₦airaland Forum

kennysville:
But he doesnt play for top 5 leagues. plus his name is not Chukwueze or Moses Simon.....

You gerritttt?

On a very serious note, Sodiq is ,more or less a winger with end product. I said this many moons ago when he was being played as a right back. One thing I will always stand by is identity. Who are you and what are you good at? This make shift and so so copy copy of Europe is what is crippling us in Africa, Nigeria especially! Oyinbo people will act as though they are the only ones who can read soccer and modernize it and we are so gullible to swallow it hook line and sinker. They tell us the no 10 is a dying breed and we adjusted accordingly and started huffing balls in the air for a supposed pure no 9. No creativity in the middle. They tell us football is now science of time and space and tell us how to think and we bought it too. They infiltrated our thinking pattern so much that if it isn't from their mouths, it is automatically to be discarded.

Unfortunately also, the media that is supposed to be custodians of truth have also been compromised and now they also end up fanning the embers of western ideologies regarding who to play and how. Each journo also has his own special player in the national team. I know of one jounalist that no matter how bad Moses Simon plays in any match, he will perpetually defend his mediocrity in his tabloid. We are in the era of PR campaigns. The more you pay, the louder our journos make noise about you.

Coming back to the issue of identity, it is glaring to see that we have lost that identity in the national team. Every player is always gonna be either shifted to some uncomfortable position just to accomodate a liability. We sacrifice efficiency for "the good of the team". Now I hear Chukwueze should be drafted as a No 10. Question is this. Can he play that 10 for a sustained period of time? Does he have the intelligence of a 10? Does he even pass the ball? How accurate are his passes? In a nation of 200 million, there is no creative midfielder we can use? or we just don't have time to search for one. Oh I get it! he isn't popular yet and hence has no PR campaign. What we have as players in the current national team is all about a keran ma jele agenda. We dont have a team. All we have a super stars that have good complement of club players and coaching to go with it. No competition as status quo must always be maintained. We look at our players from the lens of what they do in their clubs. Do we play them accordingly? Iwobi plays from the left side of the field for so many years and has been found to be efficient there. But alas, he has to play from the deep where all his passes would have been neutered so they have no effectiveness. Lots to say but the more I type it, the more I get frustrated and angry at our team handlers. On a final thought, Nigeria needs to get back to its own brand of football where talent, discipline, grit and preparation meet to form a great synergy. There is a reason we always refer to the 94 team and its simply because of all the bolded attributes, they have it all. The current Super Eagles team only has talent and social media. O tan!

I understand your point, but you're contradicting yourself. If you're advocating for using players in their most effective positions, then we need to let go of 94 Eagles nostalgia. Yes, they were a golden generation, but we should not use them as the blueprint. We don't have to play a 4-4-2 formation if we lack the midfielders for it. We don't need our number 10 to play like Okocha. Debruyne as a number 10 and Okocha as a number 10 have different styles, and I would say Debruyne's style is far more effective and straightforward. Constantly forcing players into the style of the 94 Eagles will continue to be our downfall. Good coaches design systems to maximize players' strengths, not to force players into a fixed system. We've tried that several times, and it isn't working.

Odunayaw:
Granted.

Red circle is Ben. Orange is Ekong.

Does it look like that agenda that Chelle put "a slow right footer on the left side"? Ben went left to deal with the danger, there was zero pressure or reason for that own goal. It was exactly the same against Algeria at AFCON 2019

You are the one trying to hang Ekong as the culprit. But look at the bigger picture. Fredrick left RCB to close down the SA winger in the left side of defense because the guy already beat Bassey for pace,and you can clearly see Ekong was running back on a straight line in his LCB position but because he's slow,he's struggling to keep up,when the cross came in,he stretched out his right left to clear a ball from the left side,his awkward body positioning led to the own goal. Chelle himself saw his folly and rectified it in the second half. If after this explanation you still don't get,it's fine. We disagree to agree.

