Carlos Corberan bears responsibility for the West Brom blunder – Three key takeaways from their defeat against Birmingham.
West Brom endured a controversial 3-1 defeat against Birmingham City, their West Midlands rivals, at St Andrew’s on Friday (October 6th).
John Swift provided an early lead for Albion with his sixth goal of the Championship season on enemy turf, but Birmingham responded swiftly.
The equalizer for City raised eyebrows, as the referee awarded a dubious penalty that Juninho Bacuna successfully converted. Dion Sanderson put the hosts ahead before half-time, and Gary Gardner added a late third, snapping West Brom’s five-game unbeaten streak.
Here are three insights West Brom News gained from Albion’s loss.
Criticism for Corberan
While Carlos Corberan has had a successful season overall, questions must be raised about his team selection. Hindsight makes it easy to second-guess the lineup, but leaving out Brandon Thomas-Asante, even considering his subpar form, was a significant decision that didn’t yield positive results.
Corberan not only tinkered with his attacking options but also opted to keep a fit-again Semi Ajayi on the substitutes’ bench – a decision that looked even worse after his team conceded three goals in a league match for the first time since May.
During the match, Corberan replaced both wing-backs, leading to Pipa’s second appearance since arriving on deadline day, leaving fans wondering why he had only played 14 minutes thus far.
Questionable Decision
Nevertheless, the outcome might have been entirely different if referee James Linington hadn’t awarded Birmingham the softest of penalties – a decision that altered the game’s momentum.
Kipre was deemed to have fouled Koji Miyoshi in the penalty area, giving Juninho Bacuna the opportunity to level the score from 12 yards. However, replays indicated that there was insufficient contact to warrant a penalty.
Furthermore, the center-back lost possession in the build-up to the attack, making it a forgettable day all around.
Swift’s Brilliance
West Brom got off to a brilliant start at St Andrew’s, thanks to Swift’s outstanding goal from long range – his sixth goal in 10 league appearances this season. Impressively, he scored those six goals from just seven shots on target, showcasing remarkable efficiency.
The versatile midfielder is now just one goal away from matching his total from the entire previous season and is irreplaceable in the lineup due to his current form. Unfortunately, many of his teammates failed to deliver on that night.”
Note: This paraphrased article maintains the original article’s key points while expressing them in different words and sentence structures.
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