₦airaland Forum

TheGoodJoe:

It is so clear. Move and make it easy. Move - pass - move - pass. The pass did not come immediately. Wait and get trapped in a sandwich.

Haaland took the sandwich option because he was confident in his physique to bulldoze through two defenders. Osimhen might not have been able to do the same (physically)

TheGoodJoe:

Then he is picked up. There are three defenders ahead of him, that is a screen/wall. It will prove easier to intercept it. Meanwhile, at the side of those three defenders, it is easier to pick a pass to Osimhen.

Mobility is key for modern day defending. Waiting, means it is easier to pick you up and requiring extra brilliance from the midfielders.

Osimhen might have been playing 3D chess. He might have known Anguissa is less likely to play a splitting through ball through the middle than a Kvara or a Zielinski, so he moved to the right to make it easier. Maybe if it was Zielinski on the ball he would have stayed central because he knows Zielinski can thread the needle.

TheLoneCitizen:
36 percent of the dribbles in the game between Borussia and Hertha was completed by Hertha.

Hertha playing poorly. 30% possession.

Ejuke almost scored with that drive. We need more of that. He also needs to apply himself more, he tends to be anonymous off the ball.

This is not the type of game Sadiq does well in. He is really struggling.

While he is good on the ball for his size, he is really clumsy with a strange technique. His first touch is also really poor. This is usually not a problem against Segunda teams where Almeria were a big side themselves with a lot of the possession. When he lost the ball, they could easily win it back with minimal damage.

However, against Real Madrid, you must be illustrous to get anything out of the game. His style assures goal contributions, but also affords poor touches and losing the ball. It is simply a liability in this game.

I didn't know Awoniyi was this strong until I saw him continously bully Kurt Zouma in aerial duels. And I consider Zouma one of the strongest CBs phsyically in the Prem.

His physicality might not be as futile as I previously thought.

jihday:
yeah, highest goalscorer isn’t measured by the number of goals scored but how nice the goals look. Did you even read the above before pressing submit?

You are the highest goalscorer doesn't mean you are the best at scoring goals.

How many of your goals are penalties? tap-ins? How many are because you play in a team that camps in the opponents' box? How many are because you play in a league where you can statpad against half the opposition?

TheSuperNerd:
Nottingham in talks with Maupay: With Dennis also sealed, does this mean Awoniyi's gametime is further more threatened??

Damn... if this deal goes through, I fear for Awo's chances this season.

Also South Korean striker Ui -Jo signed from Bordeaux.

Dennis will be used as a winger though.

A premier league forward line bred in Kwara state: Awoniyi and Dennis were the most popular youth players in Ilorin back in 2013/2014.

andrewbaba44:
With years to come he will be up there if he keeps
Scoring headed goals ,he is still young ,I think he scored about 7 or so last season in seria A .

But active players with the most headed goals currently ,he isn’t even in top 50 .

Best in heading isn't measured by headed goals. The same way best in penalties is not measured by number of penalty goals, or best in free kicks is not measured by free kick goals. Ronaldo has more free kick goals (at least double) than Ward-Prowse, who would you prefer to take a free kick if both were in your team?

andrewbaba44:
Unpopular opinion

Luuk de jong is the second best header of the ball in the world ,only behind cr7

Giroud is numero uno even ahead of CR7. His heading technique is the best I have ever seen all time.

Ajayi alone stopping both Sarr, Dennis, and Pedro. He is too good for the Championship.

TheLoneCitizen:
Almeria CEO:
"Umar Sadiq has not travelled to England to avoid any type of injury that could stop a transfer that is close at this time. He will be sold for a little less than €30m."

The big one!

Fabrizio has repeatedly said Villareal. Why should we doubt him?

drDoom3:
The difference between Haaland and Osimhen?

Inevitability.

Haaland is inevitable.

Why is Haaland so inevitable?

He is assured in his finishing. You could take a snapshot of just after De Bruyne played that pass, and 99 out of 100 people could bet their house Haaland would score that. That is the difference.

Osimhen has really improved in his finishing, take Sao Tome as a data point. However, he has been really hit and miss in preseason, heavily leaning towards miss. If he can replicate his Sao Tome finishing consistently, he will eat this season.

The problem really is consistency. Today, Osi could get only 2 chances and finish both. Tomorrow, he could get 9 and miss 8. Adding that consistency in finishing makes both your teammates and scouts/other clubs be confident in your ability, allowing them to rely on you more (cc Haaland making City change their style of play to suite him).

The difference between Haaland and Osimhen?

Inevitability.

Haaland is inevitable.

Danielnino00:
Same old Leicester... I score you, you score me....

Brentford made 5 subs to change the momentum of the game. Rodgers saw the game slipping away and made only 1 sub. Well deserved.

Osimhen hasn't scored a goal in open play against top league opposition in preseason. Worrying.

Samueltemi337:
He's not good enough

The coach is playing him as a 9.

Aribo is not a CF, he is a midfielder who scores goals.

Damn... To not start in a two-man attack for a record signing...

I didn't know Awoniyi was this bad in preseason. I know he didn't score, but it's not this bad.

ChrisKels:
Isaac Success would probably be more in our conversations this season as a striking option than Onwuachu, Dessers and Awoniyi.

