Carlos Corberan has claimed West Brom have “one challenge more” that they need to overcome in their Championship clash against Bristol City – their poor form away from home.
The boss stated his side have not hit the levels of football that he wants them to, and that they will need to be more competitive in each game, particularly away from home.
The Baggies have been particularly strong at The Hawthorns under Corberan’s guidance, with a stat revealing their home form was the best in the league since his arrival, but poor away form cost them a place in last season’s playoffs, having won just twice on the road since February.
Speaking to the Express and Star on 15 September ahead of the visit to Bristol City, Corberan shared: “I am looking forward to this period. We were in excellent form at home and lost against Huddersfield.
“This (the away form) is one challenge more we need to beat and we will face it with the motivation to change the momentum.
“It is true, for me, that we have not hit the level of football we need to show. That is my feeling. We need to compete better.
“We have played good in some parts of games, without playing a full 90 or 100-minute game at the level we need. Our improvement is there.
“I have not seen the level from my team but we are starting toward the level in training. That is positive for me as a coach. It is the first step. It does not mean you will see it in the games but it gives you more confidence.”
Home form is great, but away will make the difference
If there is one criticism that can be levelled at the Spaniard for his time with West Brom, it’s the poor away form. This ultimately cost the Baggies a playoff place last season and has been largely to blame for their inconsistent start to the season.
Away defeats to Stoke, Sheffield United and Swansea in the key stages of last season contributed to the Baggies losing four of their last six games and ultimately missing out on a playoff place that could have seen them in with a chance of an illustrious place in the Premier League.
This season, Corberan has tasted defeat on the road to Blackburn and Stoke, while scraping a draw at Elland Road, in an inconsistent start to the season which has also seen them lose at home to Huddersfield in a shock result.
Their away form will need to be addressed before too long, as it will likely make the difference between mounting another playoff push or continuing to stagnate in another mid-table finish.
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