Spaniard Pipa, on loan from Ludogorets for the season, made his full debut for West Brom in the win at Coventry on Monday night after a period where he’s been made to be patient.
As Pipa began his first West Brom game in Monday night’s 2-0 victory over Coventry City at the CBS Arena, Carlos Corberan feels that he took “an important step.” After nearly two months at the club and just three substitute appearances, Corberan gave his compatriot his full debut.
Pipa performed admirably in place of regular right wing-back Darnell Furlong, and it was comforting to know that one of the current understudies could be called upon to perform when necessary, especially since Corberan doesn’t have an embarrassing array of senior options at his disposal due to injuries.
Corberan confirmed that Pipa, who handed his manager a decision to make ahead of the welcoming of Hull City to The Hawthorns this weekend, started ahead of Furlong because of his ability to attack teams directly and deep into the opposing territory and reasoned that his 81-minute run-out was a positive move in the right direction.
“I wanted to play with the wingbacks that could be high up the pitch, feeling comfortable with the ball, and attacking the sides,” Corberan explained. “I know Furlong plays more comfortably when he is more between the lines and not as high, because for me, he is excellent attacking inside or wide, more in between.
“Pipa is a player that helps us attack the last line, staying high. We decided to play this way. Every player on the team is a useful player for us; every player is here because he has options to play. I think it has been an important step for him to play from the beginning and help the team achieve the result.”
Corberan also praised Cedric Kipre, the center back, who’d shocked many by playing after limping off in the win against QPR less than a week ago. At the time, Corberan had admitted that we might not see Kipre for several months. Thankfully, the scan results showed that the issue wasn’t quite as serious as initially thought.
“Kipre is one player in general who is showing an improvement in his level of confidence and his level of what he gives us in attack too,” Corberan stated. “I was devastated to learn that the injuries were serious, but it was crucial that we keep him alive. Thankfully, the scan revealed only discomfort rather than an injury. He had been practicing for two days, so I knew he was prepared to participate.”
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