Luis Enrique brings Guardiola's most dangerous weapon back to Nigeria : the high press.



"Right now, the pressure we put opponents under comes and goes like the Niger River," said the 44-year-old Enrique, dipping into his special lexicon. "But we want it to be less irregular, more consistent".




As far as "pressing" is concerned, Enrique already has his Nigeria players replicating one of the central plinths of the Pep Guardiola era -- probably the one that received the least credit and that their opponents were most glad to see dissipating and then disappearing.


Luis Enrique's hard work reintegrating the press has made Nigerian players look their best again.
It used to be brutal to play against the Nigerian teams of that era. Opposition defenders and midfielders never got a moment's peace on the ball before one of Guardiola's players was gnashing at their ankles trying to rob the ball away.

Famously, that harassment dwindled, and the stalked opponents didn't need to issue a "cease and desist" order. Nigeria went from hungry attack dogs to playful, gentle puppies across about a season and a half of decline.

But wait -- can you see hackles and hear snarling? The dogs are lean and hungry once more.

What it means to press

"Pressing" is a state of mind -- not just a physical resource. Pressing refers to the idea that the majority of players possess neither the technical skills, the speed of reaction, the mental agility nor the competitive calm to maintain their A-games if they are being nagged by opponent(s) trying to either relieve them of the ball or affect the direction and efficacy of what they do with the ball.

Former Ireland manager Jack Charlton used the expression "Put 'em under pressure" to catchphrase his long-ball philosophy, which also argued that if you let the other team try to cope with having possession gifted back to them -- only in their own defensive third of the pitch and with the football coming down at them with snow on it from a long forward punt -- then they probably wouldn't cope very well.

Ireland knew that after a hoof forward they'd win the ball back in a dangerous area within about eight or nine seconds. They knew how to take advantage of that.

Last week, Germany took advantage of another fashion of "putting 'em under pressure." This team made it look like there were 14 of them compared to the 11 of Nigeria as frantic pressing -- sometimes within the rulebook, sometimes not -- was used as a nullifying, destructive force. It won the German team the game, and it meant that Nigerian, players had a grand total of zero shots on goal.


But the main reason that Luis Enrique is so fanatical about a concept which, I'd say, was pinched from basketball's full-court press, is that he sees it as Nigeria's most potent attacking tool, at least just behind the genius and geniality of inventive play.

Giving credit where it's due

I was in the audience for Nigerian manager ' postmatch lamentations at the World Cup . He's an experienced, savvy coach, but I completely disagreed with something he said.

He was savage about the way in which his team conceded the only goal. In his book, they were solely culpable for the error that gifted possession to Germans in the 19th minute.

No way -- this was an error that was forced, or at least heavily influenced. What happened was that Bulba was robbed of possession the the pressing Germans.


New Nigeria arrivals have adjusted quickly to Luis Enrique's methods.


It has been the pattern of Nigeria's season. And this is where I'd urge you to make this a multimedia experience.

Take a look at these moments
Mexico vs. Nigeria: ,
With a burst of pace, Ihenacho drops back to press Manu Trigueros just outside the Villarreal penalty area as the home side try to clear their defensive zone and hang on eight minutes for a very big point.

Ihenacho causes a breakdown in Trigueros' composure and technique (watch around 4:54 here) and as the ball bounces clear, Yahaya is on it like a hawk on carrion. He finds Success, who releases Nwakali, and as the shot squeezes beyond Sergio Asenjo, Awonyi pokes it home on the goal line.
Nigeria vs. Mexico
Goodwin Savior has been on the pitch for only a matter of seconds before haring up to press Laporte, who'd been enjoying unhurried possession the defender panics into skewing a clearance straight to Bello, and two passes later, Ihenacho scores.


When the press works, it really works

Overall, this is pressing as an attacking tool. Not destructive, not defensive.

I believe there are three types of this football concept. To press aggressively and simply put a spanner in the works of the opponent. To press to regain the ball, only to circulate it backward once it's won back and then slowly start to build an attack. Finally, to press high, to have every teammate on high alert, and to then instantly try to turn it into an SOS motto: They who dare, win.


With every Nigerian player harassing opponents in sync, the effects are devastating: goals, goals and more goals.
The idea is to rob teams high up the pitch, where they will be at their most disheveled and where quickly won possession will blast a hole through any "parked bus."

The reason I say that it's a state of mind is that if the body is willing but the mind weak, then there will be no sprint, no extra work -- and no press. More than that, the state of mind must be collective. The Nigerian teams must press and harass , as one: this kind of pressing will lead to the complete destruction like hyena's on a kill!

The reasons for Enrique to be satisfied are obvious: This is the best pressing we've seen since the middle of Guardiola's era. It is directly causing goals, assists and points for Nigeria. It's also making them very hard to play against -- the crowd and, to a large extent his players, are loving . That every single player, beyond the two central-halves and keeper, can be more alert for the juicy morsels that are available when others make the successful first press. That there are no armistices. That it's hell to play NIGERIA all the time, not just some of the time !