Deals give Poyet an advantage (From The Argus)

Deals give Poyet an advantage

5:00pm Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

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Albion boss Gus Poyet believes he has a unique advantage over his League One rivals now that Kazenga LuaLua has re-signed on loan from Newcastle.

The paperwork was completed too late for LuaLua to be eligible for tonight’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at home to Leyton Orient.

The 19-year-old Congolese winger’s combination of blistering pace and vigour will be unleashed instead on the MK Dons defence at Withdean on September 11.

Poyet told The Argus: “Kazenga is unique. He is pure power and speed. That nowadays in football is very important and we didn’t have that.

“I don’t think there is another player like him in the division. He gives us something totally different.

“We are very pleased to have him. We know what we are getting and that is the key. It was the same with Ashley Barnes and Marcos Painter.

“He will fit in as a player and in the dressing room so I am delighted to have him back.”

Poyet is also excited about the potential of Torbjorn Agdestein, the 18-year-old Norwegian striker bought by the Seagulls.

He said: “Toby was recommended to us by a scout we trust. We invited him here for a few days and everything we had been told he proved on the training ground and in training games.

“He is very young and I think it is important as well that we look to the future. We can make him a better player.”

Agdestein spent two seasons in the third division and one season in the second division with Stord after they were promoted.

Former Albion defender Dennis Burnett, who played in Norway after leaving the Seagulls and is an expert on Norwegian football, said: “He plays centre forward or right wing. He is a very strong boy, fast and he reads the game well.

“He could have turned professional at a couple of other sports. He was 15 when he made his debut for Stord and last year he trained with Brann, the premiership team, in Bergen, but he didn’t take it any further because he was still at school and wanted to finish his studies.”