West Brom boss Carlos Corberan was left frustrated by the Baggies’ festive fixture list despite his side moving back into the Championship play-off places with a 2-0 victory over Bristol City.
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has questioned the fairness of his team’s Christmas schedule following their routine 2-0 win over Bristol City at The Hawthorns on Sunday. Mikey Johnston scored in the 34th minute of the Sky Bet Championship encounter, heading in Tom Fellows’ cross, and then added another stunning goal in the 43rd minute.
West Brom now have five games in 14 days, with their next fixture against Derby County at Pride Park on Boxing Day. However, Corberan is perplexed by the fact that his team was set to play nearly 48 hours after the Rams, who faced Luton on Friday night.
He stated, “Bristol City and ourselves will be the teams that suffer during this era. Teams like Derby will play four games in a row; we will play five. “They have a week for the Thursday game, whereas we only played on Sunday.”
He continued, “It’s a physical disadvantage. It’s craziness. It’s unfair to play against a team at this point in the season that has had two extra days to recover.”
He went further: “We cannot say we aren’t going for results, it’s my responsibility but it’s too much.”
He added: “Five games in a row. Knowing the next games, we should not have played today. We should have played on Saturday, like the other clubs in the Championship.”
He said, “We only have three days in between, which will be taxing physically. “It is what it is.”
Johnston had a great day, taking advantage of his opportunity on the left side in Karlan Grant’s absence with his first important performance of the season since joining Celtic in the summer. Huddersfield manager Carlos Corberán acknowledged the significance of the moment: “It’s important for him to score the goal, because it’ll help him grow as a player.””
He also mentioned the pressure on players who scored the previous year: “In some cases, knowing that you scored goals the prior year gives you a sense of duty. You should be able to express this emotion again.
Bristol City manager Liam Manning, who is now dealing with a four-game winless streak ahead of a busy Christmas schedule, had no concerns to the outcome. Manning is urged his players to retaliate against Luton, who are next up at Ashton Gate: “The better team definitely won, they were better than us,” he admits.
His analysis indicated some hesitancy: “We were a little passive at times, caught between pressing and blocking.”
Manning cited defensive lapses and the opponent’s quick transitions as major factors. “That’s the issue when you disconnect.” The space came from counterattacks. When they turned it over, they moved quickly from their box to ours. We need to improve, and I’m starting with myself.
Recognizing Huddersfield’s defensive strength, he admitted: “They’re so well organized defensively, it’s a difficult place to come.” We didn’t have adequate exposure to good regions. We ended up being picked off.
The need for a rapid turnaround is obvious, with Manning highlighting the importance of Boxing Day success: “We must respond on Boxing Day now. We simply need to win more games. “Ultimately, we’re in the results business.”
“We need to start winning games; you don’t want to wander and go too long without. If you want to progress, you must get consistent achievements, which we haven’t done enough of.”
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