Carlos Corberan: West Bromwich Albion boss urges players to rise to Leeds test
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West Bromwich Albion have won and lost one of their two Championship games so far
West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberan has urged his players to rise to the "intimidating" challenge of facing Leeds United at Elland Road.
Spaniard Corberan returns on Friday to the club where he worked for three years, including two seasons under former head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
"The atmosphere the Leeds fans create can intimidate you or can motivate you. We need to go the second way," he said.
Leeds are yet to win, while the Baggies have three points from their two games.
The Whites have had a difficult summer since relegation with a change of ownership, a new manager in Daniel Farke and a host of player departures.
They have taken only one point from two games after a 2-2 draw with Cardiff City and 1-0 defeat at Birmingham City last Saturday, whereas the Baggies collected their first win against Swansea City.
But Corberan is still wary of the team his West Brom side will be facing.
"It's true that Leeds are in a transition period," he told BBC Radio WM. "Not every player now is going to stay there and other players will come in.
"The fact they lost the last game only makes them more dangerous.
"They have Premier League players, they have brought in good players and they are going to be one of the most competitive squads without any doubt."
Carlos Corberan worked under Marcelo Bielsa when Leeds won the Championship in 2020
Corberan was at Leeds from 2017 to 2020, working as the club's Under-23s coach for a year before becoming assistant to Bielsa.
Since leaving the Yorkshire club, Corberan has gone on to manage Huddersfield Town, Olympiacos in Greece and now West Brom.
He puts that all down to the experience he had under the "genius" of Bielsa.
"He is a genius because he is," said Corberan of the Argentine, who left Leeds in February 2022.
"His mind is different - he is more of a genius in the things that nobody sees than in things everyone sees.
"What he creates in football is magic. Bielsa was a genius on and off the pitch.
"That's why he has the reputation he does as one of the most important coaches in the world."