Carlos Corberan will have been given apt time to reassess his West Bromwich Albion side after their 2-0 defeat to Norwich City last weekend, with no Championship game on the agenda for the Baggies up next.
Instead, he will be begging for his players to be more up for the test of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup, a Black Country Derby match taking place this Sunday lunchtime in a potentially fierce contest at the Hawthorns.
If Corberan's Baggies are turned over by their Premier League rivals, many of the West Brom first-teamers could well be on the chopping block with the Spaniard already eyeing up a number of January additions.
Corberan wants to sign his next O'Brien
The West Midlands outfit are rumoured to be in for Birmingham City top asset Jordan James this month, as has been reported by Corriere Della Sera via Sport Witness.
Native to Italy, both Atalanta and Fiorentina are also keen on the breakout Blues star according to the report alongside further interest from the Premier League in Newcastle United, Brentford and Brighton emerging.
Corberan will hope West Brom can come out on top and win James' services despite all this fervent interest, the former Huddersfield Town boss landing his next Lewis O'Brien in the process who was so crucial to his past promotion-chasing Terriers side before both parties went their separate ways.
How Lewis O'Brien compares to Jordan James
Straight off the bat, both central midfielders unquestionably have an eye for goal.
Across his extensive Championship career to date, O'Brien has netted eight second-tier goals with all of them coming during his spell with the Terriers – helping himself to six goal contributions during the 2021/22 season that saw Corberan's men dare to dream in the Playoff Final before eventually falling short.
Games
92
Goals
6
Assists
6
Yellow cards
15
Minutes played
7,853'
James, who has already amassed 79 Championship appearances for Birmingham even whilst still only being 19 years of age, is only one goal off O'Brien's goal output already at the level with six of those strikes coming this season despite being in an out-of-sorts Blues team.
The teenage sensation has been a constant bright spark even when dark clouds have regularly hung over proceedings at St Andrew's by proving to be a vital member of the squad by playing in attacking midfield, defensive midfield and even on the right wing when necessary.
That same ability to be adaptable made O'Brien a fixed first-teamer under Corberan at Huddersfield, the Baggies boss seeing similarities between the current Middlesbrough loanee and the 19-year-old Birmingham midfielder – Corberan even throwing O'Brien into the deep-end as a centre-forward on one rare occasion.
Once branded as a "tremendous asset" by ex-Blues manager Lee Bowyer when first making waves with the club at just 17 years of age, this buy would really strengthen a threadbare Baggies squad with Corberan hoping James' presence can help West Brom consolidate a playoff spot.
With O'Brien falling at the final hurdle whilst playing for Huddersfield – one match away from Premier League football with Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest unfortunately spoiling the day at Wembley – the West Brom manager will hope lightning doesn't strike twice and signing the young Welshman can spearhead a glorious promotion to the top-flight.