₦airaland Forum

We started the match very well. And were more threatening with our moves.

The Croats are damn tall. Even as tall as Ndidi is he was dwarf beside Loren. Yet we kept playing high set pieces. How do we intend beating them that way.

Liamm:
you've got balls

just wanna know what really went wrong with our boys.

Iwobi started on the right. He later swap position with Moses so that Moses. You all know why.

Watching Croatia VS Nigeria again.

Set pieces are Africa.'s bane

aodis:
Ehn no mind the commentator

if you see the way I jumped up for goal. I was so happy.

This is an high octane game.

Tunisia repping africa

First African goal

England with 3 at the back

TheSuperNerd:
From @NekuEA

"The treatment of the Super Eagles, after only their first match, is why people are absolutely terrified to fail in Nigeria!

It is a game, you win some, you lose some- but we must be committed in our support for our national team. �� � #NaijaAllTheWay"




I laugh at the many shameful comments condemning this team. It is a pity.
So if your child comes back feeling sad after having a bad day in his first paper at school, what you will do is to castigate him and bring him down abi... Especially when this same child is one that has shone in previous classes before now.
What motivation is he expected to carry into his next paper when the reaction is calling him a failure already and a waste of space, unserious and all.

This is really really good. This loss has exposed us all. Well done people. Now I know the extent to which each and every moniker can stand by this team.


#SoarSuperEagles #IStandWithTheEagles #WeDontGiveUp

people are only showing their anger towards the coach for been conservative.

Everyone was behind him when he made the right call in his team selection for the World Cup. Everyone was behind him after the first lost in the friendly game againist Serbia, we all stood by him against Congo, England, Czech even when the results weren't coming in. He kept playing with peoples emotion and the heart of 180million Nigerians. Even when it was obvious to everyone that the problem does not lie with the players but with the coaching staffs.

Rohr and his coaching crew kept on doing the same thing that cost us in those matches and you want the same people who stood by him, gave him benefit of doubt and hoping that he'll do well in the world cup during those periods to follow him blindly now that he has failed and broke their heart once again...

We are humans and not some bunch of robots. We love the Super Eagles and thats why we criticise and vent our anger.

kennysville:
Is anyone watching Belgium vs Panama? Can we all see that the club one plays for doesnt really matter? What counts is passion and self belief

Who is the world class player in the panama team? Tell me if you know of any

I thought I was the only one noticing it. Those guys are fighting for every ball. The passion to win is there.

Even Panama are playing a purposeful football.

Joebie:
Rohr to tweak Eagles’ formation against Iceland
By Ayo Olu Ibidapo - June 17, 2018 1919 0

https://aoifootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WhatsApp-Image-2018-06-16-at-20.29.16.jpeg

Super Eagles’ Coach Gernot Rohr intends to respond to his team’s 2-0 loss to a superior Croatian side as latest reports from the camp of the Eagles indicate he will tweak their formation and playing personnel against Iceland.

Reports gathered by AOIFootball.com’s correspondent who is in Russia show that the Franco-German tactician will pull the strings and rest some of the players he has kept faith with since the World Cup qualifiers and the friendly matches.

Players like Simeon Nwankwo may be given the nod over Odion Ighalo who has been Rohr’s preferred choice in the striking role, and the manager may also rest captain Mikel John Obi and give either John Ogu or Joel Obi the chance to pair with the duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo. Ogenyi Onazi may also be given a look- in.

One of Ahmed Musa or Kelechi Iheanacho may also be picked to start ahead of Victor Moses who is yet to find his rhythm in the past 3 games he has featured for the team.

Abdullahi Shehu and Bryan Idowu may keep their places but will be under pressure as Tyronne Ebuehi and Elderson Echiejile are breathing down their necks to return to the starting lineup.

AoiFootball

Rohr is confused. Salisu is not helping matters.

If this news is true. Then the man is clueless.

He is hell bent on the 4-2-3-1. You are playing Moses an inverted winger on the right side of his strongest foot. Moses is a poor crosser yet baba want him to play and cross in... He couldn't swap position this time around because of the absence of S. Moses and presence of Shehu who needs a more solid cover up which Iwobi can not provide.

He knows he only has the chance of making 3 subs yet he couldn't take the advantage of starting a more versatile midfield that can make you transist and tweak things easily. Ogu wouldn't have been a bad choice in the last encounter. A smart coach would have started him alongside Ndidi.

All he would have needed to do to reverse to 3-5-2 was to sub an ineffective Ighalo for Kelechi and shehu for Ebuehi. Then have Ogu drop to the back. Mikel further deep as CM while Moses plays LCF AND Nacho RCF with Iwobi playing behind the duo... With an opportunity to make sub later on. Either to secure the game or to reinforce the attack.

