₦airaland Forum

Spot on.
That lady is so vastly experienced in women's football, having actually coached the USWNT with the late Tony DiCicco during their dominant years. Truth is the Super Falcons are very lucky to have her as one of the coaches.
The Nigerian coaches in camp will learn a ton from her coaching methods and strategy sessions. The team also stands to benefit from her also.
She is very authoritative - like you, I also heard her speak in one session during the Summer series and she is certainly a no nonsense lady.

Schemerkhiz:
Lauren Gregg (61yrs) is a retired soccer player who played as a midfielder UNC. She was the first-ever female assistant coach for any of the United States' national teams between 1987 and 2000, she was an interim head coach of the United States women's national soccer team in 1997 and 2000. As head coach of the women's soccer team at the University of Virginia from 1986 to 1995, Gregg was the first woman to lead a team to the NCAA Division I Final Four and to be named NSCAA Coach of the Year..

Lauren Gregg have worked with top coaches in the women's game including Tony DiCicco.
They were both assistant in the USWNT. She has handled the biggest Women National Team in the World as an interim head coach in two separate years.. (1997 and 2000)
She's very proactive. I heard her speak during one of their training at the Summer Series last year. She was very Loud and fluent.. Maybe one of these days while watching the Falcons play you would hear her Speak..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZICnemG5Oo

I thought Randy's feedback he provided to Mbadi was spot on.
She needs to step out of her comfort zone and play alot quicker.
Her performance against Canada really solidified what Waldrum was saying.
Wish her the best in her quest to become a mainstay member of the SF

Schemerkhiz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jXJUIhMfi4

Thinking out loud here...
The key to besting the SA team is neutralizing their midfield. That seems to be their strongest suite and where their plays originate from.
If Randy is able to do this, by flooding the midfield with 5 players, it would help make the game a lot easier for us. Specifically, playing a 3-5-2 formation will help us accomplish this. He can start off with this formation and then switch up, as the game progresses and as Ellis adjusts her strategy also.
My suggested starting lineup will be the following:

Oluehi - Ohale, Onome, Plumptre - Otu, Ucheibe - Payne, Rash, Ordega - Oshoala, Onumonu

**looks like Nnadozie might be on suspension due to yellow card accumulation (vs. Ghana and Ivory Coast, per Coach Randy).
We do have the luxury of an extremely deep enough bench to alter the game as we please.

Schemerkhiz:
If I were Coach Randy Waldrum Christy Ucheibe will start ahead of Otu and Chikwelu at defensive midfield as she's more combative and work tirelessly... Even at her young age she comes in with a lot of experience playing topflight football... This is a player who have grown from U17,U20 and now the Superfalcons... Let's keep our head high..

I wouldn't be that generous, to be honest.
Very far from impressed with her play.

Schemerkhiz:
Yeah yeah yeah, Glory Ogbonna is my major concern in the defence, to me she is still very much average in every aspect of her game… Anyway Randy knows best!

What expectations were the trainers talking about? Has Glory Ogbonna lived up to those expectations?
I feel they are just making excuses, as something fishy is going on.

Schemerkhiz:
Patricia George was not injured when the list came out, She missed some number of invitations too. Again she hasn’t lived up to expectations according to insiders from the Superfalcon training Camp…

Hope this will be a good coming out party for Christy - I really liked her performance against Canada, especially in the second half, as she looked quite the part.
With the return of Halimat Ayinde, I think we might just have the strongest and most complete midfielders we have ever had at a tournament.

Will really miss Esther Okoronkwo - she would have exploded in this tourney. Wish her speedy recovery.

Deltamani:
Great point… Esther Okoronkwo is among Superfalcons top5 strikers right now..

I really want to see how the SA and rest team face the likes of Ifeoma Onumonu, Rasheedat Ajibade, Tony Payne, Ashleigh Plumptre and few others as they weren’t available for the Aisha Buhari Cup last year… Even Experience and Strong defender Osinachi Ohale wasn’t around too…

Christy Ucheibe another player..

Agree. She hasn’t really stood out for me either.

Also think Monday Gift was incredibly fortunate that both Esther Okoronkwo and Desire Oparanozie were no-shows, as there is no way she would have made the squad.