This was my take before the game. At half time what substitutions did Chelle make,the same thing I said. He took out Ekong,put bassey back to Cb and put a proper lb. Our goal came through a cross from the right side because the south Africans already overloaded the left so lookman changed wing and we were able to get a cross in. I don't remember any good cross from the left throughout the game. Moses as usual didn't play anything of note so he didn't need to have started as pointed out. I hope Chelle takes time to study his players carefully before Afcon. It's not just by putting 11 players on the pitch,it's putting them in their best positions to maximize their strengths and make the sum of their output greater than the individual players. If he doesn't figure that out,even with our big names we will struggle against unknown players who are well organized and are a team.

Diavolo:
I give up on Chelle. He's top stubborn in his ways for his own good. Fredrick is a Cb,so is it going to be bassey to lb or aina to lb and Fredrick to Rb. Why not put Felix agu as lb if you don't want to use oyemachi.
Also we have tried it more than 50 times and hasn't even worked,iwobi isn't a dm or cm,he's either an Amf or winger. Moses and lookman don't do well together because they both occupy the same spaces with iwobi also drifting to the left which leaves our right side of attack non existent. Putting lookman on the right also nullifies his strength. So no need having both of them at the same time.Teams have figured this out by overloading the left side and our attack becomes toothless. Instead of using one wing,we need to use both to stretch the game. Wrong personnel choice and player positioning as always. We will be lucky to get a draw.

Kog45:
Oga am talking of 4 own goals,pls can you explain that..

I'm talking of today's own goal. Today's own could have been prevented by putting him on the right side of defense. Yes he made a mistake but putting on the left side greatly increased the risk of that happening.

QueenJazz:
I have to say I agree. I was skeptical when I saw the starting line-up too and my intuition wasn't wrong.

That being said, Chelle stays. He has the right ideas. His problem so far is timing, but with enough time and familiarity, I'm confident he'll get things right.

I even said it before the game started immediately the line up was posted. Kudos to him for correcting his errors with the substitutions but he's being paid to make the right ones from beginning primarily.

Kog45:
Oga no be today Ekong dey do own goal...I can remember he did similar thing against Cameroon,Mexico

Anyone can do an own goal and there are various reasons why it happens ranging from just being unfortunate to outright stupidity. Today's own goal was because the coach put him in a difficult position. Remember he's very slow and primarily right footed and not bipedal like thiago silva or Ramos.

Odunayaw:
3 man backline doesn't understand this agenda

we played a 442 too not a 352. 352 on paper,442 on the pitch

Odunayaw:
Will you suffer a heart attack if you just said the truth

so you can't figure out that putting a right footed slow Cb on the left side of the defence carries the risk that he can do an own goal when dealing with low crosses coming in from the left?. It's basic principle. If bassey was in Ekong position,he would have cleared it with his left leg rather than Ekong having to awkwardly position his body to clear with his right leg leading to the own goal

MKPUOGALIGA:
Why are you guys like this for Christ sake. If you like dont start preparing for the next world cup after this one.....keep looking for scapegoat

because you don't understand the rudiments of the game doesn't mean others don't. Some of us are trained in this thing and can see the mistakes a mile away. So it's only normal for us to point it out. Even if we start preparing today for 2030 and the coach keeps making this rookie mistakes,we will be back at this same stage in 5 years only. Magic don't happen in football,the quality of your decisions determine your outcome.

The players tried but this is all on Chelle. When I pointed that the first half formation was wrong,some people here said he's the coach and we don't know what we are saying. Although he corrected all his mistakes in the second half,if he had started the right way,then he would instead have used the substitutions to change the game instead of using it to correct his mistakes. I hope going forward he starts thinking properly and stop over complicating things and putting players in wrong positions. That own goal is on him,Moses and lookman should never play at the same time bassey is a Cb not a lb,iwobi isn't a cm.

Pythagoras001:
Removal of ekong improved defense

this isn't on Ekong though. You put a right footed slow defender on the left side of the defence while putting a slow Cb as a lb against a very fast right winger,what do you think will happen. That own goal is in Chelle and his stupid decisions.

BankyGee:
I don't think you're interpreting the lineup properly tho.

okay. 352 is better than 442 diamond. So let's see how it goes,hopefully goes well for us.

