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Peter Odemwingie On His Way To West Brom

June 17, 2010 - Bloemfontein, South Africa - epa02207210 Nigeria's Peter Odemwingie (2nd L) celebrates Kalu Uchi's goal during the FIFA World Cup 2010 group B preliminary round match between Greece and Nigeria at the Free State stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, 17 June 2010.

Nigerian attacker Peter Odemwingie has been rumored with moves to the English Premier League for some time.  Last year, he was prominently linked with Fulham, though he would stay another season in Moscow, remaining one of Lokomotiv’s most recognizable players.

Now, Odemwingie’s finally set to move, this time to West Brom.  He still has visa issues to work out, but he should be fine.  Once  in England, he could prove a good complement to Roman Bednar in attack – two very different players who, in combination, should offer Roberto di Matteo a number of options.

Odemwingie’s a either very overrated or underrated, depending on how you look at him.  He has typically been the best player on his teams though he is not good enough to carry a squad.  As such, he usually gets compared to top players for other teams, but he is truly more of a complementary player.  He would be at his best working off a dominant number nine or having a midfielder general with whom he can build attacks, but he’s rarely had either for club or country.  And, unfortunately, he will have neither at West Brom.

While it’s a good move for the club, I’m not sure where Odemwingie is at in his like where this would make sense.  This isn’t just a case of somebody not wanting to play in Russia.  Odemwingie’s a Russian citizen.  He may feel like now, at 29-years-old, he’s at the time to try the Premier League, but he could see himself in the Championship within ten months.

Maybe the wages are good – no idea.  I’m not high on Odemwingie’s chances of making an impact.

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UEFA Champions League Playoffs: Links on Tuesday’s Matches

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA. AUGUST 15, 2010. Zenit's head coach Luciano Spalletti (R) and his team s players pictured during a Russian football championship game Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Dynamo Moscow. (Photo ITAR-TASS / Vadim Zhernov) Photo via Newscom

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Ronald Koeman Interested In Aston Villa Job

Valencia's dejected looking manager Ronald Koeman during their UEFA Champions League, Group B football match, at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London, 11th December 2007 Photo via Newscom

Of course he is.

Legendary Dutch defender/midfielder Ronald Koeman wants to move to Aston Villa, and with coaching stops at PSV, Benifica and Ajax he certainly has a pedigree.  That in addition to being a truly classic player and Villa could do worse, right?

Remembering the state of Valencia at the end of Koeman’s reign there, I’m not so sure.  Well, Villa could hire me.  That would be worse, but I might be the only person less capable to getting my players to defend than Koeman was when he left Valencia.

It had gotten comic for Los Che.  Anytime you knew they needed to stop a goal, Koeman’s group would give one up (and look clueless in doing so).  This probably was still a bit present after Unai Emery took over, but there was a big drop in goals allowed the next year, and one of the more talented teams in Spanish fútbol actually looked capable of playing a complete match.

I would be a bit surprised if Villa went in this direction, but if they did, I would send my sympathies to the ticket holders at Villa Park.  If watching Aston Villa becomes anywhere near as frustrating as watching Valencia was, I would anticipate a rash of self-inflict baldness as the Villans pull their own hair out.

OK, not my best line.

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Martin Skrtel Signs Two-Year Extension With Liverpool

July 28, 2010 - Skopje, FYROM - epa02264147 Liverpool's player Martin Skrtel gestures during the training session in Skopje, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 28 July 2010. Liverpol FC will face FC Rabotnicki in the qualification for Europa League in the Macedonian capitol Skopje on 29 July 2010.

Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel has extended his deal with Liverpool through the summer of 2014, it was announced today.  Skrtel’s previous deal ran until the summer of 2012.

Skrtel had always been on the edge of Rafa Benítez’s teams though, in my opinion, he’s been their second-best central defender over the last two years.  He’s been troubled by injuries, missing most of last season with a foot problem, but the main road block to more playing time has been allegiance to Jamie Carragher, with Sami Hyypiä then Daniel Agger (rightly) getting time before Skrtel.

It looks like Carragher is unlike to find his deserved place under Roy Hodgson, as the England international started Liverpool’s season opener.  But to Hodgson’s credit, he found a place in the starting lineup for Skrtel by moving Agger to left back.  Whether that is viable long-term man management (will Agger want to play there) or the best formation is questionable, but in the near-term it gets Skrtel in the team, something that should have been happening before.

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UEFA Champions League Playoff: Assorted Links and Sundry Quips

Aug. 08, 2010 - 06292562 date 07 08 2010 Copyright imago Panoramic Foot Auxerre Lorient 07 08 2010 Joie Pedretti Stephanie Panoramic PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxITAxBEL men Football FRA Ligue 1 2010 2011 Auxerre Action shot Single Vdig xsk 2010 horizontal premiumd.


UEFA Champions League play-offs start today. Two teams that should get out of group play are featured: Tottenham, Zenit.

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Angelos Charisteas Moving To Arles-Avignon

05945457 date 23 05 2010 Copyright imago GEPA Pictures Football FIFA World Cup 2010 Training GRE Bath Ragaz Switzerland 23 May 10 Football FIFA World Cup 2010 in Preliminary reports Preparations National team Greece Training camps Picture shows Angelos Charisteas GRE PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUTxSUIxITA men Football World Cup Preparations National team Training camps Single Vdig xmk 2010 horizontal premiumd.

