We really couldn’t have gotten much lower….
West Brom was hurtling in reverse.
Steve Bruce’s ill-judged, myopic reign had us on the precipice marooned in 23rd place.
It is worth noting only Coventry, due to starting the season late, was below us, and the likes of Rotherham, Blackpool, Wigan and Huddersfield were above us in that late October 2022 Championship table.
I think that says a lot about the impact of Carlos Coberan, over his reign at West Brom, whose move to La Liga and a return to his hometown, Valencia, is a sad Festive time moment for the Baggies, but one in which I think most of us will say,
‘Congratulations, you did an amazing job Senor Corberan..
It’s also the first time, Valencia has gotten a positive result against us.
Something they couldn’t quite manage, 45 years ago.
I take great stall on first impressions and try and inform anyone how important in any social setting, those initial moments form in creating a long -term views of a person.
The truth was quickly revealed and indeed reflected one of the traits mentioned by Ron Gourlay on the appointment of Corberan..
'Carlos is a very detailed coach.'
West Brom’s Media Staff were incredibly quick and truly smart to release footage of Corberan’s first training session, becoming almost a live feed.
Camp Bruce was over.
Siesta was never an option in Carlos's coaching world.
This new, dark, Spanish presence was energized, gesticulating wildly with burning eyes, the loosest of arms and wrists, a mad conductor on a mission.
Corberan moved his baton with purpose and vision, the Spaniard knew his tune, would others follow?
The Thin Conductor had truly arrived
And if any of us back then would have had an offer of a twenty-six months Spanish-led future of a win rate of almost 44% in over 100 games, we'd have heartily taken it.
The bad old lazy, hazy days of the Steve Bruce era had gone.
This was not a case of ‘Here’s the new boss, same as the old boss’.
Carlos learned FAST.
The opening defeat v Sheff Utd, was a sobering experience, but sometimes truth learned early is for the best.
As ever in management it was a case of who to trust and who to discard.
The obvious promotion of Alex Palmer over the much-maligned David Button was the first Carlos decision, prior to his first game and quickly created a sense of defensive security and was the first stepping stone in the building of a team's spine.
So vital in any team.
The football calendar for an incoming manager partly through a season, can be problematic but it was perfect for Corberan, as he had the four-week window of planning due to the 2022 World Cup to work his players thoroughly on the Carlos doctrine.
Throughout Corberan's career, it's always been defence first, make your team hard to beat.
There is a method.
There is a price to pay.
Believe and adhere to the system first.
There was never a case of a passenger in this Carlos express.
The man management, the overseeing of team shape and responsibilities during a game is everything.
Corberan didn't just have a touchline presence, more of perpetual energy that coursed through his veins.
But proven systems work.
A career trait of conceding slightly less than a goal per game, is something Corberan can show great pride in, when you add together his reigns at Huddersfield and West Brom in over five seasons.
The eventual 9th place, but only missing the Championship play-offs by 3 points was an accomplished first season, particularly as we were still of course under the stewardship of Lai.
Last winter, the Patel takeover, gave the club its identity back and a vision of a future with that keyword.
Stability.
To see the improvement of so many players had to be partly down to the coaching nous of Corberan, and to adopt a patient, passing game, was a test for some supporters who always saw Carlos as a cautious man.
In reality he was making the best of a limited squad.
All you can judge a manager on is progress and making the playoffs was at least par for the Baggies course last season.
But we were never likely to beat a better individual team as Southampton were on the day, parachute payments count..
In this third Carlos season, we are currently on the cusp of the playoffs position working on a budget, 30% below the shoestring limits of the previous season, but in some judicious signings at bargain prices, and playing closely to the demanding overtures of the 'Thin Conductor', again have a team strong on defensive organization, but with an ironically increasing capacity to hurt from wide positions.
West Brom at the very least are punching at their weight.
Underachieving is an accusation you simply cannot accuse Carlos of..
If you analyze the players who have developed most under Carlos's tutelage, the likes of Palmer, Bartley, Heggem, Kipre, Mowatt, Molumby, Maja are high on that list, and that list is informative.
As with Brian Clough, it's all about the spine of the team first, foundations simply cannot exist without a solid backbone.
No doubt, Carlos would have been a great chiropractor.
His subtle adjustments only strengthened the spine and takeaway pain.
And with a strong spine, your body can express, and the patience in developing Tom Fellows, allowing a young player to blossom gradually to possible ascension to the ranks of potential outstanding Baggies wingers, will in the long term be thanked by Tom.
Whether we will end up losing both Carlos and Tom over the next few weeks is sobering to reflect on, as no doubt the offers will be made from Premier League clubs for the Baggies diamond in January.
Patience is indeed a virtue.
What looks to be the last goal of the Corberan reign, with the most delicious of team passing interplay and support from deep, to set up the angle and opportunity for Mikey Johnston's second goal against Bristol City, will be a fitting epitaph to the Corberan years...
But home is where the heart is, and it seems, quite rightly, the majority of the Baggies faithful are hurting this morning.
But also in this time of giving, being open-minded enough folk to understand Carlos's attraction to the historical La Liga giant and his home-town club.
Of course, Valencia are riddled with debt.
If the grass was 'that' greener' would they come knocking for a Championship manager??
But Carlos is someone who has shown again and again he can clearly work on a limited budget and get results.
Only this time it'll be against Real not Rotherham.
The X Factor may well be the Valencia player's approach, mid-season to such a demanding, driven, systems-first coach taking over at The Mastella.
Again results will dictate everything..
But for the end of any story, it's always informative to look at the beginning.
Where were we as a club, pre-Carlos?
Thanks to the 'Thin Conductor', we have full houses at The Hawthorns and true belief again in the stripes.
I have huge doubt many other managers would have got this much out of a club so solidly in freefall.
Carlos brought back, pride, hopes and dreams of a happy and sustainable Baggies future.
And to have this belief and love of the club reinforced by such a genuine, humble, likable man, only made your respect for him even more warm.
If you can truly say that, The Corberan Overture was well worth experiencing.
The Thin Conductor will be a very difficult act to follow.
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