Having taken the Premier League by storm in his debut season for West Brom back in 2010/11, Peter Odemwingie declined dramatically as a Fantasy prospect in his second full campaign to assume “Sleeper” status.
Handed a modest starting price across the Fantasy games upon his arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow, the Nigerian striker proved to be a superb value option and fired 15 goals and nine assists, racking up 171 points in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game. Predictably, Odemwingie’s Fantasy valuation spiked for last season as a result, with the FPL slapping a 7.5 tag on his services, a factor that was to ultimately dull his appeal before a ball had been kicked. As it turned out, our disinterest was justified.
Odemwingie was handed 25 stuttered starts for the Baggies, emerging from the bench in five more games. It was a frustrating season, not just for the Nigerian but also his manager at the time, Roy Hodgson. The now England boss vented his feelings in the press back in November, having seen Odemwingie fetch just two goals in nine appearances, with a string of niggles and injuries disrupting his input.
For a player who we really put so much into in the hope that he would be a major force for staying in the Premier League we have not had much of a return.
That criticism at least drew a reaction from the player as Odemwingie struck crucial goals in back-to-back wins at Blackburn and Newcastle shortly after. That settled him within Hodgson’s lineup, although a shift to a 4-5-1 formation saw Odemwingie handed a more withdrawn role on the right-flank. Not that this ultimately hindered the Nigerian’s output too much: after a run of six starts without a goal or assist, Odemwingie blasted five goals in two games, as the Baggies swept aside local rivals Wolves at Molineux and Sunderland at the Hawthorns.
That spectacular spell offered a reminder of the quality that Odemwingie possessed and, having ended the season on 10 goals and four assists, he still finished as West Brom’s most potent attacking Fantasy asset.
The Prospects
Odemwingie’s future at West Brom is still far from secure. The player has previously expressed his desire to find pastures new and, wth last season behind him, the Nigerian soon made his intentions pretty clear…
“It is time for me to struggle for silverware not just for survival in the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, his new boss, Steve Clarke, is equally adamant that he’s looking to retain the striker’s services…
“There’s no reason to doubt that he’s not a top, top player and I’m really looking forward to working with him. His goal record here is really good. He’s the man you look to for the goals”
Right now, then, Fantasy managers will be forced to sit back and monitor the situation, not least Odemwingie’s reaction in pre-season and perhaps the effect of renewed interest from Arsene Wenger, a purported admirer.
There’s little doubt that Odemwingie presents the best attacking option within Clarke’s squad right now and that, following a disappointing return last season, we’ll see his valuation decline; a initial value of 7.0 or below seems likely in the FPL.
While a meet with Liverpool and a trip to Spurs present a daunting opening, the Baggies follow that with a decent run of fixtures. Home games with Everton, Reading, QPR and Southampton in the first ten Gameweeks could well ease Clarke’s slippers under the Hawthorns desk and see Odemwingie amongst the goals.
The canny Scot, renowned for his defensive coaching, has promised an attacking brand of football. If Clarke can deliver that and get the best from Odemwingie, Fantasy managers may yet find gold amongst the West Midlands club. With options like Papiss Cisse and Nikaca Jelavic set for significant valuation hikes, Odemwingie is a proven Premier League goalscorer who may well earn our attention once more.