BankyGee:
There's nothing stubborn about this lineup. Them no invite 23 players to be mannequins.

Na una dey panic anyhow. Any lineup we start, una go still complain. This is a good lineup. We have a good squad.

it's not a good line up. No need for Fredrick and Moses Simon. Put a proper lb instead of Fredrick.. Moses and lookman always drfit to the same side making the right side dead.
It happened against Zimbabwe and Rwanda,it will happen again today. Putting iwobi or chukwueze on the right instead of Moses balances this. Moses can come in for lookman second half.

I give up on Chelle. He's top stubborn in his ways for his own good. Fredrick is a Cb,so is it going to be bassey to lb or aina to lb and Fredrick to Rb. Why not put Felix agu as lb if you don't want to use oyemachi.
Also we have tried it more than 50 times and hasn't even worked,iwobi isn't a dm or cm,he's either an Amf or winger. Moses and lookman don't do well together because they both occupy the same spaces with iwobi also drifting to the left which leaves our right side of attack non existent. Putting lookman on the right also nullifies his strength. So no need having both of them at the same time.Teams have figured this out by overloading the left side and our attack becomes toothless. Instead of using one wing,we need to use both to stretch the game. Wrong personnel choice and player positioning as always. We will be lucky to get a draw.

This World Cup qualifying campaign has come to an end. Now, we need to start preparing for the next one. The first step in this process is to fire the technical team. There appears to be a lack of technical understanding among them, given the caliber of players they have allowed us to select and the way some players have been consistently put in the wrong positions over the years, a fact that is obvious to everyone but them.

Next, we need to decide whether to retain Chelle as our coach. In my opinion, he should be let go. He seems out of touch with reality if he believes that a 4-4-2 diamond formation will work with the type of players we have.

Finally, we should reorganize the logistics and planning department of the NFF to ensure they perform their jobs effectively. They need to create a conducive environment for the players and minimize distractions, particularly from skit makers and content creators, which were problematic during Finidi's time.

I pointed out Chelle's flaws back in March, and now in August, he's still making the same mistakes. Yes, those players have their shortcomings, but they aren't as bad as he has made them appear. In the next round of qualifiers, I predict we'll manage to win against Rwanda but lose to South Africa. At that point, many people will start to see the flaws in his unrealistic tactical ideas and diamond formation.

Ever since Chelle first came on board, I have maintained the same opinion: he is either deluded or out of his depth. Last year, Paulo Fonseca was appointed as the coach of AC Milan. He attempted to impose a tiki-taka style on a counter-attacking team, which obviously didn't work. We lost many matches, and he was sacked in mid-December, less than five months into his tenure.

Chelle seems to be making the same mistakes. He is using a diamond formation, placing players in positions that do not suit their strengths, and employing overly complicated tactics. When the team list for Chan was released, people complained that he hadn't selected the best personnel. Imagine going to a competition without a defensive midfielder or any wingers, and instead taking fringe players! He defended his selections, claiming they were the best for his tactics.

Now that we are facing defeats, some people are blaming the players. Who else can we hold accountable if not Chelle and his unrealistic tactics? It's worth noting that the Sudan league has been on break for over a year due to civil war. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with Chelle and no one else.

Setaleonoz:
Very shameless people
Dem don stain chelle white

Abi na Chelle dey stain their white. Give remo coach this team and he will do a lot better job. Chelle reminds me of fonseca time at Ac milan,same behave.Have ideas in your head that are incompatible with the players you have will always result in disaster

I'm not surprised, and in fact, I'm happy with this result. Hopefully, it brings Chelle back to reality. It's important not to impose ideas on players but rather to analyze their strengths and find the best tactics to utilize them. Some people may criticize the players and claim they are inadequate for these tactics, but perhaps the truth is that the tactics themselves are unrealistic. I hope he learns from this experience and wakes up before our match against South Africa; otherwise, we could be in for a long ride.

elyte89:
Dt formation with good players dt can interpret it;creates a lot of goal scoring opportunities in a match but ur players needs to be 100 percent fit cos it burns out players energy quickly,I can tell y dt if we can adapt to it fully with our striking prowess,team wey go beat us for dis Africa go try

please tell me one top team club or country that's using it. You don't use specialized systems for country because there are only limited training sessions before games and player choices are limited when compared to clubs that can buy players that fit. The limitations and cons of the formation far outweighs any pros.

