Carlos Corberan asserts that Callum Marshall’s progression remains steady, emphasizing that his loan tenure at West Bromwich Albion transcends mere playing time. Marshall, a burgeoning teenager who previously showcased prolific scoring for West Ham United’s under 21s earlier this season, transitioned to Albion on loan in January. However, his on-field involvement has been limited, amassing only 54 minutes across three appearances while serving as an unused substitute in the subsequent three matches.
Corberan finds himself endowed with a plethora of alternatives post-January, with the likes of Mikey Johnston and Andreas Weimann making notable contributions. Additionally, the return of Grady Diangana from the AFCON, the emergence of Tom Fellows, and the recovery of Adam Reach from injury further enrich the team’s roster. Despite the setback of Daryl Dike’s injury, Corberan now faces a recurring conundrum in assembling his weekly lineup, particularly with the impending return of Brandon Thomas-Asante, Josh Maja, and Matt Phillips in the foreseeable future.
In contrast, Marshall’s role has necessitated patience. Corberan expresses satisfaction in collaborating with him during daily training sessions, asserting that Marshall’s exposure to Championship football within a team vying for promotion to the Premier League holds intrinsic value beyond mere match minutes. This deliberate cultivation of skills and tactical understanding within a first-team environment is deemed pivotal for Marshall’s development, with the intention of enhancing his prowess before rejoining West Ham United in the forthcoming summer.
“It’s a pity because he’s a player with a lot of good skills and he’s in a position where there is still a lot of growth,” Corberan explained. “He is in a growing process but he isn’t going to be just ready with game minutes. It’s part of this. We have players who went on loan to places where we wanted them to play, and they didn’t.
“Reece Hall. We sent him on loan and he has come back because he didn’t play, but part of his development is to have the experience where you’re not playing. It helps you to mature, and helps you to grow. You don’t grow only when you play, you grow when you adapt your resources to the demands.
“Some players have the experience, they have used this time, this process and they’ve brought these things with them when they’ve needed to compete. Other players still need to grow – when you are 17,18,19 years old and you go into one level of the Championship, to a club like West Bromwich which is in a good position in the table, you cannot go there in your first loan thinking this is under 21 level.