West Brom: Chris Lepkowski reviews the summer signings at the Albion
Sep 4 2010 by Christopher Lepkowski, Birmingham Mail
NICKY SHOREY: There was a sweet irony that Shorey’s move to Albion was announced within minutes of news breaking about Martin O’Neill’s departure from Villa. After a stop-start Villa career, Shorey will be keen to restore the level of consistency which earned him two England caps earlier in his career. Shorey is certainly strong going forward but he will also need his wits about him defensively this year. Should prove a canny addition.
SOMEN TCHOYI: Described as a powerhouse by Albion’s official media thesaurus, the giant winger/midfielder has the look and presence of a man who is going to hassle opposition defenders at set-pieces and from open play. His best position remains unclear but there’s no doubt he will be a handful regardless of where he takes his place on the pitch. The former Salzburg man was the Austrian league’s player-of-the-year. Came from a club called Red Bull, but not to be confused with Mark Webber or Sebastian Vettel.
PETER ODEMWINGIE: If you’re going to score on your debut then it’s probably best to make it a late strike in a 1-0 win. The Nigeria international, recruited from Lokomotiv Moscow last month, has looked a decent acquisition on the evidence of his two outings so far. Skilful on the ball, Odemwingie has the flair and pace to take players on. Whether he can offer enough of a goal threat remains to be seen but he appears likely to spend some of his time pushing on from the wings following the return of striker Marc-Antoine Fortuné to the club from Celtic.
MARC-ANTOINE FORTUNÉ: Forget the fact he doesn’t score many – though five in his half-season spell at the Hawthorns two seasons ago suggests he’s capable of hitting double figures – the French-Guyanan has the ability to hold the ball up, out-muscle defenders and bring a fluid attacking midfield into play. Expect the likes of Chris Brunt, James Morrison, Jerome Thomas, Graham Dorrans and Giles Barnes to prosper from his presence.
PAUL SCHARNER: Another defender-midfield hybrid. Comes on big wages and with a reputation as a maverick. Capable of scoring goals and, by all accounts, isn’t shy personality-wise. The Baggies, both on and off the field, will be a more interesting set-up following the Austrian’s arrival.
CRAIG DAWSON: FourFourTwo magazine’s League Two player of the season scored 11 goals for Rochdale last season – not bad for a centre-half. Has been loaned back to Rochdale. His Dale manager Keith Hill reckons he’s one of the best players outside the Premier League.