Greece international Angelos Charisteas is moving from Nurnberg to Ligue 1’s Arles-Avignon.  No fee was disclosed.

The forward had failed to make an impact of late in Germany, though his style of play could provide an interesting option in Ligue 1.  Odds are this move less consequential, more oddity.  Charisteas’s travels will always be of note after his contributions to Greece’s 2004 European titleists.

Arles remain amongst the most likely to be relegated.

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Kenwyne Jones Is Going To Be Fine

Molineux Grounds Wolverhampton Wanderers v Stoke City Premier League 14/08/2010 Kenwyne Jones (Stoke) injured twelve minutes into his debut and has to go off Photo Roger Parker Fotosports International Photo via Newscom

The Guardian has the following quote from Stoke City manager Tony Pulis:

“The news is as good as we could have expected in the circumstances. We were obviously very concerned about the extent of the damage. But the tests have shown only minor ligament damage. We will assess Kenwyne’s progress over the next few days so it is hard to say how long he will be out. We are talking days, though, not weeks or months.”

Jones left Saturday’s match at Wolves after Jody Craddock took him out from behind.  Pulis attributed the team’s dip in mood to the injury.

Thankfully, the £8 million buy looks to be okay.

I couldn’t find a video to Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth.

And you just don’t find many kids named Harvey anymore.ken

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Blackburn Takeover Talks Progressing

Football - Blackburn Rovers v Portsmouth Barclays Premier League - Ewood Park - 9/5/09..Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce Photo via Newscom

The Guardian has an update on the prospective sale of Blackburn Rovers to Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed.  Teh club has released a statement confirming talks are both ongoing and positive.  Ali Syed has said that a memorandum of understanding has been entered into ascribing an exclusive four-week negotiating window.  The businessman says he is intent on completing the transaction before the transfer window closes so that he can get Sam Allardyce money to improve the club.

Doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me, this transfer window goal.  Blackburn’s not going to acquire engouh talent in two weeks to make them a contender for Europe, and they seem unlikely to be drawn into a relegation battle, now that we’ve seen how bad some of the Premier League clubs are.  Buying can wait.

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Highlighting Emerging International Stars (FIFA)

Brazil's Neymar celebrates his goal against the United States during their international friendly soccer match at New Meadowlands stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey August 10, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT SOCCER)

While looking up information on Zenit St. Petersburg, this came up in one of my feeds.

FIFA has a piece this morning highlighting some new faces that a.) played roles in last weeks friendlies, and/or b.) look to play roles as competitive matches (i.e., Euro 2012 qualifying) loom.  Soom of the players featured:

There are some players on this list I’ve never seen.  Of those I have, Abel Hernandez and Vincent Aboubakar are the ones that interest me most.  Not saying those are the best of the lot.  Those two are the ones I’m most interested in tracking.

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If Bob Bradley Went To Aston Villa ... (World Soccer Reader)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 10: Bob Bradley, head coach of United States Soccer stands on the sidelines before the first half of a friendly match at the New Meadowlands on August 10, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The critics all agree. My latest offering at World Soccer Reader is a hit.

Just listen to the enthusiasm:

“wow we have Soccer fan fiction now…” – Steve

“…all in all a fine piece of ‘wondering out loud’.” – VillaFan

“This is hilarious. I loved it.” – Kevin McCauley

“I see what you did there.” – Stoehrst

“Live Avatar, but with more story, less blue people.” – A comment I wish somebody would leave

Here are the highlights of a piece written from one year in the future, after Bob Bradley has completed his first year at Aston Villa.

On Bradley’s first move as manager at Villa:

Four days later, James Milner was sold to Manchester City, giving Bradley a minor war chest and a void in midfield, a combination that justified bringing in Mike. Michael Bradley, Bob’s son, had played for him with the MetroStars and on the United States men’s national team. Why not with Aston Villa? Tolerantly absorbing the cries from critics who said the signing was a symptom of paternal myopia, Villa agreed to give £8 million to Borussia Monchengladbach for Mike.

On Bradley’s formation:

Started by the supporters, the quip would eventually be heard amongst lower management: Villa had gone across an ocean to get their new manager and found the only man in the world who loved 4-4-2 more than Martin O’Neill.

On the Carling Cup final:

In the final, Villa’s luck boomeranged, losing 5-1 to their arch rivals, a result apologists rationalized as Villa’s fourth-or-fifth-choice squad facing a “B-plus” opponent.

On Europa League:

In the first leg of Villa’s two-legged, knockout round tie against Club Brugge, Bradley mistakenly started central defender Richard Dunne, hampered while recovering from a knee injury. Brugge would exploit Dunne for a goal and earn a draw at Villa Park. In Belgium, Bradley would inexplicably start midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, who had performed poorly in the first leg. An early Reo-Coker giveaway gifted midfielder Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe a goal.

It’s a long piece that walks through the highlights of an Aston Villa 2010-11 season managed by Bob Bradley. You can read the whole piece, Bob Bradley and Aston Villa: If the U.S. Men’s National Team Coach Succeeded Martin O’Neill, at World Soccer Reader, where I publish every Monday.

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