Express & Star

Carlos Corberan West Brom talks accelerated

Albion are expected to progress with a view to wrap up talks with their new boss – as negotiations with Carlos Corberan were reported to have accelerated over the weekend.

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The new man at the helm at The Hawthorns takes over a side slumped second-bottom of the Championship following the team's latest defeat, 2-1 at Millwall on Saturday.

Former manager Steve Bruce was sacked two weeks ago today and Albion have taken three points from the subsequent nine available under caretaker Richard Beale.

Spaniard Corberan, 39, has been a leading contender during the new-boss hunt. He has been out of work since being sacked by Greece giants Olympiacos, who he joined having resigned from Huddersfield Town in the summer.

He led the Terriers to the Championship play-off final last season, his second term in charge. Prior to taking the head coach role in 2020, Corberan was assistant to Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa.

It is believed the former youth goalkeeper, who first managed in Cyprus before moving to Leeds, is keen to return to English football after an unsuccessful brief stint on the continent.

Corberan's Huddersfield finished 20th in the manager's first season, just six points clear of the drop, but following excellent recruitment from head of football operations Leigh Bromby they charged to third and reached the Wembley showpiece final – where controversial officiating calls went against his side.

After helping to foster a successful culture in West Yorkshire, Corberan fits the profile Albion are searching for with a youthful manager looking to re-build a squad and club towards the top flight.

The first job, though, for the new man will be to lift Albion from a low ebb. Interim boss Beale admits it is 'the right time' for the squad to have an injection of confidence.

"When it keeps happening, you keep losing games – obviously we won one last week (at Reading) – but we've now lost two games, that will affect confidence," Beale said.

"That's probably the right time, if it does happen and a new manager comes in this week, he can inject confidence, that little bit more confidence that the boys may well need.

"They've certainly not looked low in confidence in training but defeats are going to do that, it's natural, they're human beings.

"New ideas, fresh impetus, it's a clean slate for every player. There's more than enough to get them up the league, I'm sure that will start happening very soon."