The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anichebe

  • RETURN FROM INJURY: Anichebe: I’ll make Baggies fans smile

    RETURN FROM INJURY: Anichebe: I’ll make Baggies fans smile

    Nigeria’s Victor Anichebe returned to West Bromwich Albion’s squad last weekend after being sidelined for over a month due to injury. The former Everton striker is very happy to be back and eager to establish himself in The Baggies’ starting eleven.

    While Anichebe was injured a lot has happened. Most importantly manager Steve Clarke was sacked and replaced with former Betis and Sevilla’s coach Pepe Mel. This gives Anichebe opportunity for a fresh start under new a manager and possibly he may receive more playing time than in the first part of the season.

    The Beijing Olympics silver medalist explained that he is happy with a draw against his former club Everton and especially praised his teammate Diego Lugano, who delivered a great assist.

    “I thought in the second half we played really well. We fought really well and the crowd got behind us. They roared us on and I thought we played really good football as well.

    “I thought James Morrison was outstanding. He played some great forward passes and passes to me.

    “I told him at the end of the game that’s what we need all the time. I thought it was a great team performance.”

    Anichebe also admitted that he wants to play more and start scoring goals. So far this season he has scored only 1 goal in 11 EPL appearances.

    “You always need goals. I need to step up, as does everyone. Diego scored a crucial goal and we need everyone to pull together and help the team,” Anichebe told the club’s official website.

  • Injured Anichebe back in training

    Injured Anichebe back in training

    • May face Southampton today

    Victor Anichebe could be back for West Brom on Saturday against Southampton after he returned to full training.

    Anichebe has been out of action due to a groin injury which saw him miss five games.

    The Nigeria striker has played 10 league games this season for ‘The Baggies’ with a goal to his credit.

    Anichebe has not been lucky with injuries as he has been down six times with different degrees of injury last year.

  • Anichebe doubtful for WBA matches

    Anichebe doubtful for WBA matches

    Nigeria striker Victor Anichebe is West Bromwich Albion’s only injury doubt ahead of the team’s London double-header against Tottenham and West Ham.

    MTNFootbal.com reports that “The Baggies” striker has yet to resume training after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Hull due to a groin problem.

    Caretaker boss Keith Downing confirmed this at his pre-match press conference that Anichebe is struggling to be fit for the Boxing Day clash at White Hart Lane and the trip to Upton Park less than 48 hours later.

    Anichebe last played for West Brom in a 2-0 home loss to Norwich City on December 7.

    Injuries have limited the big Nigeria striker over several seasons so much so that the former Everton star has insisted he would rather concentrate on his club career than return to the Nigeria national team set-up.

     

  • Anichebe’s manager sacked

    Anichebe’s manager sacked

    Victor Anichebe’s manager at West Brom, Steve Clarke, has been sacked following a 1-0 loss to Peter Odemwingie’s Cardiff City in the English Premier League.

    It will be Clarke’s fourth loss in a row which left them just two points above drop zone.

    And the game was the first time Nigeria international Odemwingie, will play against his former club since leaving the Baggies in the summer after a six-month unhealthy relationship.

    Peter Whittingham scored a 65th minute goal to seal three points for Cardiff.

    Anichebe was not listed for the encounter following an injury.

    Clarke had been set for fresh contract talks in the New Year but the club said Saturday evening’s decision to dispense with the Scot – and place him, along with assistant Kevin Keen, on gardening leave – was the board’s unanimous decision.

    Joint assistant head coach Keith Downing will assume control of first-team affairs while the club searches for a successor.

  • Brazil 2014 fifa World Cup: Don’t invite Anichebe, Amaju begs Keshi

    Brazil 2014 fifa World Cup: Don’t invite Anichebe, Amaju begs Keshi

    Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick has advice Super Eagles Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi not to invite West Bromwich Albion striker, Victor Anichebe in the team’s interest and Keshi’is interest.

    Pinnick who spoke with SportingLife at the Abuja National Stadium, venue of the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG) yesterday said that Keshi would be destroying the house he has built by inviting Anichebe to “come and reap from where he did not labour at the expense of the players that have worked very hard to take the Super Eagles to another level by winning the Africa Nations Cup in South Africa this February as well as qualifying the team to play in next year’s World Cup in Brazil”, he said.

    The outspoken Delta State Football Association chairman, said sarcastically, “is Anichebe’s inclusion in the team going to help Nigeria win the 2014 World Cup? This is a vital question we need to ask ourselves.

    There is a great team spirit and love, existing in the Eagles now and I am worried that the invitation of Anichebe may end such in the team”, Pinnick warned.

    He, however, believed that Keshi should listen to the voice of reasoning.

    “One good thing about Keshi is that he listens if he needs to. I think he will listen when there is need. I am advising him not to invite any fresh player into this team again.

    “It is fundamentally wrong to bring Anichebe now into the team. He said he won’t play for Nigeria, why is it now that we have qualified for next year’s World Cup, now he (Keshi) wants to call him.

    “People are having sympathy for Keshi to say the Nigeria Football Federation should not bring a coach to superintend him. It is based on sentiments and not because Keshi is the best Coach in the world.

    “The same team that laboured to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup should not be sidelined in favour of other players to come and take their place.

    There is nothing Anichebe will play that Emmanuel Emenike will not play or Brown Ideye won’t play also.

    “The fact again is that there is nothing that we can play that will enable us win the World Cup now. That is the truth”, Pinnick roared.

  • Anichebe wants first-team place

    Anichebe wants first-team place

    Victor Anichebe got his first goal for West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday and said he wants to compete with in-form Shane Long for a starting spot.

