Super Eagles forward Peter Osaze Odemwingie has told Manchester United to forget about picking a point at the Brittannia Stadium today.
Odemwingie survived 90 minutes unscathed on his debut in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, suggesting there were very few cobwebs to blow away after a troubled and often inactive 12 months at West Bromwich Albion and then Cardiff City.
And how sweet for him were he to help inspire Stoke to safety over the next four months – and in the process land his two former clubs in possible relegation trouble.
Odemwingie, who played most of his debut out wide before switching inside later in the second half, says: “I’m confident now I’m here that I can score goals straight away.
“I didn’t get many chances at Cardiff and that will be different here. We have a physical, strong team and that should suit me.
“I thought I was going to score on my debut, but I should have gone for power rather than placement when I had a chance in the second half.
“I wanted to make sure I hit the target, but I should have just blasted it.
“I don’t mind playing centrally or wide. I think I will get chances wherever and I’m confident I can put them away, hopefully starting against Manchester United.”
Not that Odemwingie is under-estimating the task of overcoming a United side in possible renaissance following the signing of Juan Mata and the return from injury of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
“It will be tough, of course,” he concedes, “but we can look forward to taking on anyone at the Britannia Stadium.
“I wasn’t here when we beat Chelsea, but I saw (the highlights) on television and it was a special performance. That’s what we’ll need again.
“Stoke are strong at home and we have to carry that on. It will be a great atmosphere and I can’t wait to play in it as a Stoke player.
“It’s always a big game against Manchester United, but all our games are important now. We have to start better and we need to pick up points. If we have to fight, I’m prepared to fight.”
He’s not wrong there after Wednesday’s defeat, together with Steven Nzonzi’s 53rd-minute dismissal for a second bookable offence, left Stoke licking the wounds of a fifth defeat in six.
The upshot is a Premier League table which has never looked worse for Stoke this season, with just three points and two places between themselves and the drop zone.
At least one of the consolations to come away from Wearside on Wednesday was the promise shown by Odemwingie and the acceleration he can bring to Stoke’s previously pedestrian efforts in the final third.
“We were slow to get going, and the first 15 minutes was poor,” he admitted as he reflected on Sunderland’s goalscoring start to the night when Adam Johnson seized on an error by Asmir Begovic to open his side’s account on 17 minutes.
“I was playing quite deep on the right. Johnson was dangerous down their right so play was focused down that side and their left-back (Marcos Alonso) was trying to use the space. I don’t mind that, you have to do what is needed for the team.
“We picked up after 15 minutes and started creating chances. I thought we played well in the build-up and we were unlucky not to get an equaliser.
“The game became harder when we were down to 10 men, but we still created chances.
“We are not happy with the result, but we showed a lot of character. That’s the foundation. With that kind of character we will win more games.”
Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Peter-Odemwingie-ready-wing-bid-humble/story-20530749-detail/story.html#ixzz2s0R1DKUV
Odemwingie survived 90 minutes unscathed on his debut in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, suggesting there were very few cobwebs to blow away after a troubled and often inactive 12 months at West Bromwich Albion and then Cardiff City.
And how sweet for him were he to help inspire Stoke to safety over the next four months – and in the process land his two former clubs in possible relegation trouble.
Odemwingie, who played most of his debut out wide before switching inside later in the second half, says: “I’m confident now I’m here that I can score goals straight away.
“I didn’t get many chances at Cardiff and that will be different here. We have a physical, strong team and that should suit me.
“I thought I was going to score on my debut, but I should have gone for power rather than placement when I had a chance in the second half.
“I wanted to make sure I hit the target, but I should have just blasted it.
“I don’t mind playing centrally or wide. I think I will get chances wherever and I’m confident I can put them away, hopefully starting against Manchester United.”
Not that Odemwingie is under-estimating the task of overcoming a United side in possible renaissance following the signing of Juan Mata and the return from injury of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
“It will be tough, of course,” he concedes, “but we can look forward to taking on anyone at the Britannia Stadium.
“I wasn’t here when we beat Chelsea, but I saw (the highlights) on television and it was a special performance. That’s what we’ll need again.
“Stoke are strong at home and we have to carry that on. It will be a great atmosphere and I can’t wait to play in it as a Stoke player.
“It’s always a big game against Manchester United, but all our games are important now. We have to start better and we need to pick up points. If we have to fight, I’m prepared to fight.”
He’s not wrong there after Wednesday’s defeat, together with Steven Nzonzi’s 53rd-minute dismissal for a second bookable offence, left Stoke licking the wounds of a fifth defeat in six.
The upshot is a Premier League table which has never looked worse for Stoke this season, with just three points and two places between themselves and the drop zone.
At least one of the consolations to come away from Wearside on Wednesday was the promise shown by Odemwingie and the acceleration he can bring to Stoke’s previously pedestrian efforts in the final third.
“We were slow to get going, and the first 15 minutes was poor,” he admitted as he reflected on Sunderland’s goalscoring start to the night when Adam Johnson seized on an error by Asmir Begovic to open his side’s account on 17 minutes.
“I was playing quite deep on the right. Johnson was dangerous down their right so play was focused down that side and their left-back (Marcos Alonso) was trying to use the space. I don’t mind that, you have to do what is needed for the team.
“We picked up after 15 minutes and started creating chances. I thought we played well in the build-up and we were unlucky not to get an equaliser.
“The game became harder when we were down to 10 men, but we still created chances.
“We are not happy with the result, but we showed a lot of character. That’s the foundation. With that kind of character we will win more games.”
Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Peter-Odemwingie-ready-wing-bid-humble/story-20530749-detail/story.html#ixzz2s0R1DKUV
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