AndSunGorilla:
I thought Isaac Savior had japad. Atule's snob I don't understand. Perhaps Ijaball and Fidelis should have been allowed to handle these boys. From your highlights sef, Rangers do play a beautiful and better brand of football. I won't excuse Chelle too. We must wack him too with 2x2 since we are wacking the players.

Chelle is the major culprit Sha. Players selection,formation and tactics choice was terrible and this is all down to him. Until he gets his ass out of his head and stop with the stupid diamond formation,we will continue having this issue both with the main team and Chan eagles.

Tinneh:
Well said, coach chelle is not proving to be a flexible manager so far, his teams tend to start games with high energy but later burnout, leading to late equalisers

it's due to the system and that's why we are always open to counterattacks on the wings and our attacks are very predictable cos it's narrow. If a formation is good,many teams will be using it. I don't know any top team club or country that uses 442 diamond.

BankyGee:
Joebie? 😏

no

I understand that the overall quality of the NPFL is low, which means that the technical ability of the players will also be limited. However, a coach's role is to maximize the performance of the team as a whole, making the sum greater than its individual parts.

I find it frustrating that Chelle continues to use the diamond 4-4-2 formation. It doesn't make sense. Why not stick with a more conventional 4-3-3, 4-4-2, or even 4-2-3-1, which the players are already familiar with? The diamond 4-4-2 formation requires very specific types of players, which are hard to come by, along with many disadvantages associated with the formation itself.

I suspect that he will continue using this formation with the main team in September, and it won't yield results. It's often said that insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.

On another note,I've noticed a lot of our home grown coaches have this habit of always shouting at the players from the touch line. Instead of sitting down and analyzing the game,they shout pass,run,Mark like say the players are children. What's the thought process behind it.

What does ijamilusi have on this coach. Is it bias or personal likeness because I don't know how he keeps playing her. She's hardworking but not bringing enough to the table

On another note,I've noticed a lot of our home grown coaches have this habit of always shouting at the players from the touch line. Instead of sitting down and analyzing the game,they shout pass,run,Mark like say the players are children. What's the thought process behind it.

We lost afcon final against the host,I hope we don't lose the wafcon final as well against the host

ThePresenceWtf:
Whoever is playing the left wing is an absolute idiot... She doesn't tract back, doesn't attack.... It's leaving Ashleigh having to do both the attacking and defending on that flank and she's being triple marked when she attacks and in turn they overload the wing while attacking themselves.

On the other hand Whoever is playing the number 10 role/attacking midfielder in the midfield 3 is nowhere to be found. She's not supporting the striker....Our striker is all alone. I've lost count of how many times the striker has won a knock down header and there's no one to pick up up the 2nd balls....The Moroccan girls just picks the ball up and re-circulate or counter...


This is pathetic to watch!

Ihuzeo is the one on the left. She's been totally useless and that's putting it mildly. Ajibade needs to be moved back to the right as well. The coach is tactically inept

We can still come back though. The two goals were from our errors at the back. What we need now is to remove ihuzeo and ijamilusi. Bring in wingers. The coach just dey squeeze face dey shout,which is not helping. Give them clear tactical instructions.

Morocco vs Ghana game is live on YouTube. How come none of our games have been shown on YouTube

Kudos to the girls. They really tried their best. But our coach is horrible. Barks orders all day long instead of analysing the game. Players were visibly tired,didn't change them. If he wants to be barking orders,why doesn't he just instruct his assistants to be assessing the physical conditions of the players then. That folashade girl should have been subbed off early into the second half. Now we have rinsola,Payne who haven't since like the first match day. If we happen to need them in the final,I hope they won't be too far off