Carlos Corberan has a reputation as a manager for prioritising resolute defensive displays over free-flowing attacking football, and that has been the case at West Bromwich Albion this season to date.
The Baggies have only leaked nine goals all Championship campaign, but that has come at a cost when you consider the entertainment levels at the Hawthorns, with Corberan’s men only scoring a paltry two goals in front of their home masses.
Still, it is commendable how consistently dogged the West Midlands side are in such a tough and tricky division, especially with a recent injury crisis plaguing them at the back.
West Brom’s injury crisis
Looking at the extensive list of injuries Corberan is having to deal with at this moment highlights how many defenders are in the Baggies treatment room, with both Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi long-term absentees.
Bartley in particular has been a big loss, as the 33-year-old has been a defensive rock for his side for many a season now, with five clean sheets picked up from ten Championship clashes this season before injury disaster struck.
Paddy McNair also finds himself sidelined as a back-up option, with the ex-Manchester United man purchased on loan this summer to add cover, only for him to pick up an injury two games into his stint at the Hawthorns.
Thankfully, other fresh recruits such as Torbjorn Heggem have stepped up to the mark at the back whilst others have fallen victim to bad luck, with the Nordic defender ever-present for the Baggies in league action.
With the number of injuries that keep piling up and up, Corberan must lust after one former Albion star.
The ex-West Brom defender whose value is soaring
The player in question here is Dara O’Shea, who grew more and more in confidence donning a Baggies strip as his spell at the club went on after rising through the academy ranks to become a regular starter.
His final campaign at West Brom saw him pick up a mightily impressive 14 clean sheets from 37 second-tier clashes, on top of also helping himself to two goals and one assist as a well-rounded figure at the back.
Also labelled as “unbelievable” by ex-Baggies manager Slaven Bilic when the pair crossed paths, West Brom must have been aware that a higher-up suitor was perhaps going to poach their homegrown talent away from them sometime soon.
Now a full international with the Republic of Ireland, it was Burnley who ended up stealing him away from the Midlands, with the Clarets paying a sizeable £7m fee.
He would only last 39 games in Lancashire before finding himself on the move again, having been a top performer at the Clarets with five goals and four assists accumulated, despite Burnley suffering relegation down to the Championship during his only full season at the club.
Ipswich Town would be his next onward destination, with Corberan and Co cursing themselves that they didn’t try and generate more compensation out of Burnley, as the Tractor Boys had to splash out a substantial £15m to win his services over the summer.
O’Shea: Spurs vs Ipswich | |
|---|---|
Minutes played | 90 |
Goals scored | 0 |
Assists | 0 |
Touches | 39 |
Accurate passes | 16/23 (70%) |
Clearances | 9 |
Blocked shots | 3 |
Total tackles | 2 |
Total duels won | 5/9 |
Stats by Sofascore | |
The signs are already there that O’Shea could blossom into a reliable ace for McKenna’s men in the elite league, with an imposing five duels won last time out helping his underdog side pull off a shock 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Whilst the 25-year-old gets to lap up the top division, Corberan’s troops will have to keep battling hard to make their own promotion dreams a reality, irrespective of any injury troubles.
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