Fans’ commitment means so much to West Brom boss Carlos Corberan
Boss Carlos Coberan insists the Albion faithful’s commitment to their club goes well beyond final-day drama.
The Baggies will be roared on by a 2,000 sell-out crowd in south Wales at Swansea today where only a win gives a chance of a play-off place.
Tickets quickly sold well before the last-day picture was painted, a fact that meant a lot to the Spanish head coach.
Corberan called his players to repay the supporters with one final push. He said: “It’s always important to receive the support of ours fans. I know they didn’t buy the tickets right now knowing the (league table) situation. They bought the tickets before they knew which situation we are in.
“It means the commitment of the fans is even higher than any situation we’re in. They buy all the tickets immediately to be with us. This is always special and we need to always give our best to our people supporting us.
“From when I arrived here I have received a massive support from our fans. The fact we will have our fans supporting the team – of course it will always help a lot.”
Corberan has regularly been blown away by the way he has been received since checking into The Hawthorns.
The head coach hinted that if the league table was measured in support then Albion would be better off than eighth.
But the 40-year-old explained success in football is more nuanced than how much motivation a side is offered – and likewise with tactics.
“Unfortunately the position in the table is not linked only with how much our support is supporting,” said the head coach.
“It is more linked with football things, the supporters help find some energy in complicated moments, to fight and understand the meaning of football, to fight for people supporting you.
“But after, football is more complicated than only the energy, more complicated than motivation and more complicated than tactical organisation.
“It’s all these things together that make football an unbelievable sport and so unpredictable.”
There is no shortage of importance hanging on Albion’s push to make the top six and extended their season into the play-offs.
Promotion to the Premier League, currently a real long shot, will go some way to ease growing financial fears among Baggies.
Promotion prize money and Premier League broadcast fees and revenue have seldom been more required at The Hawthorns, with recent club accounts describing Albion as a going concern and stating the need to sell players to raise final funds with no investment from controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai.
