Lewis Cox analysis: West Brom pay the price on opening day to forget

Albion, backed by close to 3,000 travelling supporters in conditions that resembled November more than early August, gave their fans little to shout about on an afternoon of classic and painful, as well as frankly amateurish, individual errors.

Saturday’s 2-1 defeat came courtesy of a horrible 60 seconds in which much of Blackburn’s job was done – on the back of the visitors’ best period in the game.

Left-back Conor Townsend was unable to clear his lines as Rovers countered and Dilan Markanday slotted home, before disaster struck barely 10 seconds after the restart as Cedric Kipre haplessly lost the ball for Harry Leonard to beat goalkeeper Alex Palmer too easily at his near post.

There is no getting away from it, the totally avoidable individual errors that gift-wrapped Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men their goals were dire stuff. It is the kind of defending that Albion cannot allow to plague their season.

It is little wonder head coach Corberan uncharacteristically lost his rag with referee Dean Whitestone to collect two late yellow cards and be dismissed. It was not what he hoped from his side on the opening day.

The manner of the second goal was horrible. Instead of regrouping to take their medicine at 1-0 having been the better side, Albion – via Kipre – handed the hosts a second on a platter. It was a terrible way to respond.

Corberan will not have been blinded to the work needed on his Albion squad in the final month of the transfer window and a sodden afternoon in Lancashire hammered that message home.

Albion are some way from where the team needs to be in order to be pushing towards the play-off positions this season.

No drastic conclusions need reaching from day one of the league season. Most people are aware – should Corberan and Ian Pearce managed to pull off a couple more decisive new recruits – Saturday’s starting line-up is not how Albion will ideally look this time next month.

Surely nobody of a Baggies persuasion predicted Nathaniel Chalobah would be in the opening-day starting line-up?

The former Chelsea and Fulham midfielder was subject of interest from Israel’s Maccabi Haifa earlier this summer and is understood to be available for sale as Albion look to ship out players not in the head coach’s plans.

Chalobah didn’t have a particularly good game by any stretch. He, like others, looked laboured. He didn’t do enough with or without the ball as the visitors’ midfield was left exposed time and again.

But he wasn’t alone. Albion’s typically more reliable performers were not at the races, the likes of Jed Wallace – confirmed as new club captain ahead of kick-off – Okay Yokuslu, Alex Palmer – easily beaten for the second goal – and Brandon Thomas-Asante were off the pace.

Albion’s defence struggled all afternoon. Eyebrows were raised with Semi Ajayi and Kipre partnered at centre-half, but Corberan stuck with the duo he called on for his team’s final friendly – even though four goals were shipped at League One Bolton.

Kipre, like the side in general, started the game well enough. Albion were in the ascendency around 20 minutes before Rovers struck.

The Baggies’ centre-back pairing were shaky and all-at-sea. Kipre had some bright moments early but his languid style doesn’t inspire confidence, it certainly doesn’t inspire partner Ajayi, who needs confidence around him.

Albion need a new central defender, it has to be on Corberan’s agenda in the market. Kyle Bartley and Erik Pieters, as well as Caleb Taylor, are options. It will be interesting to see if the boss sticks with Kipre. His reputation of a ball-playing style precedes him, it may be why Corberan will persist, but it cost his side here.

Full-back pair Darnell Furlong and Townsend, to the frustration of some, continued in the starting line-up when a freshen up is needed.

A final word for one of the EFL’s latest rulings. Corberan couldn’t face any media after the game due to his red card. What is that all about?

It is a ludicrous rule and could create several pitfalls or loopholes moving forward. The press warrant an opportunity to hold to account and fans deserve to have answers. It’s poor form.