Lewis Cox and Jonny Drury bring the final instalment of their season review.
In this they look at Carlos Corberan and the job he has done at Albion this season.
In this they look at Carlos Corberan and the job he has done at Albion this season.
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00:00 Hello, Baggies fans, and welcome back to the final part of our Albion season review. We've
00:12 done all the positions and now we're going to talk about the main man in the Albion dugout,
00:17 Carlos Corberán, and the job that he has done this season to get Albion into the playoffs
00:21 with not spending a penny. Coxsey, I think the sign of how well a manager has done is
00:28 by improving in league position, which he's done, but doing it under the testing circumstances
00:34 that he's done it as well, makes the job he's done even more abnormal.
00:38 Yes, I think he's lucky. If you're looking at, we're judging this season as a whole,
00:43 I think he did an excellent job in terms of being fifth, staying fifth, the consistency.
00:49 We know the trying circumstances. We don't need to go into that. If you're going back
00:52 18 months plus to his appointment, it's a great job, isn't it? It's a great job.
00:57 And that's why, at the time of speaking, and people will be watching this, we've had links,
01:02 haven't we, this summer already. They may escalate in terms of Leicester, in terms of
01:07 other clubs, they may not. Let's see. Albion will, of course, hope and pray that they don't.
01:12 And I think everyone watching this and every supporter will hope that they don't.
01:16 I think that interest is the natural...
01:20 It's going to happen, isn't it?
01:21 Yes, it's going to happen if you're successful, if you do well, if you catch the eye.
01:24 Now Corbran's got it with Huddersfield as well, hasn't he? He did similar.
01:28 Took Huddersfield further, in fact, all the way to Wembley, where they were so unlucky.
01:32 We're going to get interrupted by a motorbike here, but that's OK.
01:36 I think Corbran...
01:42 Simon?
01:43 Yes, I'm coming on the video. I think Corbran's body of work here is, by and large, excellent.
01:49 Really superb. And that's why he's on radar of higher clubs now and on bigger clubs.
01:54 Not what bigger clubs, but in terms of the current context of where they are, what riches and what they can afford.
02:02 That's credit to him.
02:05 The debates about Corbran amongst the fanbase, I know, in terms of style, at times, selection, certainly in terms of substitutions.
02:15 I think certainly some fans kind of question the odd one, but I think you'll get that with any manager.
02:21 I don't think people can look at every single sub in every single game and think, 'Oh, I love those subs.'
02:26 We don't know the ins and outs of fitness and all that goes into that and different formation tweaks.
02:32 There's definitely a debate about his style, isn't there, as a manager?
02:36 We've said this most times, most podcasts, after most games.
02:41 It's not gung-ho, is it? It's not thrill a minute.
02:45 It's not, 'You're going to be top scorers in the division, all out attack.'
02:49 It can be at times and we've seen some big wins, but by and most.
02:54 I never use this word in a negative connotation because it's got Albin into some great positions this season.
03:00 He's got a great achievement, but it's pragmatic, it's thoughtful, it's organisational, it's tactical.
03:08 It goes to the nth degree in all of those, I think.
03:13 It's physical as well and that's how they look to outdo opponents.
03:18 Look, certainly better opponents in this division at the moment.
03:22 That's how Albin have got the better of some of those this season.
03:25 It can become trying against some of the lesser clubs, I think, who come to the Hawthorns and think, 'I'd love a point here.'
03:31 And if Albin don't score early in games, it becomes a bit tricky, doesn't it?
03:35 Whereas Carlos, I suppose, like any manager, loves an early lead and then to be able to take it from there and manage it from there.
03:43 But yes, King Carlos, isn't he? He's a supporter by and large.
03:47 Absolute, massive percentage, majority of the fan base absolutely love him for a reason and would hate to see him move on.
03:56 And Albin have to plan otherwise. I think he's done a superb season overall.
04:01 I think he's masterminded.
04:03 Look, we have to come back to the context of the situation, the circumstances he's managed in.
04:08 He's operated in windows with hands tied behind his back.
04:13 He's been able to wriggle room to get a couple in, mostly on loan.
04:17 Some have worked, some haven't.
04:19 But the market that he's operating in is such a small one, realistically, for what Albin can afford to do at the moment.
04:26 And that's why this summer is so interesting.
04:28 I know we're reviewing the season just gone, but actually the room and opportunity to manoeuvre this summer and really build his first Albin squad,
04:37 which finally comes and that will make, if he's hopefully he's in charge next summer, that'll make next season so fascinating, I think.
04:43 We kind of see a more truer group.
04:45 But what he's been able to do, certainly this season with most of what he inherited, some, many good champ players, let's still have it right.
04:53 It's not a bottom end squad or anything.
04:56 And many should say he should have got in the playoffs.
04:59 But it was a very hard, very, very strong, demanding championship season, wasn't it?
05:03 A little bit of a freakish champ season.
05:05 Leeds not going up with, what, 90 points outside of it.
05:09 And Southampton 89 obviously went up in the playoffs.
05:12 You don't get that in the championship.
05:13 It might be. It looks like it's going to be significantly weaker next season.
05:16 And what Albin got, with maybe a bit more, could be pushing towards the top two.
05:21 Could quite easily. And that's the hope.
05:24 I think Corbijn, in getting Albin best of the rest outside the top four, didn't that?
05:29 It was an outstanding effort from him, from the group.
05:32 I think you saw a real collective group effort this season, with everyone buying in, with no stops being thrown.
05:38 And that's down to the coaching of the head coach.
05:41 The players are huge admirers of him.
05:43 And great affection between, I think, all parts of the club, really, in terms of the playing staff, the players, the staff, the supporters.
05:53 And now the ownership is addressed, isn't it?
05:57 That's something very much worth mentioning.
06:00 It will be a factor this summer.
06:02 Things are still rocky in the finances, and that's why, look, we're seeing everything sort of come to a head this summer,
06:08 in terms of the ones that have been released.
06:10 Interesting players that are still contracted.
06:12 But, look, hopefully, Corbijn will be able to build on that, build on the solid Chilam Patel Foundation,
06:20 build on the excellent job he did this season, just got on the excellent 18, 20 months he's had at the club.
06:26 And on to brighter things.