₦airaland Forum

kizolo:
I think the club’s midfield purchases are skewed towards Carrick’s preference for using 8s in midfield. It mirrors what we’ve seen at PSG…prioritising technical, ball-playing midfielders who can also do the defensive side of the game, rather than relying on a traditional No. 6. It gives the team better control, improves ball retention, and allows more fluid build-up play.

That said, I still think we need a 6. The club will likely sign a natural defensive midfielder. A player with energy and the legs to cover ground, break up play, protect the back line, and provide balance when needed.

Who would you recommend at this point?

I think you are right. Carrick having been a DLP himself probably does not fancy pure destroyers.

I really don’t know who we can get. The club has surprised most of us with these 2 deals so maybe they have someone in mind.

Bruno G is 28 and it seems Newcastle want close to 100m pounds for him so he is not an option for us.

The one player I can think of that fits the description is James Garner but there will be other options out there for the club to identify.

TheLequte:
Given that he featured in 35 games last season I’m tempted to say Tielemans will be the one to rotate with Santos. He just turned 29 too, so maybe we’ll get 3 years from him.

My concern is the defensive aspect of our midfield. None of the current profiles offers that solid defensive presence and shield. I’m only hoping their technicality will help us keep the ball for longer when we’re ahead so we don’t fall prey to undue pressure.

I agree we still need to buy a number 6 and a few other quality signings. Tielemans and Santos raises the floor but we’ve only just replaced two departures in Casemiro and Ugarte. There’s loads of games to play next season, the squad is still scanty.

I’m happy for the additions tho.

I think we will get 1 more midfielder in and supplement with academy prospects when needed in midfield.

There are a few academy midfielders that give us minutes here and there in League Cup and if required at the end of games in other competitions.

Mainoo, Santos, Tielemans, another No 6, Mount, Bruno could be okay as long as the no 6 addition is top quality. My suspicion is that Santos would be the one to compete with the incoming no 6 cos they are more defensively sound while Mainoo and Tielemans rotate the 8.

engrelvis:
Teilemen is a good signing..No doubt but how is he going to fit in this squad.We already v Kobbie and Bruno in 8 and 10 position

We need options off the bench and flexibility. The 3 players are more naturally suited to be 8 but we can get some minutes at the 6 position from them.

Santos can play with Mainoo and alternate the 6 and 8 positions. Tielemans can be the 8 and play with either Mainoo or Santos as the 6.

If we get a proper quality no 6 the midfield would be structured properly. Someone athletic and with long range passing ability.

TheLequte:
Afrodoc2 sho like deal Youri Tielemans yi?

We should have bought him years ago. He is 29yrs old now but for the fee being reported it is not a bad deal in isolation. The issue is that we still need a no 6.

Mainoo has to sit up. The 2 new additions might be competing with him for minutes especially if we go on and get a proper no 6.

I believe the club knows this. They must have someone in mind that they want to buy even though the list of obvious options keeps shrinking by the day.

BlueRayDick:
As in how can anybody with working brain that knows the rule of football argue and defend Embolo? Even agenda supposed get limit.

The guy just turn himself to Fatai Rolling Dollar ..... A very well deserved yellow card any day any time especially after making the ref book the Argentine player with his theatrics. Yet some Wasiu fans wey don use head knack ground dey claim the game was rigged and that the ref was biased to have issued Embolo the yellow card.

He will never dive again in his life.

I like the way the officials have allowed physical contact in the flow of the game during this tournament. I am dreading the start of EPL and seeing Michael Oliver and his friends blow for a foul every single time someone’s jersey touches another player’s jersey.

obonujoker:
Why are Haaland fans attacking Sorloth Instagram page?

You defended CR7 fans attacking Bruno’s instagram page but you are now asking why Haaland supporters are attacking Sorloth’s page?

Una don derail this place last last.

Roland17:
@Afrodoc

Can you say this has been our best performance in this competition thus far? From an all round perspective..

Yeah it has.

It would be a shame if these guys don’t win it all.

On a small tangent. This episode has highlighted the problems people are facing in term of quality healthcare in Nigeria. The simplest investigation or intervention becomes rocket science and more complex tests become nigh impossible. It is never a good thing to fall sick, but that is even more true in Nigeria.

BlueRayDick:
@Afrodoc2 . These are not best of times for anyone to be under the weather; wishing him quick recovery....I can only imagine the kind of emotional and mental stress his young family will be under.

If there's any way we can support him financially, please drop details so we can do so

larride please let people know how they can reach out to you.

larride:
Did antispam bot delete your post afrodoc2? I cant find it anymore.

GloriousGbola don repost am.

Thanks my OG. spambot don comot my post.

Fkforyou:
Greed.

Nigerians have irrational desire for quick money so that they can call it grace.

Immediatly the last ponzi scheme crashed, there were people queing to engage in another one.

At that point, they didn't care if it is the same company rebranding.

They just wanted to cash out as they believed that they would be among the lucky ones before it crashes.

But shey them dey use machine to clean their memory ni?
After all the noise about this Ponzi scheme dies down another Ponzi scheme will rise up within 2-3 years and people will fall again.

Just read your past statement. It seems there is an element of wickedness added. They know it’s fraudulent but want to cash out before it crashes and leave others hanging.

KingTom:
Greed being the keyword. You're not Forex trader but you believe that AI will trade for you and double your money before the week ends. You see people crying about sportybet and Bet9ja and you believe the betting system will use your money to bet and return it in 10 gold by the next week. Funny people

You are right. Greed is the foundation of such issues. It will make the illogical seem logical.

