Corberan bides his time over destiny of quartet
ALBION head coach Carlos Corberan is yet to make a concrete decision over the futures of the senior quartet of players whose contracts expire in the summer.
Corberan and the club’s technical board have to make calls on club captain Jake Livermore, injury-hit Kean Bryan, the experienced
Erik Pieters and Australian Tom Rogic before their agreements run out. Only Rogic who, like Pieters, arrived on a free transfer last September, has the option of a further year.
They are not the only players, either. Striker Mo Faal, midfielders Jamie Andrews and Quevin Castro, and playmaker Rico Richards all see their deals expire, too.
Three of those four players have been included in at least one firstteam squad under Corberan. However, the Spaniard insists he is focused solely on the club’s Championship play-off push and that contractual matters will have to wait a little longer.
“We have been very focused in every game we have been playing,” he said. “It’s true that the next weeks can be a good time to start to have some chat, more in detail. Normally I don’t think about this yet.
“I have a full picture in my mind, I know the situation of every single player, of course. We will find the moment. It’s true that in football one game can change many things so you must always see in which direction you want to move. Still, we have enough time about this, because, of course, now the main target is the competition. There are still games in front of us to help us make an evaluation of the needs of the club.”
Certainly for the four senior players, their levels of involvement in the first team have differed quite dramatically.
Bryan hasn’t played since November 2021, months after signing on a two-year deal, when he suffered a serious knee injury. Livermore has found minutes hard to come by since Corberan’s appointment and has been shifted down the midfield pecking order.
Rogic has shown flashes of real
I have a full picture in my mind, I know the situation of every single player, of course. We will find the moment. Carlos Corberan
quality since Albion returned to action after the World Cup break and has scored goals against Sunderland and Chesterfield, as well as producing fantastic assists against Rotherham and Bristol City. Pieters, though, has been a mainstay in the defence and has kept fit-again Semi Ajayi out of the starting line-up.
“You never know the future, so that’s why, for me, now is not the time to make a decision which might affect something we don’t know,” said Corberan. “Now is the right moment to keep analysing every single player – this is what we’re doing.
“We analyse after every game the performance of the players, if there is an injury is there a risk, and we try to make everybody ready for the competition. The conversation will arrive, later in another moment.
“We have a full picture in our minds about the needs of the squad, because, for me, we have one squad, when everyone is fit, with a lot of possibilities. This is positive, because now we are missing some players, we still have a very competitive group of players.
“Right now, I cannot give you an answer because I didn’t make a thought on this yet. My full concentration is still to be focused on every game.
“My target hasn’t changed since I arrived at the club – to make West Bromwich the most competitive team we can, every time we’re on the pitch.”