West Brom v Blackburn: Carlos Corberan’s big goalkeeper call could be decisive

The Spaniard was coy over whether David Button will continue between the sticks at The Hawthorns tomorrow evening, or if youngster Josh Griffiths would be given the nod. Corberan did reveal that after some pondering he had made up his mind.

Button, 33, has come under heavy fire from supporters for errors this season. He lost his place to the currently-injured Alex Palmer in October. On return Button secured a welcome clean sheet at home to Coventry in a 1-0 win but the keeper made costly errors for both Blues goals at St Andrew’s last time out.

While Palmer, from 17 league games, has the division’s best save percentage from efforts at goal with 77.6 per cent, Button’s 51.4 per cent from 13 games is the lowest.

In the other corner is academy graduate Griffiths, a 21-year-old with whom the club hold high hopes. Hereford-born Griffiths was recalled from a loan at League One Portsmouth last month on merit – a third EFL loan and in those stints he has totalled 113 appearances – 99 in league action with Cheltenham, Lincoln and Pompey.

Griffiths is yet to taste senior football with Albion, but there are audible calls for his involvement from the off tonight. The young shot-stopper received mixed reviews from Portsmouth fans, though it has been a difficult campaign at Fratton Park for the third tier side, which eventually resulted in Danny Cowley losing his job.

Corberan was quizzed today on which way he would play it but did not give his decision away. He did speak at length on the duo, however, and Button in particular.

He spoke about the high confidence levels Button maintains and how his error for Hannibal Mejbri’s opener for Blues, a near-post free-kick that caught out the keeper, was a result of being ‘proactive’ – a trait the head coach calls for.

But, regardless of the pros and cons, it is undeniable to say Corberan has a significant call on his hands. Button must prove he can turn in consistent displays even under great pressure from the stands, where many want to see a replacement.

In Griffiths, Albion have a keeper untested at this level – but one they clearly rate.

“We are trying to make the best decision we can,” Corberan said. “I understand why these questions are asked – when the keeper is conceding goals, when the striker is not scoring goals, when the wingers aren’t producing. It happens when centre backs make a mistake.

“These things happen in football, but of course as a coach I need to give focus to the players, individually, after every game with my staff.

“We have one way to evaluate players with numbers, because we like to see the progress in the moments of training.

“It’s not only about how a player plays for one game, it might be how they are performing over more games, and to see also the alternatives of the players.

“Now, it’s easy to say that we shouldn’t play David, we should play Josh, but in the pitch you have more possibilities and you need to analyse the players, what they can give to the team.

“This is part of my work. We understand that when the fans are watching something they do not like, they speculate with things, but it’s my part after the game, and tomorrow, to make the best decisions and to help the team in the best way, playing with players who I think are in a better conditions to help the team. This is what I will do. You will see the first XI tomorrow and you will see the decision I have made.

“When you have made the decision, you have an alternative – as a coach you know there will be consequences of the decision you made, but never you will know if there are consequences to the decision you do not make.”

Corberan added of Button: “I was talking with David about his thoughts on the game, some of the specific actions. He was fine.

“He arrived today with confidence because he had a high level of confidence from the previous game. The first goal surprised him – maybe he tried to have a very proactive position in the goal – to deal with the more common action that a delivery will do.

“Maybe this goal was in excess of being proactive – and I ask him to be proactive, because I want a goalkeeper who is not only involved in goal, but to affect positively the game.

“For me, he has a lot of experience to know, to manage what this means and to manage the different situations.

“To be proactive and to make mistakes doesn’t make sense, but don’t try to impact positively just one game – this is important for me too.

“I think that David is one person with a lot of value, in the dressing room. The reaction of the players after Coventry showed their value, showed how important he is.

“Any player wants to perform well and have no mistakes, unfortunately the ones that play can. He has a lot of experience to manage these situations.”

Griffiths has been with Albion since 2011, when aged just 10. The former England under-18 international earned sparkling review in his previous loan spells in League Two and League and has a remarkable number of senior games under his belt for a relatively young age.

Albion’s form at The Hawthorns has been almost-perfect under Corberan and whatever the head coach elects could have a big bearing on his side’s top six push.

“Josh is a young talented keeper we have in the club. We brought him back because we thought he could be important for us. We could’ve let him stay where he was and play like we have with other young talented players,” said the head coach.

“With him I felt it was important to bring him, I was watching him competing well. Sometimes the keeper has to progress in the scenario whether you’re playing or not playing.

“This experience could help him in one season. He is a player who I always evaluate to see where he is, and to see what he can offer to the team.”