Two Nigerian players — Mikel Obi and Osaze Odemwingie — will play one of their most challenging matches today as the English Premier League presents three games fans will surely follow every minute writes PIUS AYINOR. Last Monday the managers of West Bromwich Albion toyed with the idea of throwing Osaze Odewingie into the game against Blackpool but Roberto Di Matteo eventually reasoned otherwise. The manager perhaps had Manchester City on his mind. He needed the player who has added life to the Baggies attack to be there when the billionaires from Manchester show up.
”There was no need to take the risk. Peter (Osaze) needed to stay out and get healed completely,” Di Matteo said of the Nigerian striker.
It should be a wise decision for the Italian as the arrival of the Nigerian from Eastern Europe appears to have changed a lot of things. West Brom are sixth in the league table - a position that is difficult to imagine for fans of the Baggies. The same club returned to the English Premier League with the 2002/03 season and immediately went on relegation.
The league‘s surprise package so far, will aim to pile on the misery for fourth-place Manchester City at the Hawthorns. After the fairy tale for City and their extravagant owners, the last three weeks have been weeks of fury and pain. They were second and next to leaders Chelsea until two devastating straight losses produced an 8-point gap between them and the Stamford Bridge team. Late Thursday, they were beaten 3-1 by Lech Poznan in the Europe Cup — a loss that has made winning today very important. The challenge today is to beat the high flying Baggies and open a new chase for the title.
But will Osaze and his colleagues bow for now desperate City team?
”Every match means a lot to us and this cannot be an exception. I do hope to be ready and fit for this match and I believe we are capable of meeting the challenges. The three points are vital to our cause,” Osaze told reporters concerning this clash.
Read More:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011071262740
No comments:
Post a Comment