Watford v West Brom - Match preview
Slaven Bilic is still held in high regard by Albion supporters – but there will be no room for sentiment at Vicarge Road tonight when he faces the club for the first time since his sacking.
Bilic’s promotion-winning campaign is still remembered well at The Hawthorns – and fans are now hoping Carlos Corberan and the current crop can replicate what the former Croatia boss did back in 2019-20.
Ironically, when Albion were pushing for promotion that season, their former and current bosses were doing battle.
Corberan was on Marcelo Bielsa’s coaching staff at Leeds United, who went on to win the title as Albion scraped into second.
Ahead of his first match up with Bilic as a manager, Corberan has been recalling his memories of that season – and admits part of his decision to accept the Baggies job is down to Bilic’s promotion-winning side.
“I think West Bromwich and Leeds United and Brentford were both doing an unbelievable season. I loved how Marcelo prepared his teams. We were playing a very good level of football, and West Bromwich were playing the same – in a different style.
“I remember playing against West Bromwich – it was a very, very tough game first, at home. Afterwards we won the game because we impacted the game very early. We managed it very well, but after that I remember West Bromwich making a very good season.
“They have very good playmakers, with players inside of the pitch. I remember Pereira had a very good season that year. Matty Phillips was in the team, Bartley was in the team, Furlong and Townsend – some of the players I’m coaching right now, they were playing then.
“That’s why I came here, because that year I saw players making a very good season. They were involved, and they are involved right now. I remember between Marcelo and Bilic, there was a lot of respect.”
Heading to Vicarage Road, Albion are sweating on the fitness of Nathaniel Chalobah, who went off on his full debut with a knock.
Corberan also looks set to remain without Tom Rogic due to a hamstring problem but one thing the Baggies boss has confirmed is that young keeper Josh Griffiths will remain in goal.
Griffiths has become Albion’s second academy graduate goalkeeper to make their debut this season, replacing David Button following a poor display against Birmingham.
It came months after Alex Palmer was handed his first team bow following years in the academy and on loan.
Corberan has explained how the latest academy success story is reward for the hard work put in by those behind the scenes.
He added: “For the academy, when a player from the academy makes it into the first team, it’s pleasing for the club.
“It has to be like this, because that is the target and the work of the academy people – to see the players they’ve been working with for some years, they’ve prepared them for these moments, to compete in the first team.”
