West Bromwich Albion are still in the early stages of their managerial search, but have plenty of names as part of a reported shortlist.
What’s the latest?
According to the Daily Mail, Carlos Corberan is one of the numerous targets who Lai Guochuan and Ron Gourlay are considering as the next Baggies boss.
The former Huddersfield Town manager was sacked from his post at Olympiacos at the start of this campaign due to a poor start. He did nearly mastermind a return to the Premier League for the Terriers, which is exactly what West Brom will want from their new boss.
Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties on Monday morning, and names such as Roy Keane, Chris Wilder and Rob Edwards are also being cited as potential replacements.
Bruce upgrade
Before taking a full-time manager’s job, Corberan worked as a part of Marcelo Bielsa’s coaching staff at Leeds United.
The Argentine was the mastermind behind returning Leeds United to the Premier League after their 16-year absence, and when asked if he had been influenced at all by his teachings the Spaniard replied: “In every single way you can imagine."
This instantly marks an impressive benchmark from which to begin managing, and his success with Huddersfield saw them finish third in his first full season. Facing Nottingham Forest in the play-off final proved a step too far and he would resign shortly after.
The 39-year-old was then sacked after just two wins in Olympiacos’ opening 11 fixtures.
It marks a small blemish on the record of a man clearly destined for big things in the managerial game. Bielsa himself even dubbed the 39-year-old “very talented”, reportedly claiming he valued Corberan’s opinion ‘more than his own'.
With a track record of leading teams to the play-off spots, he seems like a dependable option and given his youth and progressive nature he could stick around for a while at the Hawthorns, should his ambitions be matched.
It would mark a certain upgrade on Bruce, who seems to have been somewhat left behind by the demands and pressure of the modern game.