₦airaland Forum

Trust me, if Aribo is utilized well, he could be our highest goal scorer at this AFCON even ahead of the strikers.

Also why can’t the NFF close their eyes and pay the fine to have Dessers in the squad? Three in form strikers should stabilize our attacking department and provide assessment when the time comes for World Cup slots.

Meliforme:
Aribo is the least technical of the three.
This is not a slander
I don't know what you guys define as technique. First touch is a technique, but there are other techniques.

I decided to see some Youtube videos of Aribo as you have suggested, to ascertain if i am really missing something. There are some positives to cull from his displays as always but he is not more spectacular than the people he is compared with.

As a central midfielder, your ability to understand tactics and make vital moves to stifle and counter the opponents is sine qua non. Only Ndidi trumps Nwakali in interpretation of tactics, even Frank Onyeka is ahead of Aribo in this area. I might argue with some great minds as to whether Ejuke is ahead of Aribo in tactical reading of the game, from my own assessment of their games, i think Ejuke is ( this is strictly a personal view ).

Can you explain why a skillful Aribo normally gets lost in games and his impact is hard to figure out. This is not just a coincidence His compatriots are better at understanding the game, and the opponents than him. Even though Gernot Rohr deserves the greater blame.

Concerning Nwakali, he is technically and tactically more astute than Aribo, and has more to contribute defensively. Being technically and tactically better makes him better at controlling a game than Aribo and therefore owns the CM spot.

I wonder how you are seeing him not understanding tactics from YouTube highlights. Nwakali has more to contribute defensively then Aribo? You have to be joking here. Nwakali that barely tackles and doesn’t track players in his box. Aribo gets lost in games like seriously? Do you even watch the guy at club level?

I’m tired of this argument abeg. The way you guys slander players without evidence is appalling. You just put up a word salad without real substance up there. Like seriously imagine saying Nwakali is better defensively than Aribo. Even Moses Simon that is a winger tracks back better than Nwakali does.

drDoom3:
Really though, I am assuming you are joking here. Because if this is all you see in Kessie's game then man, I don't know what to say. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though that maybe you've not watched enough of his games to really give a detailed analysis.

Kessie is so good because he solves maths on the pitch. Ndidi does this too but in a different way. He anticipates where he needs to be to either stop an attack or start one himself. He can dribble out of tight situations and he calculates where the danger is and moves immediately to stop it. He knows the positions to get into to pounce on loose balls around the 18. He is such a complete box-to-box player both offensively and defensively. He is not perfect though, gets some touches wrong here and there and his passing still has a long way to go, but most of the time he doesn't put a foot wrong.

TheSuperNerd:
No I am actually not. Kessie is more power and physical plays. He drives forward with his power. Gives simple passes (nothing out of the ordinary), takes up position outside the box to hit shots. And uses his strength pretty well in duels.

And he is also a Penalty merchant. Yaya Toure was wayyyy more. Much more.

Why do you think Milan got Tonali? Or why they have Bennacer?

Man abeg.

Really though, I am assuming you are joking here. Because if this is all you see in Kessie's game then man, I don't know what to say. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though that maybe you've not watched enough of his games to really give a detailed analysis.

Astrid4:
Oga DR.
Kessie all about power and brawn ??
Are you joking


The impact he’s able to have in the middle and final thirds are too great to waste him in a defensive capacity, with his boundless energy, forward thrust and excellent movement all key parts of La Dea’s brilliant Serie A season


Raw Potential

One thing to note from those two games is that he doesn’t shrink from contests; Kessie will stay true to the way he plays and force himself back into form. That way of playing, when it works, can be devastating. For now, you can accept that a 20-year-old can have disappointing games now and again.


Credit: Sky Calcio
No matter how it’s going, Kessie works extremely hard, shuttles up and down the pitch and tracks back diligently. He identifies the players he needs to track quickly and sticks to them, utilising great speed to keep up and great strength to jockey with them. He seems remarkably effective in 50-50 duels; he nearly always ends up with the ball once he enters such a contest.

He’s happy to receive possession in tight spaces, and his one-touch passing keeps Atalanta’s midfield tempo high. Given La Dea have a speedster in Alejandro Gomez operating as a left-sided forward, the ability to maintain momentum is vital, as all the good work he does could easily go to waste should his colleagues take too many touches.

