West Bromwich Albion sense an opportunity to move in and appoint a ‘master’ tactician, with the coach in question facing the sack from his club, according to a report.
West Brom consider next move after sacking Eric Ramsay
Albion’s season has been an unmitigated disaster.
Three managers in less than 12 months, one point above the Championship relegation zone with 12 games remaining. A club that won promotion to the Premier League not so long ago, is now staring down the barrel of League One football if things do not change — and fast.
Ramsay was the latest casualty, dismissed after just 44 days in charge and nine games that produced only five goals.
The final straw came after a 1-1 draw with Charlton that left the Baggies rooted to the wrong end of the table. Chairman Shilen Patel had seen enough. Ramsay, who had previously worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Man United and managed Minnesota United in MLS, simply never got going.
The results were terrible, the football was ugly, and the fans ran out of patience well before the board did.
Club legend James Morrison has stepped in as interim manager for the third time in recent seasons, handed the unenviable task of keeping Albion in the Championship with the clock ticking.
West Brom give “top recruiter” a chance to stake his claim for manager’s job after Eric Ramsay sack
The Baggies are now chasing yet another new manager.
The 39-year-old has made no secret of his desire to eventually become a head coach on a permanent basis, and Saturday’s six-pointer at Oxford United — themselves scrapping at the bottom — gives him an immediate chance to stake his claim. It is the definition of a must-win game for both clubs.
According to some reports, Morrison will be given the chance by West Brom to put forward his case for the permanent managerial role.
If the Scotsman fails to impress and the Baggies turn to solutions elsewhere, it needs to be someone who understands pressure. Someone who has been in this situation before and come out the other side.
Step forward, Carlos Corberan.
West Brom lining up Carlos Corberan as Valencia consider dismissal
According to SportsBoom, West Brom are eyeing a sensational return for the 42-year-old Spaniard, who pulled off one of the Championship’s great escapes during his previous spell at the club.
Corberan arrived in October 2022 with Albion second bottom of the table after 16 games. What followed was remarkable. He won 10 of his next 13 matches, dragging the club clear of danger and ultimately to ninth place — agonisingly close to the play-offs, losing out only on the final day.
He departed for Valencia in December 2024, returning to his hometown club — a seven-time La Liga champion — in what was a dream move.
But that dream has curdled.
Valencia are now fighting their own relegation battle in Spain, sitting two points and two places above the La Liga drop zone having lost four of their last five games in all competitions.
SportBoom suggest the La Liga side could decide to part ways with Corberan, and if he suddenly finds himself a free agent, that is where West Brom believe their opportunity lies.
The Hawthorns crowd would welcome him back with open arms. His record there speaks for itself, and a man who was also a disciple of the great Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds knows exactly how to build a team from the ground up.
“He is an absolute master at getting teams organised, hard-working and hard to play against,” said pundit Don Goodman to Football League World.
“And he’s proven that, he proved it at Huddersfield and he proved that at West Bromwich Albion.”
Russell Martin and Will Still have also been linked with the permanent role, but Corberan’s emotional connection to the club — and his proven ability to perform miracles in the lower reaches of the English pyramid — make him the most compelling option on the table.
Albion need a miracle man. They may have found their man once already. The question is whether they can get him back.
Rumours of West Brom going for “passionate” ex-Watford boss who rejected Blackburn Rovers
The Baggies need a new manager.