What is Carlos Corberan's Valencia situation as West Brom backed to appoint him | OneFootball

FLW outline the work of Carlos Corberan at Valencia after calls were made for West Brom to reappoint their ex-manager...

James Morrison is in interim charge but many West Bromwich Albion fans are calling for the return of Carlos Corberan after the failures of Eric Ramsay, Ryan Mason and Tony Mowbray following his departure to Valencia.

If any manager knows how to get the best out of a group of players in the Championship, then it was West Brom's Spanish miracle worker.

Corberan has proven himself to be a brilliant coach at this level, which stretches back to his work at Huddersfield Town, who he took to a play-off final against all odds.

The 42-year-old joined the Baggies back in October 2022, succeeding Steve Bruce. He had the task of guiding Albion away from relegation danger, which he was able to do so successfully. He then guided the Baggies to a fifth-placed finish in the 2023/24 season and reached the play-offs, but their promotion hopes were dashed by the eventual winners Southampton in the play-off semi-final.

Corberan's side were looking to build on that but, unfortunately, he would not finish the 2024/25 journey with West Brom. Once Valencia came calling, considering the Spanish team currently ply their trade in La Liga, as well as the fact he was born not too far away, it always seemed likely that Corberan would move on.

That is exactly what he did, with his departure from The Hawthorns being confirmed on Christmas Eve 2024. He has been there ever since, while West Brom slowly slid down the table last season to eventually end up in ninth. However, this season sees them outside of the relegation zone by only a few points.

Were it not for Leicester City's points deduction, the Baggies would be inside the bottom three. It's why West Brom fans are desperate to get Corberan back as soon as possible.

"The answer's obvious, you'd definitely be contacting him straight away, to see if there's any way possible to bring Corberan back to the football club," FLW's Baggies fan pundit Callum Burgess said.

"Quite frankly, you're not going to get a better manager than him, who's going to be available, whether it's until the end of the season or beyond that.

"I'd really doubt that he'd want to return to The Hawthorns, so it's probably very, very, very unlikely to happen, but, obviously, you'd be contacting them straight away, and it's a very obvious answer to that question."

That appears unlikely though, given how he is currently doing in La Liga.

How West Brom hero Carlos Corberan is doing with Valencia

Even with Albion, Corberan inherited a group in the relegation zone, and the transformation in the two years he was there was remarkable in how much of a tune he has managed to get out of them.

The results and performances since his departure only highlight that fact. Last year, he built a solid, reliable team, who have shown they can mix it up to get results.

Previous owner Guochuan Lai's ownership of the club made Corberan's achievements last season even more impressive, and showcased why he was considered to be perhaps their biggest asset and he improved the side both in and out of possession, albeit their pressing and shape off the ball was perhaps the most impressive aspect.

Corberan had been in charge of the Baggies for just over two years, but the chance to manage a massive club in his homeland appeared to be too good an opportunity to turn down. He opted to move to his hometown club, Valencia, with the short-term aim of maintaining the La Liga giants' top-flight status amid financial issues.

Corberan signed a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season with the Spanish club, who sacked head coach Ruben Baraja after just two wins in 17 league matches last season. Corberan took them from 20th to 12th last season, with tangible progress made under his stewardship.

This season, the Blanquinegros are sat 14th with seven wins and eight draws in 26 league matches. However, they are just four points off Osasuna in 10th and five points above Mallorca in 18th and just inside the relegation zone. Two wins in the last three against Levante and Osasuna have eased their relegation fears.

Of course, on paper, it doesn't appear to be that impressive. Dig a little deeper and you find that they lost crucial players from the summer via the likes of Yarek Gasiorowski, Mosquera, and Giorgi Mamardashvili. Dig deeper still and the job looks even more impressive.

Leeds United loanee Largie Ramazani may well have scored three in his last three matches, including a screamer against Levante, to improve the outlook at Valencia. However, per FotMob, Valencia are ninth for Expected Points (xPts) this season and have perhaps been unfortunate not to be better off.

With a number of high profile exits to contend with and not much money to play with, it makes the job Corberan is doing all the more impressive. It's easy to see why the majority of West Brom fans revered him during his time at The Hawthorns.

Carlos Corberan's record for wins and defeats with Valencia

For a team looking to be greater than the sum of its parts, Corberan is the man you want. He is defined by tactical attention to detail, intensity, and organised off the ball structure. His teams are compact out of possession, aggressive in the press, and well-drilled in defensive organisation.

In possession, he has been developing rapidly. Having coached alongside Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, some of those elements are beginning to seep into his footballing philosophy, particularly regarding positional rotations and wide overloads to create crossing or cut-back opportunities.

He is also known for meticulous video analysis and opponent-specific game plans, often adjusting shape between a back four and back five. Above all, Corberan demands discipline and physical commitment, building sides that are resilient, adaptable and difficult to break down.

He is ideal for a relegation dogfight, but leaving the Spanish top flight for the bottom-end of the English second tier with West Brom appears fanciful to say the least.