Saturday afternoon saw Carlos Corberan’s West Bromwich Albion hit double figures for league draws this season, after a 1-1 draw away at Preston North End. A Karlan Grant goal was cancelled out in the second half by Emil Riis Jakobsen, leaving the travelling fans frustrated once again and having to settle for yet another point. Patience is beginning to wear thin in certain sections of the Baggies’ fanbase, and after just one win since the end of September, it is understandable that supporters are becoming restless.
Labelling Albion’s run as ‘boring’ would be generous. Nine draws from the last 10 matches certainly puts the Baggies in the discussion to be the most boring team in the football league, and 10 stalemates already this season is the most of any team in the top 4 divisions.
The nature of some of the individual results has seen the manager begin to face questioning from sections of the fan base. Points from games against Blackburn, Burnley and Sunderland are strong results in isolation, but failing to score at home against Cardiff and Millwall, and letting leads slip against Oxford and Preston are hugely disappointing results for a team that started the season so positively. Once regarded as a tactical mastermind by those in the West Midlands, Corberan’s decision making has also been called into question, particularly against Preston. A defensive shake up after half time seemed unnecessarily negative to those in the away end, and the players introduced from the bench didn’t match the levels of those they replaced. The desire to protect a lead against a poor North End side was reminiscent of a mid-to-low end championship team, not one that has ambitions of a top 6 finish. The Spaniard defended his decisions when speaking to the media after the most recent stalemate. He said: “I understand with these calls that not everyone will be happy. I respect what the fans are saying, but I make the decisions that I consider to be right.”
This consistent rate of drawing is something rarely seen in elite level football, and it emphasises the clear strengths and weaknesses of this West Brom team. The defensive solidity is the most obvious merit this squad has. Imperious performances from the likes of Torbjorn Heggem and Kyle Bartley have seen the Baggies keep 9 clean sheets this season so far, however with such a stubborn back line, the responsibility then lies on the creative side of the team to find the moments and win games. Josh Maja and Karlan Grant have undoubtedly pulled their weight, with 14 of Albion’s 19 league goals coming through them, however misfiring attackers like John Swift and big money summer signing Mikey Johnston have failed to impress thus far. When facing a low block, Corberan’s men have lacked any spark in the final third to find a goal needed to secure three points, seen clearly in the results against Millwall and Cardiff in the Black Country.
The fixtures don’t get any easier for West Brom, with league leaders Sheffield United visiting the Hawthorns on Sunday. Ironically, a draw would be a satisfactory result against such a strong team, however that would do little to ease the pressure on the squad after such a run. Fans will be eyeing up Norwich City’s record of 23 draws in the 1978/79 season, and hoping their side don’t face a similar fate.