But here he is according to the news planning to start Onazi and Joel. Dropping Moses for Musa that can't cross and Mikel for Joel.

We are in big trouble.

LieDetector:
does that mean...

Nope it doesn't. It's only pointing to how strong their line of defense is and how solid their keeper is.

TheSuperNerd:
When you have a DOOR called HallDORsson added to the rugged discipline of their double layered defence amd their entire rigid structure as a team. My good man, it is indeed a big ask.. A herculean task but we must step unto the pitch and try do what those two greats did not achieve with their sides..... BEAT ICELAND.

But to do so we have to get past this DOOR below...

The power of self belief. How do we get it into those guys?


The Nigeria spirit of never giving up seems to be far from our players.

Mujtahida:
Shebi una see how teams are fighting. No be to dey cry 'we are underdogs, we are underdogs' up and down.

My friend fight!!!

the boys are not psychologically ready for the big stage. I don't know what the team psychologist is doing?

They showed that attitude during the friendlies. Just remembered a scenerio where Rohr was shouting at them to stand up and go do some warm up at the sideline. They were just there smiling and reluctant.

It's a dream come through for most of them and They are still basking on the euphoria of qualifying for football's greatest showpiece. They were simply not mentally ready.

So annoying.

This calls for concern

tbaba1234:
Exactly, we need a striker that offers that kind of danger.

We don't have one and that's why we ought to have jettisoned the idea of playing a lone striker and find alternate attack pairings. But Baba no gree.

The questions that is bothering my ming are these:

Are we capable of unsettling things in our group? If YES, how?

Even if we go on to get a win against Iceland which is very unlikely considering our coaches' conservativeness and the players attitude, can we get atleast a draw from a Messi led Argentina who might fall or draw their next game against Croatia and be all out to vent their anger on us?

After Moses Simon's injury, I expected Rohr to have ditched that wing formation. Since he could no longer call for replacement. Which was what Forgiveness was shouting about... On the quality of back ups that made the initial 30 man squad. But baba still de think se na play we wan go do for world cup

somehow:
Rohrrrrr

Ogu, musa and Ighalo can come on as substitute.

this is one of the line ups that can unlock any defense. We stand a chance with it.

Humility017:
It seems the old coach still havent learn from his mistakes...always looking for an excuse to give for his incompetence

Rohr Explains Why He Didn't Employ 3-5-2 Formation Vs Croatia

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr has explained why he played four at the back for the entirety of the Super Eagles 2-0 loss to Croatia, discarding the 3-5-2 formation that worked well for him, especially in the second half, during the pre-World Cup friendlies.

The former Bayern Munich defender has pointed out that the loss to the Balkans was not as a result of the formation but due to the inability of the team to defend set-pieces.

''I think the organization was okay, we didn't concede the goal in normal play, we conceded the two goals from set-pieces and it is not a question of tactics or system,'' Rohr said at the post-match press conference.
''Our system was okay, we cannot play with three (defenders) when there is only one center forward, so we played with four because they were three strikers and the Croatian strikers are very strong and I was satisfied about the organization of the team.
''What we are missing today is to be more professional with set-pieces to avoid the two goals coming from these situations.
''Each game is different, we know we can play with three center-backs but it was not a good day to do that today.''
Rohr added that the young players in the team, thought to be Oghenekaro Etebo and William Troost-Ekong, made mistakes which led to the two goals conceded by the Super Eagles.

''We are disappointed, when you lose a match it is not a good thing for us but we must recognize Croatia had the better team tonight.
''My young players made some mistakes especially from the corners we worked so much. The first goal came from a corner, the second one also from a corner, a penalty.

''There were also so many fouls in the other box that could have been a penalty for us. but we have to accept this defeat and now we have to win against Iceland.
''All is possible still because we have only one point to win to win against the two other teams. If we win the next game, all is possible for the qualification.''

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

source : ANS

Shebi I told you. Me don de think post world cup.

With 3 at the back we hardly conceive unnecessary freekicks and corner. Our goalkeeper often go on break anytime we adopt that formation. There is this kind of compactness it gives us in the midfield as our opponents are often caged to their half. But here is Rohr saying otherwise.

How I wish there is a way we can circumvent his input and play the remaining matches

AMAJU HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR THIS Boys. HE DESERVES MORE

He will be the most disappointed.

I was hoping we go far. Just to pass the message of how important preparation and planning is to achieving goals to the entire nation. But the team and coaches are hell bent on sabotaging Pinnick's efforts.

