West Brom: Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie - the next great partnership?

Oct 9 2011 by Christopher Lepkowski, Sunday Mercury

THERE was a time strike partnerships used to be all the rage.

Dalglish and Rush, Toshack and Keegan, Lineker and Beardsley, Yorke and Andy Cole – to name just four.

What about Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie?

Early days still. As a pairing they’ve scored one each – though Long scored in the opening two games of the season when he was partnered by Somen Tchoyi.

But what of their partnership?

Last weekend’s performance at Sunderland was one of individual merit, rather than an indication that the Long-Odemwingie axis was coming together.

Statistical guru Michael Cox’s insightful Premier League Chalkboard Analysi did not make for good reading.

He summised the following: “Long’s start to the season was excellent, with two goals in his first two games, but that was when Odemwingie was not in the side.

“Since the Nigerian’s return, West Brom have struggled to put together good attacking combinations, with the early two goals away at Sunderland (with Long grabbing the second) failing to mask their weaknesses going forward.

“Long and Odemwingie barely have a partnership...excluding kick-offs,

“Long and Odemwingie completed only one pass to the other in the entire match.”

So is that the sign of things to come?

Bob Taylor and Cyrille Regis, two former Albion No.9s, are not too concerned just yet.

Regis, who formed a potent partnership with several strikers throughout his 19-year career, believes there is more to a partnership than an exchange of passes.

The 53-year-old, scorer of 82 goals in 237 Albion appearances, said: “In my experience it helps – but isn’t crucial – that your two strikers are friends, partly because if you have a bond as mates and socialise then you might just talk about the game, about what makes you both tick.

“That social element can be important.