₦airaland Forum

germaphobe:
we now have a striker that runs behind and on the shoulders of defenders, so yeah, that sense of urgency in attack should be our new model not 90 passes and cross

Since control is in the DNA, this kind of switch up will make it even harder to pull comebacks vs us going forward.

Stinkier and healthier in same sentence ke. I go use Thanos hand punch OP o😹😹

germaphobe:
It's joyful having two different strikers that offers entirely different things to the team. That low header by Gyokeres is 🔥, baba dey put body.
See that goal by Kai, many would have argued that he can't score that kind of goal if it was another player.(one even said it's the first time of him scoring like that, but I remember watching him make a run and finish it). I just pray both of them be clinical in front of goal throughout the season.
Calafiori brings life to that left wing.

True. Not even argue. But it is a fact. I guess his bulking up helped cos if na before he for don fall teytey dey gesture to ref or to the stands. But how he calmly finished that is sweet.

I also noticed the speed at which Odegaard, Zubi and Saka released the ball for the goals. No delay no unnecessary back passes.

QueenJazz:
I swear.

This current set of Super Falcons are a golden generation to me. And I'm glad most of them are on the younger side.

The list of the u20 camp shocked me. What's going on with some omission?

Roland17:
Guess who has never made this list, longer tenured and earns more than all of them?

I just a tweet of a guy that said these are the different stages of hair loss. The balon dor person wey arrange am get badt mind.😹😹😹😹

These ladies gats win league next. E go too sweet mehnn. Proud of them all. Especially Michelle.

https://x.com/OlisaOsega/status/1953435567636586898?t=5qv2qgitnTL18iGo1hdtWg&s=19


That Gk list sweet but we already know who go win am.

chrisooblog:
Chiamaka Nnadozie nominated for the 2025 Women’s Yachine Trophy

https://x.com/ballondor/status/1953414333737640043

E go hard to see another Nnadozie. She's the female Enyeama. My my.

The younger ones on the trail behind her aren't as promising


Oyono
Omilana
Ozioma
Make nobody mention any Anderline abeg.

I hope the way she emerged repeat itself for the next GK. What a generational talent!! What a decade of football

Shegzdave:
Laslas, them go Dey alright

Arsenal First before any Player or Manager

Al Nassr bid 50m for Martinelli. Make they sell or loan abeg.

Shegzdave:
Even in the yesterday game, it’s on your wingers haven’t adapted to playing with a natural 9upfront with their cut in and shoot

Gykores even had to shift to the left wing to hustle the ball himself where he dribble one of villa defender to get a shot at goal

Na that kind player them wan crucify😂 jokes just Dey this thread

Harvertz will only be a makeshift and there’s nothing they can do about that

Bitter rivals watched the game and asides their banter, they complained of Arteta not doing what he needs to do to make the 9 click. They even noticed when he removed 9 when bringing on best midfielders too.

iamoyindamola:
You get time
They are already writing new script/excuse for the new season
Gyokeres is the reason

They jubilated when Auba was pivotal to our last trophy. Win. But suddenly Kai is more important to the team than a proven 9. Chai. I dey fear. Meaning e no matter the 9 wey come,co to him, that 9 no go important pass Kai. 😂

iamoyindamola:
They are already creating the agenda at the back of their head
Gyokeres v seskô 🤣🤣

Sesko is giving the same issues he gave us to Man U currently. Man u no wan pay 75m. Guy and his club is moving like as if he get better goals contribution than Super Eagles Lookman

Shegzdave:
Leave am, he thought we all have short memory and moreover, this is just a preseason

Harvertz wey Ordegarrd had to beg Saka to give penalty to boost his confidence

Baba wan create agenda wey don dead on arrival😂

I don't even understand again. He thinks me especially don forget all those annoying game moments, all the ucl runs and all the foolishness of our boss to be proactive. Playing halffit Kai when fitter boys were available and kai still injured before he played someone? He thinks i forgot? 😂
Na for preseason he wan write of natural striker o. Imagine. If i forget any of my previous complaints, I can't forget two


We need 9
Arteta predictability is high.

Yet baba dey come with "on Kai mandate i will stand"

😂

I go dey read hin reply dey laugh. Chai


"Simply squad depth" so we go continue the same predictable approach that offers us no versatility on the nights it matter most obviously 😂😂😂😂

Spy360:
Selective support

Why didn't you pray for Havertz? You stated condemning him even before he kicked a ball for us.

Havertz looks more effective in this team than Gyokeres even if Gyokeres will score more goals. Because with Havertz the team scores more.

Abeg just clear road😹😹😹😹😹

You go dey tok something person no suppose talk outside. Sometimes i wonder if you were present on this thread when all of these were being discussed again. Whether Kai clicked or not, he was a makeshift to a biting problem. I don't need to convince you all over again as you're evidently doing like you didn't read this thread from those times.


E say "even if Gyokeres score more goals"

😂😂😂😂😂
Chai. Na fan you be. If na Isak or Sesko, you'll say the same no doubt. More effective indeed. 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

Spy360:
Blame the manager.

Just admit that your idea of a striker solves it all isn't a working. At the end what we needed was simply depth.

Admit cos of what?

You're saying i should blame the manager when most of us were doing that here all of last season? What did you think we were blaming him for? Selling akara instead of buns?


You that was very patient with Kai for 13games want me want me to admit. Simply squad depth? 🤦🏽‍♂️😹😹😹😹😹😹


We needed squad depth yeah. But that'll not simply what we needed. We need that squad depth to translate to approach change and reduce predictability cos every team now have video analyst, and more.

Arsenal’s main problem today? Let’s break it down — clinical and painful:

🔴 1. Lack of Width & Threat on the Left

Martinelli's side is becoming a dead zone. Defenders know he’ll cut in — there's no unpredictability. No overlapping support. No consistent threat. It made the attack lopsided and easy to shut down.