Deltamani:
Charity Adule making the list would have been a Shock to me.. either in Midfield or Attack.! Her performance for the Superfalcons right from the Turkish Cup down to the Summer Series haven’t been impressive…

If that’s the case, then my bad!
Was thinking SuperFalcons, as the other competitions are still months away.

Again, my bad!

isan:
I think he's talking about the U20 women

I’m sure the NFF will arrange sessions for them before the U20 WWC kicks off

solonnachi:
Preparation should be intensive. These girls should be made to play quality Grade A friendlies with top teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TeCgYEVl_o

La Decima!!!

Vamos, SuperFalcons!!

Maclean's Highlights:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OirxmxBfdsQ

Summary:
Reminds me of Desire Oparanozie, with a bit more pace, but a slightly less imposing version of her.
Not quite the dribbling skills, but decent off the ball running and positional play.
Seems to be able to put the ball in the net - and has got a decent shot with both feet.
An acceptable 'like-for-like' replacement for Desire Oparanozie.

If you looked at the totality and quality of our preparations over the past 12 or so months, it by far exceeds that of ANY other team on the continent.

The pre-tournament preps now should be low impact, which is what Randy is doing now.

No need for friendlies - they are not going to prove anything that he doesn’t already know.

solonnachi:
Are we really serious and ready for this tournament? Countries like RSA, Morocco, Cameroon even Senegal have been preparing with friendly games but some of our players are not even in camp. May God help us

It’s like this forum has started to become pro-Zambian….I thought the intent was to recognize and uplift OUR LADIES.

I mean, who really gives a toss about Zambia? Sorry, but I have zero respect for all those African teams parading men disguised as women.

My question was rhetorical and not a challenge to your comment.

solonnachi:
Please I used the condition of IF....

Tanzania U17 Team
I beg, how is that #7 U17? And how the heck is that not a grown arse man?
We really need to stop deceiving ourselves as a continent.

If she really is this good, how come you can't find any video clips of her in action?

solonnachi:
If the Harmony girl is good, then Bankole Olowookere should bring her in. Ajakaye is the only main striker which is not too good

Their WNT have very few FB players. Contrast that with their MNT, which has a higher percentage of FB players.

isan:
24 home based

I'm sorry, but she was piss poor on the day.
Very low energy and just walking around the pitch for the most part.
Can't believe I wasted my time this evening watching the match.

Schemerkhiz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3aIJcwv3Aw

Superfalcon Midfielder Amanda Mbadi in action for her Clubside Atasehir Belediyesispor, Turkey.

I think it would make sense to set up how we did against Canada, with Ohale - Ebi - Plumptre as the back 3 in a 3-5-2 formation. If Randy decides to go with a back 4, then it will be Alozie - Ohale - Ebi - Plumptre. Nicole Payne can play on either wing as a left or right back (since they decided to dump Opeyemi Sunday for the clubless Okeke).

Deltamani:
AkinDS how do you see our defence lining up?

With Onome Ebi, Osinachi Ohale, Ashleigh Plumptre and Akudo Ogbonna at Centre Back?

Michelle Alozie, Opeyemi Sunday at RB
Glory Ogbonna, Nicole Payne at LB

We need to start ignoring people like Izilien, who have nothing tangible to contribute but only want to stay relevant.
He should be asked that when he had the talent at his disposal back then, what did he do with it?
Mr. "we will beat you silly" Izilien should please go and sit down and enjoy his retirement. His comments aren't relevant in today's football.

Schemerkhiz:
One of the reasons I didn't raise voice, Let the Coach take whosoever he thinks fit his team...

This strikes me as fishy…
Last day of season and the person in second place (a polka) Al of a sudden, scores 4 goals to move up top scorer list
Not only that, her name is listed first, even though alphabetically, Macleans name should be first.

Schemerkhiz:
It's a tie in Poland McLeans Chinonyerem and Kopinska scored 20goals..

Kopinska scored 4 today both finished with 20

In as much as I think Oparanozie has outlived her value to the SF (my opinion), don't think Monday Gift is ready to bench her.
She still has a lot to learn. Her current game is hit or miss, when it comes to her field performance.
Sometimes she shows up, sometimes she is MIA. No consistency.
That simply is not good enough at the international level.

isan:
[b]Monday will bench oparanozie [/b]and maclean its simple

That was discussed previously...
The issue is she was largely anonymous for the greater part of the game, in spite of both goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Gf2xYOfw4

isan:
Did you forget her 2 goals in the Aisha cup ?

