A round-up of the latest from The Hawthorns as West Brom clarify punishment following the Wolves FA Cup fiasco, injury update, and Shane Long message
West Bromwich Albion skipper Jed Wallace has called Carlos Corberan’s motivation as ‘crazy’ as the club prepares for the Championship run-in. Albion’s league performances before Corberan’s employment in October 2022 are in stark contrast to what they’ve accomplished since his arrival. They were once plagued by the danger of relegation, but now they want to secure a spot in the play-offs.
Corberan led Huddersfield Town to the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in 2022, although they were unfortunate to lose to Nottingham Forest in a disputed affair when the Terriers were
denied a couple of strong penalty appeals. The idea that the Spaniard has more of an edge because of that experience isn’t necessarily true, Wallace believes.
“I don’t think he could have more of an extra edge if he tried,” he said. “His motivation is insane. I agree, Huddersfield were unlucky in that game. For me, he’s a top manager and I don’t think anyone deserves the chance to manage in the league above more than he does. We know there’s a lot of football to play but if there’s a manager you’d want in a play off campaign…
“He’ll probably watch every single game the other teams in the play-offs have watched in the last two years and we’d have the perfect plan for it – he’s the manager to have when you enter the crunch time of the season. It’s impossible not to go with him – and you can see that.
“You have every opportunity to play well here, because of the staff we have – the manager , the medical staff, the chefs, they go above and beyond for us. We get every chance to play well as an individiual and a team – you’re not always going to be at the top of your game, but you can see how hard we work at our game.”
Mixed injury news
At under 21 level, there is a mixed injury update. Reyes Cleary, who has struggled with hamstring injuries for almost a year and who has only featured in a single PL2 game this season, is back training again with the aim to return in some capacity in the remaining games before the end of the season. Cleary, who was named on the bench in Albion’s 2-0 win over Coventry in October, suffered a relapse in December.
While Jamal Mohammed, who recently signed his first professional contract with fellow adolescent Ollie Bostock, continues to progress in preparation for the upcoming season, forward Layton Love is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a major injury.
“Jamal is still injured and will be back for the new season,” PL2 manager Richard Beale revealed. “Reyes is back in full training but still not back to the level where he can play games.”
While Mohammed and Bostock are signed for the future, it’s coming to a stage in the campaign where the fate of a plethora of young players must now be evaluated as Albion aim to
“At this time of year, major decisions are made in every club across the country. We will meet in the coming weeks to discuss the futures of the young players, both under-18 and under-21,” Beale said. “Some will receive fresh contracts, while others will not; this is the nature of the game. We’ve worked with the lads and want as many as possible to acquire contracts. The nature is not always willing, but it is that time of year.”
Do It for Dike.
Former Albion striker Shane Long hopes the team can secure promotion for injured attacker Daryl Dike, who suffered another ruptured Achilles at Ipswich Town in February.
Long has taken an interest from afar in how the Baggies have been faring, and he deems their strength in depth to be a considerable advantage as they race against their rivals to secure their place in the play-offs. While we won’t see Dike again this season, and perhaps not even this year, Long believes Albion have all the motivation they need.
“Things have been really up and down for West Brom over the last few years, so it’s nice to see them playing attractive football again,” he told the Ladbrokes Fanzone. “I think they’ve lost just one of their last 10 games, which is a great run to be on, particularly at this time of the season, in this division.
“The West Brom fans are brilliant; they love good football, and they support a team which really should be in the Premier League. There’s a lot of excitement around the club at the moment, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the play-offs pan out, because three of my former clubs could be in among it!
“Grady Diangana excites me, as does Mikey Johnston, obviously… I like to see him doing well. He’s such an exciting player, and someone who really does make things happen. John Swift is a top player, as well; he’s someone who can cut teams apart, and make things happen. You’ve also got Jed Wallace, who has always been a threat; he knows the game well, and then they’ve got so much experience at the back.
“It’s such a shame to see Daryl Dike out again with another long-term injury; he reminded me a little bit, actually, of Romelu Lukaku. I played against him when he was at Barnsley and he’s such a tough opponent; a great goalscorer who, once he gets going, is so hard to stop. But with those big legs and that power and speed, comes injuries.
“Hopefully Dike’s injury is something the players can rally around, and even use as motivation for the rest of the season; you know, do it for him… make sure he’s returning to fitness as a Premier League player.”
Accounts suspended.
Howard Lewis-Jones, the club’s head of security and match-day operations, has announced that Albion have suspended the account of a supporter who was caught selling their seat to a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan during a recent FA Cup match at The Hawthorns. At a recent Albion Assembly meeting, it was disclosed that the club took action to punish the guilty person.
Distasteful scenes broke out during the tie at the end of January, which Wolves won 2-0, and there was a lengthy pause in play after supporters advanced onto the pitch and both sets of players were led down the tunnel by the referee. While a number of supporters were detained, the issue which sparked the scenes was an away supporter in the home end – and the club have moved to act on how that came about.
“Howard stated the catalyst was an away fan in the home area, but added this does not excuse the behaviour of some home fans,” the club’s Assembly minutes read. “He went on to dispel one rumour – saying the Wolves supporter did not get his ticket from a player (or someone who is associated to a player). It came from a genuine Albion fan, who has since had their account suspended.”
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