    “I’m going to keep working hard and we’ll see where that gets me,” MTNFootball.com quoted Anichebe as saying on his club’s website.

    “Longy ran them (Manchester City) to death tonight and I came on and carried on from where he had left it. Longy has played really well. He scored some great goals against Villa and Chelsea.

    “If someone is playing well then sometimes you have to wait for your chance.

    “I was playing well after Man United and I’ve had a few niggling injuries since then.

    “That knocks you off your feet for a couple of games.

    “If someone comes in and plays well then fair play to them.

    “I’m the first to congratulate anyone who is doing well,” he stated.

    The Nigeria international admitted it was a bittersweet night against Manchester City.

    The 25-year-old came off the bench to fire a stoppage-time consolation against the former Premier League champions.

    And the 6ft3in centre-forward insists he is disappointed to have lost the game despite scoring.

    “I’m delighted but it’s difficult to take because we’ve lost the game,” Anichebe said.

    “I always knew that sooner or later a goal would come.

    “We were looking to get a good result.

    “It was a great weighted ball into my feet by Vydra and I didn’t really have to do much.

    “I just put my body in the way, turned him, and got the strike towards goal.

    “Anyone who has seen me down the years will know that’s what I’ve always done.

    “If a defender comes tight I will try to roll them.

    “In my first game for Albion at Fulham I did something similar and I should have scored then.”

    Anichebe said he is now looking forward to Saturday’s clash with Norwich City.

     

  • Anichebe’s boss rues referee’s decision

    Anichebe’s boss rues referee’s decision

    Victor Anichebe’s West Bromwich Albion boss has blamed his side’s inability to return to the Hawthorns with maximum points in a EPL tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on poor officiating.

    The Baggies looked set to inflict a first Premier League defeat on Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge after goals from Shane Long and Stephane Sessegnon had overturned Samuel Eto’o’s opener for the Blues but a late decision by Andre Marriner to award the home side a spot-kick in stoppage-time when he ruled that Steven Reid had brought down Ramires denied Clarke’s men maximum points.

    Clarke admitted he was sad, angry not to win but is proud of his team’s performance against a more fancied Chelsea side.

    “In the second half we played with a lot more ambition.

    I’m disappointed a decision has cost us two points.

    “My team was tremendous today and I’m really proud of their performance in the second half.

    “When I speak to Jose I am sure we won’t speak about the penalty. We will speak about each other’s families.

    The manager added that he was pleased with the way West Brom carried out the plan that he had set out, containing Chelsea for long periods and carving out opportunities as the game wore on.

  • West Brom boss backs no-goal Anichebe

    West Brom boss backs no-goal Anichebe

    West Brom boss Steve Clarke has backed Victor Anichebe and other Baggies strikers even as they are yet to get their first goal this season.

    The Baggies head coach insisted he was happy with his front men despite a lack of output so far.

    Youngster Saido Berahino, who is yet to operate as a centre-forward for the first team having been deployed in a wide role, is the only recognised forward to find the net so far this term with Nicolas Anelka, Shane Long, Victor Anichebe and Matej Vydra still looking for their first goals.

    Clarke said: “None of them have scored yet but they have contributed to team success and that’s the most important thing. It’s great for strikers to score because every striker wants and needs goals. But the day I start worrying about them is the day they’re not getting in positions to score goals.

    “They’ve all missed chances in the games they’ve played and it’s more worrying if they’re not getting in those positions.”

    Anelka, who was Clarke’s highest profile summer recruit, was left on the substitutes’ bench for last weekend’s goalless draw at Stoke. But Clarke insisted the decision was no reflection on the early season form of the 34-year-old former Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool man.

    The Scot said: “Nobody is guaranteed their place. We’ve got good competition for all the places and from game to game my job is to decide what the best starting XI is for that particular game.

    “That was the thinking last week and it will be the thinking again this week, next week and the following week. We have to make the best of what we’ve got.”

  • ANFIELD TRIP: Anichebe makes Baggies’ squad

    ANFIELD TRIP: Anichebe makes Baggies’ squad

    Out of favuor Super Eagles forward, Victor Anichebe has been included in West Brom squad for the trip to Liverpool today.

    A release in the Baggies official website Friday revealed that the Nigeria international alongside Myhill, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Amalfitano, Sessegnon, Berahino, Morrison, Long, Brunt, Daniels, Vydra, Dawson, Anelka, Lugano, Camp, Popov and Reid made Steve Clarke provisional squad.

    Meanwhile, the Baggies were struck by injury blows with on-loan Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair missing for the trip to Anfield.

    Sinclair is still recovering from the hamstring injury he sustained against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

    West Brom boss Steve Clarke said: “He’s progressing well but as it’s a muscle injury we’re just being a little bit careful.”

    Goalkeeper Ben Foster is progressing well in his 12-week recovery from a stress fracture in a bone in his right foot, while George Thorne and Zoltan Gera are said to have ‘little niggles’ from an Under-21 game on Sunday.

  • Anichebe boost for Baggies

    Anichebe boost for Baggies

    Nigeria’s Victor Anichebe is a major boost for West Brom as they tackle Stoke City today in a Barclay’s Premier League tie at Britannia Stadium.

    Reports coming out of the Hawthorns revealed that the Nigeria international, who missed the Baggies’ last Premier League match against Arsenal on October 6, due to groin problems, is now good to go moving forward.

    The Beijing Olympics silver medalist has made four appearances this season but is yet to play a full 90 minutes, recording one assist and failing to score a goal on three shots in Premier League play since his transfer deadline move from Everton.