But wasn't she a part of the extended camp in Austria? Wasn't she a part of the Aisha Buhari Invitational team?
The experience she gained there didn't translate and thus, the coaches looked elsewhere.
AWCON is about those who can add value to the team because of the mission at hand, not an avenue to 'gain experience'.

lovewins:
You'll notice I didn't advocate for her making the final team list. The ladies I believe will camp for 2 weeks after which the final 28 team roster will be selected. There's no harm in ensuring she gains some experience camping with better established players even if she doesn't make the team. It's a win-win situation in my opinion

Schemerkhiz, I will add to Isan's comments and state that one key attribute that Rash has which exceeds all the people you listed, including Oshoala is her technical skills. Her ball handling is second to none on the team.

isan:
Ajibade will bench KANU , ordega and okoronkwo , she's faster and more clinical than any of the 3 players ....Ajibade scored 10 league goals this season despite not playing regularly how many league goals did KANU , ordega and okorokwo scored this season ? Despite they play in a lesser league

To the writer...
NO, she has not demonstrated that she is any better than those chosen by Waldrum.
Selections were based on previous international performances, not flash in the pan domestic performances.
She still has a ways to get to international level.

Schemerkhiz:
COPIED

Monday Gift is currently the hottest NWFL striker but unfortunately, she was not named by Randy Waldrum in the provisional AWCON squad.

Super Falcons and Bayelsa Queens' Monday Gift has scored 6 goals at the Super Six in Benin

She scored the winner against Rivers Angels, hatrick against Ratels, and two goals against Edo Queens

Dear NFF and Randy Waldrum, can she still be added to the list? She deserves the opportunity to fight for a place in the squad

So, let me get this straight...
Ajibade, who has successfully benched the Brazilian striker Ludmila and the South African Kgatlana, hasn't proven she is a better striker than midfielder? . Ajibade, who is currently Atletico Madrid's top scorer this season is, according to you, is not a better forward performer than being a midfielder?
Really I bet Oscar Ferandez, the Athletico Madrid coach will disagree with you.

Schemerkhiz:
Thank you, Ajibade performs better as a Midfielder than as a forward. If I were to be her, I will stick to the Midfield position as a Central or Attacking Midfielder she does well there... She isn't bad as a forward either but as a Midfielder she looks exceptional..

Kanu has been a better forward than Ajibade right from U17 till date!!

This is the one that is a head scratcher for me. Was not impressed with her performance in the 2018 WWC. Both she and Ajibade were the newbies brought on by Dennerby at the time - Ajibade went on to become a superstar and Anam, well,...

She just struck me as too sluggish upfront and really didn't utilize her frame to gain a physical advantage against defenders. I hope she has really improve, cause there are several players who are miles ahead of her - Esther being one of them.

Ihezuo - the less said the better.

Schemerkhiz:
Anam Imo is currently inform and Play every position upfront but currently playing no.9 for Pitea IF, Sweden

I did.
She came on as a sub and scored two goals, one was a tap in.
Again, really didn't see anything from her that made me go 'Wow'!

Now, compare her impact on the game vs. Ikechukwu's impact against SA. Her strike was fantastic and her overall drive and passion when she came on was superb! For me, that was a 'Wow' moment.

Didn't see that in Gift Monday.

isan:
Go and watch Nigeria vs Mali in Aisha cup then you will see monday has a lot of potentials right now i will say she will be a better option than oparanozie , ihezuo and macleans

Like I had previously mentioned to you, Okobi seems to be on her way out of the WNT. She really hasn't lit up the stage recently and her bench-warming the last 2 yrs at her club didn't help much.

I think our midfield looks solid (with or without Okobi). Agree with you about the opportunity to rotate some of the players and give the older players like Rita and possibly Halimat (considering she is coming off a major injury) some respite. This should enable Ucheibe and Otu to log some valuable minutes in the midfield. The AMs could then be Rash and Toni - this is a good thing.
Not sure about Mbadi - she looked completely lost against Canada and I don't think she is mature for that critical MF role yet. Flicks and tricks are nice BUT you need to know when to do them, not when it leads to the detriment of the team (against Canada - lost the ball when trying to dribble in the SF third of the field, leading to a goal against us). She has some growing up to do.