Kessie tends to play as a No. 8 in a 3-4-3 (or 3-4-2-1), operating alongside a partner. His runs from deep with the ball are good, his passing is decent and he understands the importance of his role. When shifted forward to make a difference, he takes up good positions just outside the opposition area and often finds himself on top of loose balls

The above excerpt is from bleachers report ( one of the greatest sport site on earth)
Kessie is a dynamic player; every Manager's dream he fit in perfectly to any system.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2684923-franck-kessie-fits-chelseas-style-perfectly-but-doesnt-upgrade-the-xiyet

The day Nwakali gets Kessie's awareness is the day his career changes forever.

TheGoodJoe:
Precisely. I always have ideas for it. There was a time in the Girona game I wished I could give Nwakali some info. It is all about zones to me now. Got that from Eguavoen's video.

When your team loses the ball. Even if the ball is far, start tracking back. This will reduce the time spent chasing. Also close the midfield and defense too.

Eguavoen used to be defender and I believe he has the strategy to get the team to defend efficiently as a unit.

Time though. You cannot train awareness even in a month let alone the few days we have to prepare. Big tournaments like these are ready-made. If you have not been doing it at club, you can't just magically wake up and start doing it all of a sudden.

TheSuperNerd:
And here you are cooking up analytical excuses for Jorginho.

Anyways, No long talk needed. I have made my central points. Enjoy your day.

Lol

Mutual respect though. I know you see where I am coming from. We all want the SE to succeed at the AFCON irrespective of our personal differences. I just hope everyone that gets the chance to play pours their heart out for the country, that's all the fans want to see win or lose.

drDoom3:
Sure, it will. It is not all about running though. It is about awareness.

Are you as a player aware of the immediate danger? Do you recognize what you have to do to stop it? How do you execute that?

It goes the other way round for attacks too.

Are you aware of how the spaces on the pitch can be used to create a dangerous attack? What can you do to contribute? What positions should you occupy to make the attack successful? How do you execute these actions?

ChrisKels:
Pass your message without unnecessary mockery and subtle jibes.

I am not mocking anyone. I am only pointing out facts using sarcasm and irony.

It is all part of the english language we speak everyday (at least for most of us).

TheGoodJoe:

It is a team work and that is why I highlighted central play. Reshaping for the central guy will require less running.

Also, Nwakali has shown improvement with his running, so I believe he can get sorted out defensively.

Remember Mikel did not run with pace but kept it neat with tidy covering movements.

Sure, it will. It is not all about running though. It is about awareness.

Are you as a player aware of the immediate danger? Do you recognize what you have to do to stop it? How do you execute that?

TheSuperNerd:
Tell all these to Jorginho who is also kinda Languid in some phases of the game and didn't track Tielemans.

I hope you know Jorginho is also a deeplying Playmaker. A regista in Italian football terms.

Check from 2.30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq8Wj8hvNLA


One thing you must understand is that DLPs/Central Midfiled conductors are not expected to be workhorses. They contribute Decent Defensive shifts and focus primarily on taking up positions that set them up to receive the ball and dictate the flow.


So expecting Nwakali or a Jorginho or a Modric to be running up and down almost every moment to show workrate is not so, My dear Doom3. Not every MF is a Kante or an Onyeka. Lol

Untrue, at least the second part. Jorginho can be languid at times, but at least he is not catwalking on the pitch. For that goal, you can clearly see from behind that Jorginho drifted to the left to provide cover for Reece James against Vardy receiving the ball which was the immediate threat. The plan was to cover all through passes so that Tielemans will be forced to carry the ball alone where he can then be closed down at the edge of the box. Tielemans saw this and used the space wisely to score an unexpected stunner. It was not Jorginho's fault, rather it was the brilliance of the player.

Also I wonder why you are trying to use scant mistakes of one player to justify the continous failure of another. It is just like saying because no one in a class got 100% in a math test, the kid who got 5% and failed shouldn't be blamed. After all, no one was perfect. That is a dangerous approach.

TheGoodJoe:

You are basing your idea on the zonal defending failing. That is not how it works theoretically.

This is about perfecting winning the ball with intense concentration. Get it right and you nullify the extra man to receive the ball. Out number the opposition in opposing areas.

If it fails, a defender or a defensive midfielder tracks the guy with the ball, provides cover until defensive reinforcements come to cover gaps.

Sometimes it fails but most times it succeeds. It is in the ratio of success you count on.

You said it yourself.

