"Don't want to speak badly" - Jed Wallace makes Corberan, Mowbray claim from within West Brom camp | OneFootball

Jed Wallace has compared Tony Mowbray and Carlos Corberan's approaches to management

West Bromwich Albion captain Jed Wallace has drawn a comparison between the managerial approaches taken by Tony Mowbray and former Baggies boss, Carlos Corberan on BBC Radio 5 Live's '72+' podcast.

The Spaniard gained a reputation for being extremely meticulous during his time at The Hawthorns, and an ability to guide an initially relegation-troubled Albion side to an established play-off contender in just over two years, eventually saw the sought-after head coach move to his hometown club, Valencia, on Christmas Eve.

Mowbray would eventually take over the reins in B71 for the second time after being given the all-clear from his cancer diagnosis, which saw him step down as boss of West Midlands rivals, Birmingham City, last summer.

The 61-year-old has taken 11 points from 24 during his first eight matches back in the dugout, as Albion currently find themselves in the thick of the play-off race, currently residing in sixth with 52 points from 35 games.

Speaking to Aaron Paul and former Reading captain Jobi McAnuff, the Baggies skipper remained full of praise towards Corberan for his approach in the Black Country, but was also quick to state the differences which Mowbray has brought to the club.

Jed Wallace issues Carlos Corberan, Tony Mowbray comparison

The former Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers boss is Wallace's third at The Hawthorns, having initially signed for the club under Steve Bruce in the summer of 2022.

However, the bulk of the winger's 123 appearances came under Corberan, who adopted a regimented approach to proceedings, in comparison to Mowbray's 'hands-on' style.

When asked if Mowbray's infection with the game has been evident, Wallace said: "100%, I think that's (the) very opposite of Carlos.

"And that's (because) everyone's different," he added. "Carlos is very, sort of 'stand-off-ish', and you dread getting called up to the manager's office.

"It's like getting called up to the headteacher's office," Wallace claimed. "You think, 'Oh god, what have I done wrong?', whereas the gaffer (Mowbray) might call you up and go 'Oh, I just want to catch up and have a cup of tea and see how you're feeling, why you didn't play well on the weekend, how's the mood in the camp' etc.

"So I think it's been, to be honest, complete opposite ends of the spectrum," the Albion captain stated.

"It's been something fresh, and I think you can't have huge admiration for the manager with what he's been through with his health.

"And I think, if we're winning games under Tony Mowbray, to be honest, it's going to be a really, really enjoyable place to play football," Wallace continued.

"Because, like you said, he's a great guy, there's a lovely atmosphere around the training ground. The fans love him, and if we carry on performing like we have done in the last couple of games, I think we'll be OK, hopefully."

Jed Wallace sees funny side in difference between Carlos Corberan, Tony Mowbray cultures

Later on in the podcast, Paul was also quick to ask the former Millwall man if tomato ketchup had been re-instated at the club canteen, with Corberan removing it alongside bread and various carbohydrates, taking a similar approach to Rafa Benitez.

"Yeah, I think so," Wallace responded jovially. "Yeah, ketchup's back.

"Like I said, it's slightly more normal as such, where you'd say - again, you don't want to speak badly of the old manager - but it's slightly more normal, where you might know what day off you're going to get next week," he concluded.

West Bromwich Albion's chances of a Premier League return

Despite holding the club captaincy and Albion's relatively strong season, Wallace will be somewhat frustrated with the fact he has started just six of his 27 appearances thus far, with his solitary goal coming against Portsmouth on January 25th.

However, four of those starts have come since Corberan's return to Spain, with the experienced wideman jostling for a starting berth against the league's top assist-maker in Tom Fellows.

At present, the Baggies have put themselves in a strong position at the front of a congested race for the top six, with Coventry City overtaking them in fifth as a result of eight wins in nine Championship games under Frank Lampard, whilst Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Watford remain hot on Albion's heels.

A point away at league leaders Leeds United last time out will be viewed as a step forward, as Albion became just the fourth side to take anything away from Elland Road this season, and they will look to back up a positive result and performance at The Hawthorns against QPR on Saturday afternoon.