How Twitter gaffe gave Sheffield United chance to spoil Carlos Corberan's West Brom debut

The Blades will have taken any sort of leg up they could get as they sought to arrest a six-game skid that had seen them drop from the top of the Championship to seventh place.

And manager Paul Heckingbottom took delight in revealing what that was a goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie earned United a 2-0 win.

“We were pretty sure how they were going to set up – West Brom put a little bit too much on their social media channels for us to see,” he said. “So we were pretty sure what it would be like.

“We worked a lot on trying to find the spare man in possession because we were pretty sure what shape they’d play.

“And when their front three then jumped, we’d always have a spare midfielder, so we wanted to keep finding that man and it worked well.

“Then for the second goal on the break, it was a question of up, back to the spare midfielder to get us a two-against-two situation.

“So I was really pleased with that and the manner of the goals.”

Heckingbottom praised his strikers for building a platform for victory.

“They scored two good goals and they’re two good players,” he said. “They’re totally different players but with their own threats.

“They’re good footballers so they are cute and football bright so they can play well together.

“With the goals they’re scoring now – both with seven – they have played their way in.

“It’s down to two things – with the ball, they are scoring goals to help us win games which buys them minutes on the pitch.

“Then without the ball, whether that’s Oli defending the six-yard box or Iliman setting the press and helping us win the ball back high up the pitch.

“When you’re talking about being a good team, you need those elements.”

United’s goals laid bare the size of the task facing Carlos Corberan, the former Huddersfield Town head coach, who was taking charge of his first game in the West Brom dugout.

West Brom have won just once in 12 Championship games and are without a home success since August 20. Booed off at half-time, Corberan changed from a 3-4-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1 system for the restart. But the former Huddersfield coach clearly has a big job on his hands.

United settled better and took an 11th-minute lead that came from incisive passing and movement – and poor home defending. Ndiaye was allowed the space to bury a low right-footed shot from seven yards after his strike partner McBurnie missed George Baldock’s volleyed cross following a superb chip over the top by Tommy Doyle.

The danger signs were there again when McBurnie climbed highest to Oliver Norwood’s lofted ball only to loop a header comfortably wide.

United doubled their lead in the 23rd minute. Ben Osborn broke up an Albion attack and Ndiaye brushed aside Darnell Furlong far too easily on the halfway line and burst forward. The Senegal international glanced to his left to slip in McBurnie, who curled into the far bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Albion looked desperately short of ideas and confidence but they rallied towards the end of the first half, forcing two chances. Matt Phillips forced the first major save from Adam Davies, who flung himself low to his left to tip away a curling effort from 22 yards. Corberan’s half-time formation switch almost paid swift dividends as Diangana and Phillips combined to put Karlan Grant through, but his toe-poked effort was straight at Davies.

United should have made it 3-0 in the 50th minute. More pressing in midfield saw Taylor Gardner-Hickman lose possession and Doyle put Ndiaye through. The Senegal international rounded goalkeeper Alex Palmer but was driven too wide and could only fire into the sidenetting.

United remained the more dangerous side and Norwood floated a shot wide then Doyle, who had been the best player on the pitch, thundered an angled drive over the bar.