From the clips I posted, did you see how well Nwakali was assisting as a defensive reinforcement? Did you see the gaps he was covering so well? And that was against Girona in La Liga 2. Imagine doing that against Algeria or Senegal.

drDoom3:
Gegenpressing is basically zone defending in the opponents half. However it always breaks down once the ball gets to your half. Once the ball is in your half, every player needs to come in to mark and help the defense by tracking and marking all over the pitch. Else, you see a slide rule pass because the right back was ball watching or the CM decided that watching the player with the ball was more important than tracking the guy with the potential to receive the ball in a dangerous area. This is where Nwakali fails completely.

Now if you play as an AM and more in the opponent's half than yours, these faults could slide in non-high-tempo games. Nwakali is an 8 though: if the ball gets past him, it's Ndidi and our inshallah defense. Ndidi can try his best but you can't expect him to do Nwakali's defensive duties to mark players while Nwakali strolls on the pitch waiting to receive the ball so he can "command the midfield".

TheGoodJoe:
Works more in modern football than ever before. Defending now is done in groups. When play gets switch, the ball arrives a new zone and a new defending shape takes place.

Are there risk to it? Yes but it is a far more effective option.

Keep in mind Amunike is a modern strategic coach. So when we talk of modern football, his ideas are testaments to it.

I just clarified what I meant with a current post.

TheGoodJoe:

You might ask, what about defending the midfield?

That is where zone play will come in. The players will likely get a crash course in Zone defending. Well shown in the U17 team of Amunike.

When the ball gets to a different area, three or four players would cover that zone to receive the ball.

That was why Spain could play a midfield of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta, and still dominate the midfield defensively.

Gegenpressing is basically zone defending in the opponents half. However it always breaks down once the ball gets to your half. Once the ball is in your half, every player needs to come in to mark and help the defense by tracking and marking all over the pitch. Else, you see a slide rule pass because the right back was ball watching or the CM decided that watching the player with the ball was more important than tracking the guy with the potential to receive the ball in a dangerous area. This is where Nwakali fails completely.

TheGoodJoe:

You might ask, what about defending the midfield?

That is where zone play will come in. The players will likely get a crash course in Zone defending. Well shown in the U17 team of Amunike.

When the ball gets to a different area, three or four players would cover that zone to receive the ball.

That was why Spain could play a midfield of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta, and still dominate the midfield defensively.

Does not work in modern football because of how easy it is to switch play nowadays. Players today make off-the-ball runs like never before. If players only in the zone where the ball is are turned on defensively, your team will chop goals steady.

My criticism of Nwakali is not because I hate him, it is because I see hiss potential and how it is being wasted.

Sure, he is a decent player on the ball. He has the "touch" I talked about earlier that players like Nacho, Ejuke, Aribo etc have that makes them look like they are gliding effortlessly on the ball. His passing is decent, albeit not to the level hyped on this thread (playing teams with top players in top leagues with better tactical positioning closes spaces for the long defense-splitting passes you guys have been longing to see). On the ball, sure, I can see what he adds to the team.

However, off the ball, the guy is a mess. He strolls on the pitch like he is on the runway of a beauty pageant. For an 8, that is disastrous.

For example, note his movement (number 8 jersey) for the Girona goal from 0:11 until 0:30:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH4z_Gw-xqg

You can see how a Girona player comes in behind him to a dangerous position. If the scorer had passed to that guy, the goal would have been much easier than it eventually was.

Note his movement for all the goals, both his team and the opponents in this second clip:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eUI4SFWRy0

Just watch basically all Huesca highlights and look at how static he is off the ball. He just switches off.

That tells you two things:
1. How poor the league is. You will never see in any of the top five leagues an 8 standing static in one spot without running or marking any player in a dangerous attack by the opponent. It doesn't happen. Do that in the Prem and you won't finish that game.

2. How far Nwakali has to go to chill with the big boys football wise. In competitive leagues, players don't stop moving unless in a dead ball situation or you are a GK. You are either pressing or marking or moving into positions to receive passes. You switch off for five seconds and it can cost you a game. My guy only switches on when he receives the ball. The guy is almost watching the game as if it is on TV when he is not with the ball.

It is not all about having good technique, being skillful and all that crap. If you can't do the basics of the game, you're not ready.

TheGoodJoe:

Tell us the best player the coach should play in midfield that can help supply long balls to the forwards to prevent favoritism, back bite and feelings.

Why must we play long balls to the forwards?

TheGoodJoe:

You do not have a feeling. You are wishing and hoping Kelechi Nwakali fails. But, may God be with him and grant him success.

