West Brom boss says Sheffield Wednesday fans did not have impact on win despite reporter claims

The former Leeds United coach spoke glowingly pre-match of the sense of occasion he expected at S6 and made a point of explaining the relative indifference in form between the two sides. A sold-out Hillsborough roared Wednesday to a victory that took the Owls a place further up the Championship table and three points clear of the drop zone. A single point at Sunderland on the final day will secure safety.

The Baggies meanwhile needed a win to all-but secure a play-off place. Defeat leaves them two points ahead of chasing Hull City in the final top six berth.

Asked how much he felt the occasion impacted the match, Corberan told The Star: “No. I don’t think so. I would tell you if we did not expect this. I would tell you yes if we did not expect the occasion and all this. As soon as you know (what the atmosphere would be like), it was the type of atmosphere we expected.”

After a glowing description of Danny Röhl’s influence on Wednesday, Corberan was asked what he felt the Owls could achieve if they were to go into next season with the German at the helm. Bluntly, he replied: “I do not have an idea.”

It came after West Brom reporters claimed the atmosphere was the loudest they had ever experienced at a Championship stadium. Corberan expressed his disappointment with the level of their performance - they fell to a third-straight defeat for the first time in his time at the club - and admitted they weren’t able to combat Wednesday’s press in the vital period after half-time.

“I think it was clear that we didn’t compete at the level which was needed today to be able to pick up the result we wanted,” he continued. “It’s important now to analyse the reasons for that. We are one group of players and one group of staff members who will always take responsibility. You have to find the solutions on the back of a result like this.

“We didn’t know how to manage their high press in the first 20 minutes of the second half. When we worked out how to beat it we managed to put the ball in the attacking half more and create more chances. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t find a goal. We have created enough things to take something away today. We have a big feeling to improve in the next game because we know we haven’t performed at our best level.

“It’s part of our job to digest this feeling and this game. We didn’t compete at the right level at times. We have to depend on ourselves to achieve what we want to achieve.”