Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Peter Odemwingie set for return
Saturday 30th October 2010, 10:49AM BST.
Peter Odemwingie could make his comeback from injury in Albion’s Premier League trip to Blackpool on Monday.
The Nigeria striker hopes to return to training during the weekend after knee problems and could be in the squad for the trip to Bloomfield Road.
And the Baggies are hopeful Jonas Olsson and Marc-Antoine Fortune will shake off ankle injuries in time to travel to Lancashire while in-form midfielder James Morrison should be available despite sitting out training with a knee injury.
Odemwingie has been sidelined since stretching knee ligaments in the Hawthorns draw with Bolton on October 2, while Olsson and Fortune limped out of last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Fulham.
Head coach Roberto Di Matteo said: “Peter’s at a good stage in his recovery.
We’re pushing him harder now and there’s a chance he might be available for Monday. If not Monday, we’re sure he’ll be available for the next game.
“Marco (Fortune) has trained. He’s still not 100 per cent but he’s better. Jonas hasn’t joined us training yet but there’s still a chance with him too.
“It’s so-so regarding injuries at the moment. Mozza also got a knock on his knee.
“We’re hopeful they’ll all be available for Monday night and Peter’s also much better. He’s been doing a lot of good work and we’re hopeful he’ll be able to join the group over the weekend.
“So there’s a chance we could have everybody available.”
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I do so love the ‘substitutes’ thing we have today. When I think back to ‘no subs’ days, it was playing right into the hands of clubs without a conscience. It was so easy to take out a player to give yourself more chance of winning and some teams carried a known assassin. Refs were remarkably lenient too, rarely sending off anyone. I was reminded of this in the hairdressers three weeks ago. We were discussing Alec Jackson and what a clever player he was. Slight of build, average height and brave too. We were playing Bolton, attacking the Smethwick end, a left wing ball to put Alec clean through, IF HE DARED ! There was a massive Bolton back with a 50-50 chance of ball or man. He chose Alec.
Goal ! Yes, but also the stretcher for young Jackson. We still won I think.
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trouble is will odemwingie be able to get into the side !!
It is always a pain if you upset the rhythm of a winning side, but I suppose players rotation is a policy that Di Mateo will have in mind.
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IF he is fit, or 75% maybe on the bench?
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(1)
Cyril,
So right about Alec, I remember him taking the ball (when a pass went behind him) on his heel and flicking it over his head at that point his boot came off, he shot down the right wing and still got the cross in with his bootless foot. Believe he worked for Allen’s of Tipton and had a an ALBION trial for a bet. Give us a post Alec.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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Cyril
Hairdressers??? I didn’t know that you’d gone unisex in your old age, and before you start, I know that real barbers are few and far between; especially down here in Kent.
I have been listening to five live on the trip back home from the Midlands today (Sunday) and heard one of the comentators from the Villa / Blues game interview a Blues player and asked him about Blues overtaking Villa as the top West Midlands team. This when we are sixth and they are twelfth and thirteenth. Also a bit later in the same program the pundits, which included Steve Clarridge, were talking about how poorly Arsenal had played against us and that one substitution had changed the game and that they almost won it. I agree that the substitution did change how Arsenal played, but what about the fact that we played them off the park.
But then again, if we are overlooked by the pundits then there is a chance of us surpiseing everyone.
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i dont know i give dingles bit of credit and all i get is abuse,dident think they cud publish words like shxt aye boing boing
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Just off to the seaside catch ya laters aye boing boing
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