I do not know how people can wish someone playing for their country to fail. It is baffling.

I am not wishing anything. I hope he succeeds. However, I say things the way I see them. When you do not play your best players due to favoritism, it will always bite you in the back. It is just like saying starting Ighalo as our 9 in AFCON is a recipe for disaster because he has not been playing at the top level. Does that mean I hate Ighalo or wish him bad and hopes he fails?

TheSuperNerd:
Why are you repeating what i just explained to you? Are you taking your time to read before you respond or you just responding for the sake of it?

Please don't waste my time if you will keep taking me back.

You started this.

I explained how Ndidi and Onyeka were different, you replied saying they were both defensive-minded players but then acknowledged they are very different, which was my point from the beginning. Hence, you were the one actually repeating my point.

TheSuperNerd:
Explain why Partey, an EPL midfielder alongside Addo, a UCL midfielder with Sheriff Tiraspol couldn't wrestle Midfield control from Zerrouki plying his trade in Holland and from Zorgane of Charleroi earlier today.

Partey was the highest profile MF on display today in that friendly but he couldn't do Jack with his power and physicality. Explain why.

Did you see the fellow farmers he played with in that midfield?

All the more reason why you can't leave Ndidi alone in a midfield with guys like Nwakali with a poor work rate and afraid of getting into tackles.

TheSuperNerd:
Lol... it is not baseless. It has a base. And the base is that both are Defensive minded players. Both are destroyers. Only difference is that Onyeka plays the role of a roaming Destroyer and high presser at Brentford while Ndidi sits in front of Leicester's defence.

But truly from Onyeka's days at FCM in Denmark, he is a CDM who mirrors many of what Ndidi does. How you don't understand this shows you don't know Onyeka's playing history. I have done extensive and intensive research into these lads. Even while I was on my sabbatical from this thread, I still took time to follow them and keep up to date.

Ndidi does not high press. He does not roam.

His job is simple. Sit in front of the defense. Stop attacks. Stop counters. Once he stops an attack, pass to CM or AM and stay back. That is nowhere near Onyeka's job description.

TheSuperNerd:
Onyeka can be brought in for Nwakali to close shop alongside Ndidi. But for the most parts, if we truly wanna take the game to the Egyptians, we have to play on the front foot. We have to wrestle control from the Egyptians in the middle game and dictate the flow and rhythm of play.

And that is why we will need energetic players who can wrest control of the midfield, not jololo players who are not strong and have poor work rate but can "command a midfield" and "lead the attack from behind".

All this focus on creativity from the midfield is tiring to hear. Nigeria has never depended on creativity from midfield, our creativity has always been from the wings. Nigeria is blesed with excellent wingers who can drift to the middle and create chances. Now we want to be playing De Bruyne slide rule passes from deep midfield when we don't have the players to execute it.

TheSuperNerd:
All this epistle only to finally beat your own point by dropping a fact that I have already mentioned @bolded..

I think that settles that. Ndidi thrives better alongside a forward thinking MF player not a mirror of himself who roams or does whatever. Playing Ndidi with a similar grit MF player won't give us control on the front foot. We would be chasing the game and always watching our backs coz that sets us up to defend and try to counter all through the 90.


In your own words...
It is true though that Ndidi struggles playing alongside similar players to him

So thank you.

My entire point was that Onyeka is not a similar player to Ndidi and all the talks about not pairing Ndidi and Onyeka in midfield are baseless.

Papi85:
aribo this time will be moved further the pitch because of his eyes for goal

So if u be super eagles coach u go bench Onyeka play nwakali abi?

Please help me ask them o. Onyeka that is even better than Ndidi in the EPL this season. Onyeka and Aribo have been our best two midfielders in Europe this season as Ndidi has been struggling with Soumare pairing. No coach will select Nwakali over these guys except by favoritism.

I have a feeling that Nwakali will get to the AFCON and when he gets gametime, he'll put on a howler that will show how far he currently is from the level of the best midfielders in Africa who play for the top clubs in the top leagues in Europe. It is not by being technical or commanding midfield, if you are not on the top level professionally it will show. Imagine Partey and Kessie who have been playing consistently against the best players in the world coming up against Nwakali in midfield. Who do you think will win the duel?

