From dreamland to embarrassment: Carlos Corberan's bumpy start at Valencia following West Brom exit

It’s now been nearly two months since Carlos Corberan took the bold decision to depart West Bromwich Albion for boyhood club Valencia.

The Spaniard’s exit rocked Albion as Corberan had been an excellent servant for the club and many were excited to see what could be achieved in the future under his stewardship. From steering the Baggies away from the relegation zone following Steve Bruce’s failure to narrowly missing out on the play-offs in the same season, finishing in the top six the next year and then sending Albion on their way for another play-off run... Corberan had great success at The Hawthorns.

It wasn’t just Corberan’s departure that had an impact, it was the timing. Announced on Christmas Eve just 10 minutes before the clock struck midnight, West Brom becoming managerless was far from the Christmas present supporters would’ve wanted to wake up to. That was the reality, however, and it took three and a half weeks for Albion to fill the void by re-appointing Tony Mowbray.

It’s been a bit stop-start under Mowbray so far with two wins, one draw and three defeats in his opening six matches in charge. It was a similar story under the interim management of Chris Brunt and Damia Abella, too, with one win, three draws and two defeats during their short stint in the dugout. Enough of West Brom, though. How has Corberan been faring since his exit and did he make the right decision?

Is Corberan succeeding at Valencia?

Returning to his boyhood club was always going to be a very difficult opportunity to turn down, especially when a role as significant as head coach was available. Corberan grew up near the city of Valencia and played as a goalkeeper for the club’s youth academy before retiring as a player and pursuing coaching at the age of 23, so he’s always loved the club.

A romantic reunion fit for any Christmas, Corberan was welcomed back with open arms by the supporters – even if he never made a senior appearance for the club in his playing days. As the 41-year-old had previously been targeted by the likes of Southampton and Leicester City in the Premier League, Valencia were delighted he accepted their offer.

When Corberan arrived, Valencia were second-bottom of La Liga and four points adrift from safety. A club of such magnitude - one that has only ever been relegated from the Spanish top flight once before - had found themselves in deep trouble. Los Ches had picked up just 12 points from their opening 17 matches, managing just two wins alongside six draws and nine defeats.

Fast forward seven weeks and Valencia are still in the bottom three but are agonisingly close to escaping. Under Corberan, Los Ches have added a further 11 points from just seven matches and there have been ties against Real Madrid and Barcelona during that period. The gap to 15th place is just one point, too, with Espanyol (15th), Leganes (16th) and Las Palmas (17th) all likely to be dragged in.

Two humbling results but an overarching end goal

It’s not all been sunshine and roses as West Brom’s former manager has endured two embarrassing defeats, both inflicted by Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s side demolished Valencia 7-1 at the Nou Camp on January 26 before thrashing Los Ches 5-0 away from home in the Copa del Rey quarter-final just two weeks later.

If you’re going to lose in such a manner to anyone, you’d prefer it to be against by far the most clinical team in Spain. The 7-1 La Liga loss has made Valencia’s goal difference suffer, though, with the -13 figure now level with Espanyol and Leganes. Las Palmas’ goal difference, meanwhile, stands at -12.

There were always going to be bumps along the road for Corberan and it’s been impressive enough how he’s managed to pick up three wins in such a short space of time. Add a few more to the tally and Valencia - six time Champions of Spain - will be forgetting about the relegation battle, instead looking further up the standings as they seek to return to their former glory.

Superb players at Corberan’s disposal, but inexperience not helping

You may be wondering what sort of squad Corberan has been dealt and how well he was backed in the recent transfer window. Well, it’s not a team that should be in a relegation battle- let’s put it that way - but there aren’t many experienced heads in the dressing room.

Captain Jose Gaya has been with Valencia for nearly 11 years, ranking him sixth for the longest-serving players in La Liga. Backup goalkeeper Jaume Domenech isn’t too far behind as he’s been at the club for over nine years, while centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby has served for six years and seven months.

Those three are anomalies, however, with Valencia’s starting XI often the youngest in La Liga. Los Ches have twice this season named a lineup with an average age of just 23.3 years, while the average age has been below 25 on 10 other occasions in the league this term. Only Barcelona with teenage sensations Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi - have come close.

Nonetheless, there are some great talents within the Valencia squad. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join Liverpool on July 1, 20-year-old centre-back Christian Mosquera is destined for long-term success, 21-year-old central midfielder Javi Guerra should follow the same trajectory and striker Hugo Duro returned a decent 13 goals in 37 La Liga games last season.

Others in the squad include wonderkid defender Yarek Gasiorowski, winger Diego Lopez, attacking midfielder Andre Almeida and Aston Villa loanee Enzo Barrenechea. On the transfer front, Corberan was unable to spend any funds but was granted three loan additions in AFC Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons, FC Porto playmaker Ivan Jaime and Real Sociedad forward Umar Sadiq.