Corberan's West Brom dream remains within reach

Carlos Corberan has West Brom fourth in the Championship this season

Carlos Corberan has vowed to keep chasing his West Brom dream as he marks his two-year anniversary as manager.

The Spaniard celebrates his milestone at The Hawthorns on Friday as he aims to return the Baggies to the Premier League.

Since 2000, only Tony Mowbray and Gary Megson have managed to go into a third year in charge at The Hawthorns.

Corberan replaced Steve Bruce with Albion 23rd in the Championship, eventually guiding them to ninth in 2022-23. Last season they lost in the play-off semi-finals to Southampton.

Albion are currently fourth, three points behind second-placed Burnley, ahead of Saturday's visit of Cardiff City, having been relegated from the top flight in 2021.

"It’s not easy. I know what my dream is. I know where I want to put West Bromwich Albion," Corberan told BBC Radio WM. "I'm not always going to be able to achieve what I want to achieve but I will make my best. If I don’t achieve, I will learn.

"I know the love I have for this club and for every single fan I meet after the games, for every single one that travels to support us and when you love them, the only thing you want is to give your best to them.

“I would love to give to them exactly what they want to achieve because where they want the club to be, I want to see too. I don’t know if I will achieve it one day or not, but I can promise I am going to put my life there to achieve it.”

It is hardly surprising given Corberan worked with Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds for two years as Under-23s coach, the Argentine's work ethic has rubbed off on the 41-year-old.

He had to work hard and clever as for the first year he did not pay a transfer fee but the club's trajectory changed when owner Shilen Patel, a Florida-based investor who has previously been involved as a minority stakeholder in Italian club Bologna, bought the Baggies from Guochuan Lai earlier this year.

“The first thing that they did was listen to everyone, understand them, analyse their job, and respect them," Corberan added.

"So, they have respect and they have added their level of ideas, football knowledge and organisation ideas. This club has grown, even still with financial restrictions, the club for me is growing in a good direction.

“We haven’t seen everything that Shilen wants to do in this club because he has had restrictions and a short space of time but if I am a fan, I would be excited about the things he has in mind."

Corberan was linked with the Burnley job before Scott Parker was appointed in the summer, with Leeds also been reportedly interested in tempting him back to Elland Road last year.

That led to a new contract, committing him to Albion until 2027, but the ex-Huddersfield and Olympiakos manager feels uneasy with the interest.

"When I am linked with clubs, I feel in one way uncomfortable for our fans because it’s not comfortable for me," he said. "I am happy these things appear because this is the consequence that we are doing good things.

“After a disastrous season nobody wants you as a coach. When people say they want you it’s because you have done a good job in your club.

“My most important target is to make my best job here. I consider that more of a positive thing, than a negative thing; knowing that can be uncomfortable for the people that doesn’t know you or know your targets."

Carlos Corberan was speaking on a BBC Radio WM special - listen to it here on BBC Sounds