If we fail again. We are back to square 1. Poor fans turn out at our stadia. Neglect of the team by the populace. Poor or no sponsorship deals. So much headache for AMAJU. This is heart breaking.

Odunayaw:
I remember saying the same where I watched that match. Why the crosses when we are playing a tall team, no lay ups, nothing. The long ranging is why I watch the Zambians

As a pro, you don't have to go on break to receive instruction from your coaches to know what to do in such circumstance like the one we found ourselves yesterday. Moses and Mikel experience is nothing but shame. They couldn't devise another means through out the game to win. It was get the ball to the striker syndrome all through. Since that's what 4-2-3-1 formation is all about. I expect them to have resolved to hitting shots from outside 18 box and hope our strikers make use of the scraps. Since we couldn't break them down from open play.

The only threatening shot was the one Iwobi took that rebounded of a players leg. The Croats switched their styles so many times throughout the game. At first it was crossing for mandzukic to make use of. Then they decided to give him a pass and he returned he kept laying it that for them to shoot. They changed their corner kick style not once and so rendered our team confused etc.

In short we went into that game with just one plan. Hoof it to Ighalo. The World Cup is a war. You must have multiple back up plans for every battle.

The 4-2-3-1 was add for Rohr to tweak since we were chasing the game. That's why I like the 3 at the back formations you can always take out a defender for an attacker when in need of a goal. Not an attacker for an attacker.

ChrisKels:
A wise coach is flexible and understands that it is different stroke for different folks.

He had a plan that worked against the Africans, but tweaking now that the stage is a step higher, to get results, he showed he ain't as astute as earlier thought.

Did u see Portugal versus Belgium in the pre tournament friendly? Compare that Portugal side to the one that matched the Espanas, then u will see the different.

the you don't change a winning team and formation is archaic and does not work again in modern day football. That's why coaches in their late fifties and above are finding it hard to catch up with the change. Mourinho is a testament to this.

As I have always said, Mikel is too soft to be a modern day captain. I was expecting him to do more in organizing his players. More in confronting the refs for his poor calls etc. But baba just de smile.

When I sited Ramos as an example of what a captain is to look like you guys came for my head and said going Ramos way will defeat the objective of the game - FAIR PLAY. Look at how they want to technically take out Moses. So much for Fair play. Despite the introduction of VAR the officiating has not yet changed-same biasness.

Etebo got so many fouls. Same with Moses Balogun etc and none of them simulated enough to influence the ref. Moses will fall and still be smiling. Who will take you that serious.

Look at how Ronaldo led his own team. Plenty simulations with brain. One of the Spanish player Nacho or so wanted to get Ronaldo booked when he exaggerated a ball thrown at him by Ronaldo to throwing. But quickly Ronaldo washed his hand and off any prank the guy has in mind.

None of our players told the ref to go check the video. They were taking everything hook and line. We have a long way to go.

We cannot be smiling every match and expect victory against European teams when even the ref himself already has a preconceived mind that Africans style is all about physicality.

We need real simulations.

ChrisKels:
That man is a Mistake

having given us what we needed. I was expecting the NFF to draft in a better tactician as the coach and relief Salisu of his job. I have never seen Salisu rob minds together with Rohr. If Rohr the technician is blind, Salisu the coach ought to be able to to read the game well.

If Rohr Is to be retained, then we need to over haul the back room staffs. Salisu, Alloy and Co needs to be changed.

Amuneke, Manu, even Siasia would have spoken sense into Rohr

So sad our players couldn't use their initiative.

The Croats are taller and possess high jumps. Yet still Moses kept whipping his freekicks high. What happened to passing. We have a long ranger in Ndidi, I was expecting him to set the guy up to launch a missile from outside the box. But brother Moses was more interested in falling to get another freekicks whipped to a Croats. Same for our corners.

You don't always wait for the coaches instructions to tweak somethings.

Having read ROHR'S post match analysis, we are going no where. He is already tipping Musa to start our next game because of his pace.

ChrisKels:
I dont receive a punch and leave my fist unclenched. Only the weak ones do. In the society we leave in, the good guys go broke the mean ones make it big.

SMH... I just gave you my 2 cents.

ChrisKels:
If you are pissed, u hang urself

I said it was joke calling u an unknown entity and that it was a joke calling for Rohr's sack before our first match. I never said it was a joke calling Rohr inept.


Prove me wrong or face ur palm

This is the second time you are using this word. Sir, you need to stop it. It is deleterious. So kindly put it down and desist from using it again.