth ahead of Frabotta, who himself has now picked up an injury.
“Styles is a player we brought to the club to be a left-back, or wing-back,” Corberan told the Express & Star [14 November].
“In the summer before we played it was clear we considered Frabotta and him to play in this position. The fact Heggem has been playing at an outstanding level makes it more difficult to give minutes to both, but for me Styles has used the opportunity better when he’s had minutes.
“He put himself in front of Frabotta so far to play in that position and now with Frabotta’s injury it is the only decision we have. When we signed Styles we knew we didn’t bring a specific left-back, but we signed him as a left-back.”
Callum Styles carving out his chance at West Brom
When Styles was brought to The Hawthorns in the summer, some questioned the club’s ambition and rued the financial situation the club had imposed on them.
Others saw the positive side in recruiting a player from League One who had a mixed loan spell at Sunderland in the Championship last season, operating mainly as a left-back.
Styles is among a rare breed these days as an outright utility player, having played across the back line, midfield and out on both flanks in recent years.
If, after a sluggish start, he can find a position in the West Brom side and still maintain his versatility, he could be a huge option for deeper into the campaign if the injury issues do not let up for Corberan.
Styles is an unglamorous player, but the type of operator a Championship side sometimes needs to rely upon – and still at 24 but with plenty of experience and a full international with Hungary, his career is taking an upward curve.
In other West Brom news, Don Goodman says the club’s ambitions will be confirmed either way by what they do with Tom Fellows.
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