I really had hoped Esther would be a part of the squad. Her injury is a bummer. Wish her speedy recovery, as she is an important part of the SF. Will miss her physical play and strength up front.
No comments on Oparanozie, Anam Imo and Ihezuo's invites - I strongly believe they are past their 'sell by' dates and have nothing tangible to offer this team.
Noticed Rinsola Babajide was not part of the England Squad for the Women's Euros. Does this mean her switch is being processed? Guessing...

Lastly, really shocked at why Patty and Zogg were left out, considering they have been playing consistently in the Women's Bundesliga. Nigerian coaches are part of the problem with our underdeveloped national teams - too many incompetent people feeling they are important, when they shouldn't even be anywhere near our teams.

Schemerkhiz:
My Little Observation on Coach Randy Waldrum Midfield Set up!!



The key area of the pitch is the centre. If you can control the centre of the pitch this will most likely result in you controlling the game.

Without Ngozi Okobi in the provisional list for the AWCON it's now very certain that either Rasheedat Ajibade or Tony Payne will take up the Midfield role.
If you observe very well you would notice that Coach Randy Waldrum love's playing a Double Pivot Midfield. E.g during the Turkish Cup last year, against the Ivorians during the AWCON qualifying game, against Canada and so on

A double pivot is the deployment of two defensive midfielders, who may be used to protect the defence in a deep block, to prevent the opposition space for counter-attacks, to keep possession by overloading in the first phase, the reasons are almost endless, the double pivot can be very useful at times.

The standard duties of a double pivot are as follows; to operate in the space between the defence and the attacking midfielders, to initiate attacks by distributing the ball in an intelligent fashion, to be key players in circulation and to prevent dangerous opposition attacks, being disciplined in positioning and limiting space in between the lines.

The double pivot is often labelled as a clear indicator of a team that plays ‘boring’ football.

Without Okobi in mind how will the Superfalcons line up in Midfield??

Let's take the friendly game against Canada as a case Study.. In Midfield Coach Randy Waldrum Played, Rita Chikwelu, Christy Ucheibe and Rasheedat Ajibade. With Chikwelu been the Pivot Midfielder who barely moves out of Position, and Christy Ucheibe doing the pressing Box-to-Box Midfielder leaving room for Ajibade to enjoy herself in the attacking Midfield position.. With the availability of Halimatu Ayinde who have started having game time at Eskilstuna United there's surely going to be a swap in the Midfield.

However, if and when Chikwelu plays in a double pivot, her poor defensive attributes can be masked by a more defensive minded midfielder; the other midfield player can do most of Chikwelu’ defensive duties allowing Chikwelu to focus on dictating play from deep positions without the worry of losing the ball and putting her team under pressure, as she has a supporting midfielder alongside her which is exactly what happened against the Canadian side in the last Friendly game.

If i where to be Coach Randy Waldrum there wouldn't be any need for me to start up Rita Chikwelu when I already have Regina Otu, Halimatu Ayinde and Amanda Mbadi in the Squad, he should also note that playing a double pivotal Midfield requires a lot of running which Rita Chikwelu can not offer as age is no longer on her side.


Who to pay in Midfield??

With the way things are going, it shows that Halimatu Ayinde is fit already. It would be okay to move Christy Ucheibe to Chikwelu Position as the main defensive midfielder, giving Halimatu Ayinde the space to operate in her usual Box-to-Box way just like Christy Ucheibe did against Canada with Ajibade enjoying herself behind the Strikers.. Even bench there's also Regina Otu who can as well do the Job of Ucheibe or Ayinde.

Chikwelu as we all know is a veteran in the game, a 5 to 10 minutes appearance in a game won't be a bad idea giving the fact that we have more younger, hungrier and faster midfielders in the team..

This is solely my opinion and I understand some here may disagree, which is okay...
I haven't seen anything from Gift Monday that has made me raise an eyebrow and say that she is one to look out for in the future.
For me, her performance in the African Women's CL was a let down - I really expected a whole lot more, considering all the hype.
I am therefore not the least surprised she didn't make the cut.

Schemerkhiz:
Let's me be sharing with you guys....

By the way can Monday Gift bench any of the invited forward playing same position with her?