Success needs to gain more stamina and add a little more dynamism and goals to his game. His reputation in England is also not doing him any favors.

charlesemeka85:
am not even talking the missed goal but his general play

Iwobi is miles better than him in midfield.

iwobi has much better decision making. Eze is a better ball carrier.

Iwobi-esque because that was how Iwobi shot at Arsenal. Get into good positions, then shoot as if your boots are oversized.

charlesemeka85:
I swear bro, very clumsy and lazy in midfield

That shot was very iwobi-esque. So weak from such a good position. And this is someone that plays free kicks.

Eze is overhyped.

TheSuperNerd:
Nobody cares about your irrelevant targets for the lad. I am pretty sure his personal targets trump whatever targets you have set for him. So shift to one side.

You who consider Sadiq Umar better than this same Osimhen. Lmaooooo... your dislike for this lad has never been hidden for one day. I know your antecedents well enough Oh Doom.

See how he unashamedly wanna switch the convo to cross and nod. Has Napoli always been a cross and nod team as well? No please talk naa.

Fact remains Haaland is scared of aerial balls. 1.94m giant who is afraid to nod the ball when he sees the chances. He will rather choose to not nod more times than he chooses to finally nod.


Osimhen is not the finished article but is definitely NEAR world class at things stand right now. So your hypocritical standards are irrelevant.


He is Africa's most valuable and most prized football star today only behind Salah and Mane.

Your disrespect shows a lack or dearth of ball knowledge. Swerve abeg.

It's crazy how you keep using this manufactured statement you pulled out of where the sun doesn't shine to somehow push an agenda against my statements.

I have never ever said Sadiq was better than Osimhen. When you can bring out where I said that, then we can have a discussion.

Trust me, you do not want Victor to succeed more than I do. My expectations of him are so high that I demand more from him.

No parent who really wants their child to be the best academically, knowing their child's potential, is satisfied with them getting even 2nd position.

TheSuperNerd:
And Haaland that cannot head a ball despite his 1.94m frame is called a World Class COMPLETE CF.... Lmaaoooooooo

Osimhen is definitely NEAR WORLD CLASS.
There is a reason he is Africa's most valuable footballer in the world today behind only Mane and Salah.

So off your fallacy mic.

Dortmund was never a cross and inshallah team... City is not one too.

I still maintain it, Osimhen still has a long long way to go.

Now he is on penalty duty, my target for him is 30 goals to finally prove himself as the 100 million player he is and put himself up there with the likes of Cavani and Higuain in the league of elite Naples CFs.

Kog45:
Well to me Osimehn is a world class but time will tell...

Osimhen that cannot curve a shot as an attacker is world class... lmao.

He is getting there, but he is nowhere near world class.

chrisooblog:
The bold is why I think he might struggle a bit. EPL defenders don't like pace, which unfortunately puts Awoniyi at a disadvantage.

I think he will need time to get used to the EPL but will Forest be patient? Especially if there are not getting desired results?

On the plus side Nottingham plays a 2-man attack system which should suit Taiwo.

Yes if he can get 10 goals it will be good season.

Chief I see you still managed to sneak in your EPL agenda against Bundesliga while forgetting how Dennis, a German league reject did well in England

Awoniyi has never been a prolific goalscorer. He has always been a high work rate striker, working hard to make the team succeed while bagging the occasional goal.

The EPL is so much more physical that his Bundesliga physical advantage will not carry on. He is also not the fastest, the most tricky, has the best finishing or the most elite positioning.

I love Taiwo, but my estimate is 5 or 6 goals this season. I think Johnson will score at least twice as much as Awo, he is another Alli/Jota with his positioning and ability to ghost into space and grab goals from nowhere. Either way, Forest will not score a lot of goals.

charlesemeka85:
moving from hereveen to cska Moscow wasn’t a bad move. Cska is miles bigger than any club in the Dutch league aside their top 3 teams

Context.

Ejuke was doing well enough in the Eredivisie at that time to get offers directly to the top 5 leagues. He was rated as one of the best players in the league. I think he even had offers from some teams in top 5 leagues, but he chose CSKA (probably financially motivated).

He wasn't just some random quantity.

TheLoneCitizen:
Best Nigerian transfer this window:

Victor Boniface to USG.

Better than Lookman to Atalanta, Awoniyi to Forrest, Ejuke to Berlin.

Wrong. All are better when you consider the context.

Ejuke made a bad move to CSKA, this move rescued him and brought him back to where he can be watched.

Awo made a crucial move to the EPL. If he does well, he could be making a bigger move soon. Also, this move literally forces him into the SE unless he just fails miserably. No excuse to leave him out if he does well.

Lookman was frozen out at Leipzig, same at Leicester. He needed a move, Serie A is hard enough to be competitive but not hard enough not to do well. This move might finally allow him prove himself.

Boniface is really an unknown quantity at the moment. USG is a Brighton pipeline too, so it is definitely a good move.

TheLoneCitizen:
I'm sure Dennis not cutting his hear as protest.

Free the brother.

Dennis for me is Mane's heir in the EPL.

All he needs is to add directness to his game. He can be unnecessarily fancy sometimes.

Dennis too good for the Championship.

Ekong can't even start games in the Championship.

drDoom3:
Bassey about to chop red on debut...

Balled, then made one bad tackle. Amazing debut anyways.