West Brom currently sit in 13th place of the Championship table after the opening eight games of the season, with Carlos Corberan’s side having put 10 points on the board.
West Brom endured a fairly testing summer transfer window. It seems like Corberan didn’t get half as many new players as was needed, with his side looking fairly average in the opening stages of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Spaniard’s tactical nouse is arguably keeping the Baggies from falling into a relegation battle, though there’s hope that things could get better for the club.
West Brom injuries
West Brom have a fairly small first-team squad. They didn’t bolster all that much in the summer and they already have a few key injuries to contend with.
Daryl Dike and Josh Maja are both out, leaving Brandon Thomas-Asante as the only recognised striker in the side, whilst the likes of Adam Reach and Martin Kelly are also carrying linger-term injuries too.
But it seems like all four of those injured players could be in line for a return in the New Year, if not then shortly before.
So there’s hope that Corberan and West Brom can enjoy a stronger second half of the season with the likes of Dike and Maja returning to really bolster the Baggies’ attacking line.
The January transfer window…
But if there’s one thing that could really make or break Corberan’s first full season in charge, it’s the January transfer window.
Going off the club’s summer activity, it looks like January could be another tough month. The Baggies wanted player sales and they only managed to offload Dara O’Shea, so there could be a few names on the for sale list come January.
The likes of Grady Diangana, Nathanial Chalobah, and Thomas-Asante all had suitors and were all seemingly up for sale at the right price, and if West Brom sell those and don’t replace them, then matters in the league could get a whole lot worse for West Brom.
So 2024 certainly looks to be a make or break year for Corberan at West Brom; or at least the second half of this current season.
He remains a manager held in very high regards in the Football League and this season will certainly put those regards to the test.
