West Brom boss made this honest admission after Sunderland draw and explains what Black Cats did well
Sunderland and West Brom played out a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday
West Brom Carlos Corberan conceded that his side had been second best at Sunderland on Tuesday night but said he was proud of the resilience his side had shown.
The Baggies had come into the game short of defensive options due to injuries and Darnell Furlong's suspension, and then had to make a last-minute change when Ousmane Diakite was withdrawn moments before kick off. That brought Kyle Bartley into the side and a change of formation, with Bartley then coming off at the break.
Corberan praised Sunderland's press and admitted that his side had struggled to get into the game from an attacking standpoint, but praised the application of his reshuffled side.
“It’s true, it wasn’t our best display and Sunderland were probably better than us," Corberan said.
"They created more chances than us, but I value the mentality of the team so much. In difficult circumstances, they have put in a lot of effort to achieve the point.
“The was so much resilience and commitment out there. You have to overcome difficult moments and we’ve done that tonight. You have to keep going and you have to defend well.
“We tried to attack in some moments but we couldn’t break the press. It was difficult to put the game in the attacking half. We were defending more than we were attacking and they created many more chances than us, but it’s important to be mentally strong to compete in the Championship.
“It’s important for the players to understand that they are going to go into some games where moments will be difficult and they will face challenges. We have lost important players, but the more challenges you face, the more personality you need to put on the pitch.
“I liked the reaction from the players today. We know that we are experiencing some defensive difficulties at this moment.
“We have been missing three centre-backs, but today we recovered Kyle Bartley. The advice from the medical staff was that he could only play 20 to 30 minutes if it was necessary.
“However, with the problems of Ousmane Diakité in the warm up, he stepped up and said that he wanted to play. I like when I see this behaviour and this courage from my players, especially in moments when you know you’re not at your best level to compete.
“It was decided Kyle Bartley would only play for the first 45 minutes because there was no possibility he could play any longer.
“After he came off, Uroš Račić, who is a number eight, played at centre-back for the rest of the game which shows you the challenge we have at the back.He had some problems too and wasn’t feeling his best, but he also showed a good mentality and courage."
West Brom sit seventh in the table, six points behind Sunderland, ahead of Preston North End's visit to the Hawthorns on Saturday.