TheSuperNerd:
This sounds like Charlesemeka85... Looolll

Only he and a few others don't understand the essence of keeping a tactical balance of Midfield control and grit. Having all grits is not the way to go. You would only be hard to break down, be playing on the backfoot for the most parts and would suffer dysfunctional passing rhythms in the middle game.

Relax... Nwakali is here to stay. His skillset is highly needed. We cannot be all brawn and grit with no technical control.
And Ndidi always struggle alongside another defensive minded MF. Isn't that fact already established? Ndidi loves to handle the bulk of the defensive load. His stamina is 100. He cannot be overworked. Also he won't defend alone. Nwakali's pressing and workrate has improved over the past 2 months and Aribo's workrafe is also very much present.


Also, Aribo cannot dictate a game. His passing range is limited. This is why he cannot function properly from deep but only when close to the box. His creativity is of a different ilk. When played on the wings, he has the knack for 1-2 exchanges and to attack spaces in order to create and go for goal himself. I have my totalfootballanalysis of Aribo in 2020-2021 to back this.


So take a chill pill, down it with Sprite... relax and watch the best of football featuring Ndidi-Nwakali-Aribo in midfield. Trust me... you would love it.

Happy New Year Charles....

This argument of Ndidi standing alone is crap. Onyeka has never been a DMF. He doesn't handle defensive duties for Brentford, he is not a 4. I've watched all Brentford games in the prem so far, Onyeka is most times the one advancing the attack. He also drifts to the wings sometimes to whip in crosses (especially right wing). He wins almost as much fouls in the attacking third as the strikers. Because of his excellent work rate he also helps out a lot defensively with tackles and interceptions. His heat map is almost always in the opponents half (except against big teams when Brentford is parking the bus).

It is just like saying Ndidi cannot play alongside Kante because they are both defensive minded players. Ndidi is a different type of defensive player to someone like Onyeka or Kante. Ndidi does not make forward runs on most occasions. He wins the ball back and immediately passes it forward, sitting back to protect the defense. Kante and Onyeka are different. When Kante plays for Chelsea, he is mostly the one winning balls and initiating counters. He can play DM, but he is not a DM.

It is true though that Ndidi struggles playing alongside similar players to him (e.g. with Soumare at Leicester). This is because his role gets confused. Soumare doesn't contribute to the attack. He likes to win balls and sit behind to protect the defense. As this is Ndidi's role, Ndidi becomes confused because he has an intruder in his territory and doesn't know which positions to take up that will stop them both from getting in each other's way.

TheGoodJoe:

Anytime power and skill meets, skill must prevail.

All the midfielders listed (except maybe Haidara) have better skill than Nwakali, adn they show their skill at the top level every day.

komekn:
Can you explain please ?

KC is so heavily left foot reliant , he cannot be called an excellent finisher .

Personally I think Ighalo is a better finisher.

Nacho is our best finisher by far.

Salah is also heavily left reliant, does that make him any worse of a finisher?

12large1:
I just watched the trio of awoniyi, umar and iheanacho and to me, iheanacho seem more impressive and should be out starting striker in the absence of osimehn. Eguavoen must instill extreme discipline and seriousness into iheanacho or else, he can lose attention. My ranking of the 3
1) Iheanacho
2) Umar
3) awoniyi

Also, we can field 2 strikers and 1 winger while also selecting 3 midfielders in order not to imbalance the midfield

Iheanacho has never been a lone striker. Scoring goals doesn’t automatically make you a striker.

Personally I don’t get why we can’t just close eye and play Nacho as a 10. Las las he has most of the skill set for the role: passing, outside the box shooting, etc. Everyone says he is bad as a 10 but when have we honestly really seen him play there at all? Deep lying SS that he has been playing for SE recently, what really differs from an out-and-out AM? Assist for Osimhen’s Lesotho first goal comes to mind. No one wants to talk about the elephant in the room.

Ejuke will be Eguavoen’s joker in the tournament.

If we can secure defensive stability, we will go far. Our attack is a beauty to behold.

I see us playing possessive football rather than the bus parking Rohr almost made our trademark.

chrisooblog:
Egypt sabi fall hand once in a while, but Cameroon to mess up in front of home fans? mbanu!

Both are overhyped teams living on past glory. Egypt is feeble, you don’t even need to take Salah out before defeating them soundly again.

andrewbaba44:
A team needs luck to win the afcon

Senegal where unlucky the last time sha

Senegal will win it.

You can’t choke forever, and Senegal has been choking for decades. One day it must end. Except na juju.

They have the quality all-round to comfortably beat any African team.