Carlos Corberan lays down gauntlet to West Brom striker
Carlos Corberan has challenged Albion's Brandon Thomas-Asante to understand his role and keep the pressure on himself.
Striker Thomas-Asante is the Baggies' top goalscorer with eight this season having already equalled his Championship tally of seven from last season on Boxing Day.
The 24-year-old has been at The Hawthorns a little over 12 months following his month from League Two outfit Salford, from whom he cost £300,000.
Boss Corberan, though, feels the striker has a sky-high potential and can "make everything" – but must perform with the right mentality to highlight his qualities.
"Asante I think is one player who can make everything," Corberan said of Albion's Canaries match-winner. "I think he has a lot of possibilities because even his non-massive strength, heading balls in the box, he still can do.
"He is very dangerous when he has space in the back, but he can help link even thought it's not his best strength – his competitiveness and movement in behind is his massive strength.
"He is a player that isn't good in every single thing...it's important for him to know what striker what he is and play always with the maximum mentality he needs to play, and against Norwich I saw a better mentality.
"I wanted to see a reaction from the previous game (Middlesbrough), because in the previous game I didn't see his real level, and on Tuesday I saw him competing much better."
Corberan's side host Leeds as fourth faces fifth in the Championship tonight (8.15pm) with The Hawthorns set for a second consecutive sell-out in a few days.
Albion are waiting for news on Ghana's African Cup of Nations final squad after Thomas-Asante confirmed his international allegiance and made the 55-man provisional squad list.
Thomas-Asante has been required to play the lone front role for much of the season with Josh Maja and Daryl Dike injured.
"I think Asante is a player that never has a pressure to score the goal," Corberan said. "Asante has a lot of self-confidence and self-demanding, the key for him is to not decrease in either.
"If he starts to have more self-confidence than self-demanding then he will suffer, if he loses the self-confidence (he will suffer) too.
"Always he needs to guarantee that both levels are the highest that he can have."