---

🔴 2. Predictable Build-Up Play

Arteta’s build-up is too scripted. Once teams block Saka and Rice, Arsenal runs out of ideas. No quick switches, no one driving through the center, no chaos — just side-to-side football that doesn’t scare defenders.

---

🔴 3. Lack of a Killer Instinct in the Final Third

Chances came. But no end product. That last pass, shot, or decision was always off. Whether it was poor finishing or overplaying — Arsenal played well until it mattered.

---

🔴 4. Slow Reactions from Arteta

Too reactive. Not proactive.
The game was screaming for change by the 55th minute. Arteta waited too long. And when he made changes — they were like-for-like, not tactical shifts.

---

🔴 5. Overreliance on Certain Players

When Saka is quiet or Rice is off his rhythm, the whole team looks lost. There’s no second spark. No game-changer off the bench. That’s dangerous for a team aiming to win titles.

---

Bottom line:

> Arsenal isn’t playing badly. They’re playing predictably.
And in the Premier League — predictable is punishable.

Arteta needs to stop overthinking and fix the obvious.

MSGAMBLE9:
Seeing the match shows they are still fixated on corners as major weapons creating very little from open play against a team not sitting back / low block is sad

Open play goal vs Setpieces goal discussions go vex this thread.

iamoyindamola:
Gabu is back in training
He's managing him

Yeah. I saw the surgical prints on his leg. Omo. Dem dey try mehn

Man brought on his best midfielders and remove his 9😫🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢


He preferred merino in that position than his natural 9.

This was how he did when Nketiah was available for Kai.

This man wan use toxic habit to ruin what was built. We can't even play the sleek ball we saw in 22/23 again.

MSGAMBLE9:
You think he's hiding tactics? Conceding cheap goals isn't encouraging at all...


Well only time will tell....

I agree that its cheap. But even that aside, the fact the goal came from setpiece is concerning. I hope that central attack is solved.


There's literally no team in all european leagues right now that doesn't know we are terrible down the middle/non existent when attacking.

MSGAMBLE9:
Even the control this team has been synonymous with has been lacking so far...the midfield seems pedestrian

i prefer to believe they're just being cautious. I think that's why Odegaard is not playing. Same for Rice and Zubi. But the players themselves should work for the new 14 abeg. White can locate him from halfway line yet he never looks up

Im loving Villareal sleek passing. E be like they watch Wengerball that year. I hope Gyoke score this game. The consciousness of 14 needs to start early. I pray he clicks vs Man U.

Sports rewards don gulp almost $5m so far. Chan and Super Eagles up next.

If this Chan eagles hit jackpot, i see Chelle taking at least 2 to AFCON.


Overall fear: sports abandonment resumes after all this rewards fervor settles.

Bwari Youths have sat back for quite a while now but are now retaliating. They should leave these lands for them and stop all these police oppression.


Looks like what happened in the Wrath And Revenge series featuring Rahama Sadau is happening in reality again.

She's done immensely beyond all expectations.
I however cant forget that Olympics village incident. I hope this reward makes up for it all. Congratulations to Rena Wakama. Some mentee can be under her henceforth. She's Her!!

Congrats to D'Tigress

QueenJazz:
Brazil, England and Nigeria should do a mini league or tournament. I want to check something.

Women's Confed Cup will be sweet

Fullbacks and wingers


Both now have double duties unlike years ago when it was simply their primary duty positionally. Now the fullbacks are pseudo-attackers and the wingers must come and defend else their value in the market is trashed. Imagine being great at your primary duty but because you can't do the secondary, it devalues you instantly. Lol

Not to talk of when you as a winger can defend but average at winger duties, fit and always available

You'll see something like

96games
10goals
6 Assists

And fans will say that's super decent.

Or when you're terrible at defending as a full back but cos you make that attack click, same as winger above for availability and caps.


Fully enough, despite how great Salah is, many still disrespect him but wan a player like him. See Pepe too that many called a flop just cos Arteta was distraught at his approach to defending and possession. Yet...

This RHS concentration is one thing that needs to change absolutely. I recall the man city game or so when the entirety of attack was on the LHS and Nwaneri kept beckoning for the ball. Nobody looked up to see he was miles with space. They kept passing crap back and forth on the left.

Then Rice looked up, and instantly gave him that long pass and booom!!! A goal

Over 27 useless, needless passes on the Left compared to 4 Touches on the right and a goal.


Same needs to happen on the right. Especially if this man doesn't want to make that LHS work and distribute concentration evenly so Saka can be even closer to the edge of the box like Nwaneri was that day.

That podcast where Boni and Ndidi were with Timini, Basket mouth and Omowumi Dada, etc, just proved that these our players do visit this very thread.

kodded:
We need eze and a new LW that will compete with martinelli

I pray we don't miss Trossard if na Noni dey make am comot sha.

What's annoying is how nobody dey rush our extra players. Sunderland still see xhaka to grab. Make they come grab Zinny abeg.

It will be final nail in coffin if he has this lethal 9 and is still applying this U format that's boring and makes teams comfortable. Thar empty space, any video analyst knows that we offer next to nothing threat there and so all opponents will need to double up comfortably on our wingers.


Arteta don't be foolish this new season. If na Eze go make that empty zone click, get him now. I for say Musiala but he's injured.


That yelllow gk jersey don dey do like e get 2nd season juju. What in ramsdalism was that from Raya? 🤦🏽‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

Jermaine Seoposenwe

Just watched her in an interview talking about their issues. She waited to retire to spill all that because she knows wetin go sup if she does that while active.


What's the difference between NFF and SAFA right now?