Leyqute:
I think it’s fatigue plus Martinez’s incompetence. He played him out of position with no runners in the forward line. Portugal’s campaign on a whole was bad. That’s why Bruno isn’t the only underperforming one. bitinha and co also sucked.

Fatigue catch nearly all the Portuguese players but e no catch players from other countries? Hehehe

I can’t illustrate how rubbish Martinez is as a manager. He is the killer of dreams. LOL

izzou:
Peter Obi, spotted in the crowd

AI generated.

🤭🤭🤭

PendragonVII:
No one asked you about the formation wey Brazil used too egbon 🌚

😂😂😂😂😂

See as you hang ball like Raul.

Hehehe

O ti zeh! 😀

The 2nd half go rugged.

popizaino:
This is all emotions and not based on fact.

100% facts.

patrickmuf:
Ibime, this is a shocker. You don't need to rate Brazil highly to know this is an upset.

Not an upset. This Brazil squad is not good and their coach is an executive coach who handles star players well but does not really improve players.

Checkout Norway’s record over the past couple of years.

BlueRayDick:
Yeah, that Quinones guy is Saudi league's highest goalscorer with 33 goals from 31 league appearances. He's been outstanding for Mexico and will most likely score more if England dull themselves.

Jimenez may be a static player, but he won't hesitate to convert any half decent chance that presents itself.

I see the whole altitude excuse as an acknowledgement of fear even before the match proper. The moment the host nations were made known years ago, every team ought to know they would definitely play in such temperate condition if they plan to lift thr world cup.

Let the English team face their fear and quit nagging about what cannot be changed abeg.

The altitude issue is not a mere excuse but a biological fact. The highest stadium for an EPL club (or ex-EPL club) in England is 168m above sea level. The Azteca stadium is 2.2km above sea level. That is about 2km higher up in the air and about 20% less oxygen per breath.

They are undefeated in 10 World Cup matches in that stadium for a reason. England’s players are better by far but if they phuck around in that physical and emotional atmosphere they will find out.

These England fans have started getting on my nerves online.

The gods of the Aztecs and the Maya should run this one for me abeg.

andrewbaba44:
Jurgen klopp is the new Germany head coach

The only reasonable choice. On paper it’s an excellent choice.

BlueRayDick:
Mexico vs England supposed sweet normally.

If Tuchel no use him sense, Mexico go do them strong thing and they will be out of the world cup by daybreak tomorrow.

Jimenez and the the black guy who play as strikers for Mexico dey really worry ; I'm rooting for them.

Even if Tuchel use sense e go hard for them.

The Mexican team is playing well and the Mexican home support is always immense at the Azteca. Finally, that is one of the highest stadiums in the world in terms of altitude. If the English don’t finish them off in the first half, banana fit turn iron in the 2nd half.

Kane, Rice and co fit turn to Fidimi FC. 😂

andrewbaba44:
No worry Paraguay practice that tactics well ,dem sabi am 😁

Dey sabi am. But they were also helped by a blind ref and VAR crew.

There was at least 1 red card in that game for them and a couple yellow cards.

Paraguay no collect any yellow card for that match. That Uzbek referee should be taken off the FIFA list. He and his blind VARtimaeus colleagues.

Knee jerk reaction to buy a player off World Cup performance is usually a risky decision

BlueRayDick:
There has been underground feud between the two parties ( Gbaja and Adeyemi) that led to Adeyemi 's arrest in October 2025 (According to Bayo Onanuga's account of the matter)

Adeyemi was allegedly arrested October 2025, based off the petition from Femi Gbajabiamila's office, he was charged to court in November and the hearing will come up this July ; 27th July 2026 precisely.

When Adeyemi was arrested then he claimed Gbaja got him the position same Gbaja was calling "fake" and mentioned the name of a certain Dolapo Tanimola as the proxy who not only served as go-between him and Gbaja to facilitate his appointment. Somehow the Dolapo Tanimola guy died in hotel fire few days before Adeyemi was arrested after Gbaja petitioned police to arrest Adeyemi.

PS: None of these things made it to the media until recently when Gbaja issued a public disclaimer distancing himself from Adeyemi and calling him an impostor. Gbaja made the disclaimer 11th of June 2026.

So last week towards the end of June 2026, Adeyemi sat in front of camera to do a full chest call out of Gbaja by accusing him of taking 400m from him through the late proxy for securing him that "appointment". He decided to scatter the table seeing Gbaja was out to throw him under the bus.

Adeyemi then threw a lot of things into the public like telling the public to ask how the agency Gbaja claims does not exist happens to have 1.3 billion allocated for them in the 2026 budget. He urged the public to ask Gbaja and those calling him impostor to explain how his agency happen to operate a TSA account with CBN, operate an office at the federal secretariat, how's been able to have high level meetings with leadership of the two federal houses of assembly, etc.

That’s a really convoluted mess. At the minimum there needs to be a congressional panel of inquiry set up to get to the bottom of the matter.

Gbaja probably should step down while someone acts in his place pending the conclusion of the inquiry.

Adeyemi allegedly being a scam artist does not exculpate Gbaja.

izzou:
He was the one that came out to say it oh. Na him expose the whole thing

What was his explanation for exposing it?

The system appeared to be working for him so what went wrong for him to come out and expose the whole thing.

izzou:
We see a new "Worst" in the country every Nkwo market day

To say this guy foooolled everyone is a fat lie.

Na them foool am

I have not really followed the story in detail but from the little I have read he and someone in the upper levels of government had a deal and somehow it went bad.

Who was the person who exposed the situation initially?

odizeey:
Thank you Lord for taking away shame from my face.

😀😀😀

O ti unzeh.