West Brom boss Carlos Corberan insisted Josh Maja’s brilliant start to the season was only possible because the striker worked on his fitness during the summer.
Maja, who endured an injury-hit first season at Albion, scored a hat-trick as the Baggies began the new Championship campaign with a 3-1 victory at QPR.
He started just one game and managed one goal last term, but the future looks brighter for Maja based on his outstanding display of finishing at Loftus Road.
Lucas Andersen gave Rangers a 16th-minute lead but Maja equalised 10 minutes later and struck twice more in the second half.
“The last year was unfortunately a very complicated year for him,” Corberan said.
“He suffered a very unfair situation in the last year but came back this summer with the mentality to recover this year and to make his best.
“He has been working very hard in pre-season and that’s why today he was able to impact the game.
“If he hadn’t been working in the way that he was working – when the team had holidays, he was working a lot – it would have been impossible today to see a performance like the one we saw.”
It has been a tough summer for the Baggies, who were beaten in the Championship play-offs in May and face financial restrictions after missing out on promotion back to the top flight.
But a defiant Corberan said: “Don’t be thinking about what we don’t have, be thinking about what we have and facing the challenge with the right mentality.
“When you have the limitations, the level of demand of (hard) work is higher.
“When you don’t have many options, the level that you have to show on the pitch to achieve the result you want to achieve is very high.
“When your resources are limited you need to work in a way that is very demanding.”
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes admitted the result was a “reality check” after an encouraging end to last season.
The Spaniard led Rangers away from the relegation zone in impressive fashion but has since been quick to play down expectations.
“I’m not satisfied with our performance,” he said. “Even though we took the lead and had good moments, after we scored we started to drop (back) and basically the equaliser was a consequence of us dropping too much and defending too passive.
“The three goals actually were pretty bad. West Brom shot on goal four times and three were a goal. That shows a big difference.
“It’s a good reality check to understand something that I’ve been speaking a lot about in the last weeks, about understanding that the reality of this league is very challenging.
“We finished in a good way last season, which is fine, but it’s not going to help us to win any games during this season.
“So it’s a good reality check and hopefully in the long term it will help everyone to understand where we are.
“We need to be very humble and work very hard to achieve what we want to achieve.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
