Carlos Corberan: West Brom season rests on couple of late transfers
Carlos Corberan insists Albion's Championship season rests on bringing in attacking and full-back reinforcements this week.
The Baggies head coach wants at least two new recruits before Friday night's deadline and confirmed he is looking for another option to play as full-back or wing-back and another attacker.
Albion cleared some room in the wage budget to make a move after loaning Taylor Gardner-Hickman to Bristol City, while it remains to be seen if the boss can manoeuvre two new additions in the market.
Albion are seventh in the Championship after today's lively 4-2 Hawthorns victory over 10-man Middlesbrough to make it back-to-back home wins this season.
"I like to have a strong team in attack and strong team in defence," Corberan said. "The fact we scored goals today doesn't mean anything. We still need one attacking player for me, to strengthen the squad.
"Also we need someone who can play as a wing back or full back to cover the options for the team at the back."
Quizzed if he was hopeful or confident of bringing in the two new recruits, the head coach added: "I think our future in the competition depends a lot on this week."
The Baggies kept their 100 per cent home record intact by downing winless Boro 4-2 - scoring from all four of their shots on target.
Cedric Kipre, John Swift, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jeremy Sarmiento - with his first Albion goal - got the Baggies over the line against the 10 men of Boro, but not before a late scare as a 3-1 lead was reduced to 3-2.
Corberan was especially frustrated as, following Kipre and Swift's quickfire first and second, Albion conceded to Emmanuel Latte Lath immediately afterwards.
The head coach noted his side restarted with 10 men joy to a facial injury to Jayson Molumby and said playing with a man less hampered their ability to protect those few minutes. Corberan explained Matt Phillips, at left wing-back, went to press when not necessary and it left space for Sam Silvera to cross for Latte Lath to head in.
"It was hard for me, emotionally, to see that we were better than them at 2-0 and you go to 2-1," Corberan added.
"We need to control better some moments of the game, in some areas of the pitch, to stop conceding goals that we need to avoid," he said. "At 3-1, we were allowed to be more dominant in attack without hurting them, and the red card meant we had a numerical advantage. Sometimes when you have the ball so much, you lose concentration.
"We started to relax in defence. In some moments they found ways to create chances against us. This is something I want to correct, because I want a strong team in attack and a strong team in defence. The fact that we score goals doesn't mean anything."
