₦airaland Forum

LZAA:
but are they dm's or not?

Registas.

Humility017:
when was matic when mikel was in his prime?
where was matic when mikel was bossing Chelsea midfield in the era of champions league glory and Europa...?
where was matic when mikel at a very young age...one of the most difficult to pleased manager in the world...could not so away without him....in the midst of array od seasoned midfielders(ballack, lampard, essien, joeCole,markele, etc )..he could find a place to slot him in.

bro...you need to advise yourself...your words above does not add up...

Matic went to Benfica, established himself and came back to bench Mikel. Matic played a more prominent role in the two league titles Chelsea won when he was there than Mikel ever did throughout his stay. He even made PFA team of the season.
Oh and let's not forget Matic is a year younger than Mikel. As a DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER, Matic is better than Mikel. This shouldn't even be a debate

LZAA:
busquets and carrick are examples of players who play dm and cm
modern day footie is fluid so players hardly sit in one place

With the same functions i.e dictating play. Their roles never change.

Kog45:
I thought Ndidi replaced Kante as DM at Leicester.

And before the arrival of Kante who was Chelsea DM

Hope you remember is either Kante start with Matic or Fabregas,are you now saying Fabregas is DM.

Last season at Chelsea Conte rotate Fabregas and Matics as CM and Kante as DM.

Oh Kante established before coming to Chelsea,fine now tell me who is more established between Kante and Matics

What he's saying is Kante doesn't sit in front of the back 4 like Makelele or even Mikel did at Chelsea. He plays a bit further up front breaking up play. Matic is usually the last guy who sits deep and dictates play.

LZAA:
again players swap roles
kante is a central mid who can slot in as def mid

Kante as a CM would merely be a "box to box" destroyer. Kante can't play as a Regista. Kante can't sit in front of the back 4. He's never done that. Drinkwater, Matic mainly did that. He just buzzes around breaking up play.

Kog45:
Pls tell me more about him,meaning he is the real guy.

Yep. One of the young CM around. Physically imposing and comfortable on the ball. Think we should play our regular Ndidi - Onazi that day.

eterisan:
ndidi is excellent at these primary qualities, but having that alone limits him in the grand scheme of things.. That is my point.... He has to also excel at the secondary qualities of a midfielder, which are passing, dribbles, shooting, free kicks, assists.... Then and then alone will he be world class.... Try see wety I de talk na oga. . I nor hate the guy, neither am I biased.. Na the love I get for am mek me want mek he improve... Call it tough love

I get your point. Some will think you're hating on Ndidi

LZAA:
that play the same position

Jorginho is a regista, Ndidi is a destroyer. Both can play together or in spite of one another. It all depends on how the team sets up

lexyman:
Matic failed to read the game yesterday , where was he Matic is gradually becoming a shadow of himself ... if he must contend with Ndidi , he must put up a sterling performance consistently . at the moment the long leg guy is ahead of him .

He had a bad game. Everyone has bad games. Ndidi still doesn't pass or read the game better.

Kog45:
Yes you are right but the two are Generallismo of their team and star to watch so let's see how they carry their team irrespective of their position in the midfield.

The real guy I'm keeping my eye out for is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. That guy is a beast.

Daejoyoung:
Makelele wasn't rated world class as a passer of the ball, but for redefining the defensive midfield position, a solid covering for defence(that's the dirty job) and that is what Mickel was made to do under Mourinho while the likes of Ballack and Deco were focussed on creativity.
The truth of the matter is, on his defensive midfield duty in today's football, Ndidi is indeed world class.

He wasn't rated but his passing was underrated. Makelele like Mikel was an attacking player before he got converted to a DM.

Kog45:
I think Nigeria -Serbia match should do the talking cos Mikel i know Matics i don't know,so let's wait and see

True. Matic will play as a DM while Mikel plays as an AM.

[quote author=DrKlever post=65821158][/quote]Mikel will play as an AM and Matic as a DM. What point will you be proving??

tbaba1234:
Makalele was a safe passer. Win the ball and pass to the more creative player. Ndidi actually tries more risky passes.

Makalele passing was underrated. Sure he wasn't Busquets or Pirlo, but he was pretty comfortable on the ball. Remember he used to be an attacking mid before he made the switch. Ndidi is not as comfortable on the ball.

Daejoyoung:
What would you say of Makelele then? Are you saying he wasn't top quality standard?

Makelele was a far better passer than Ndidi is. He's also much more comfortable on the ball. Can't compare both

Humility017:
if matic I know so well....is said to be a world class.....same matic @ 21 he was not in Chelsea first team let alone bench...that was when Chelsea was Chelsea and mikel who isn't a world class....according to some folks...
was playing and getting some minutes in Chelsea....at that age.

then someone need explain to me the criteria use to rate players as world class.

Matic is a better DM than Mikel ever was. He successfully converted to DM from AM something which Mikel didn't do too well

herroyalcutenes:
What I know is a footballer's football team/teammates and coach makes his/her work easier or harder. Take Osaze for example who knew he was that good while bench warming in Russia? I bet not even his coach, but also take a look at Benzema. A simple move away from madrid and his career will fall faster than a park of cards.

Benzema would be better off where he's the main man. In Madrid he's just there to compliment cr7.

eterisan:
I beg to disagree Sir. Ndidi is not as good as fernandinho, Fred, jorginho, casemerio, busquets, Gabi, Can, vidal, khedira... I can keep naming them... Put him in an attacking team and he's deficiencies will show.. He has a lot to learn.

True but none of those guys are pure destroyers except maybe Casemerio who I think is better sha.

LZAA:
no football manager buys players by stats
none
they look at ur ability and what u add to the team
lemme give u an example
if cr7 was wanted by psg for example and dy decided to use his stats for the first hallf of this season as d deciding factor,would dy have bought him?

This is partially true. Arsenal bought players like Elneny, Lucas Perez, Mustafi and Xhaka by using StatDna. It's had mixed results.

Daejoyoung:
So you think Barca cannot chase Ndidi? Matic is just a bigger and more popular player. Ndidi at 21 is certainly a better defensive midfielder than Matic is, except in making timely passes like someone said earlier.

Ndidi passing is nowhere good enough to play for Barca(at least not yet). He has the potential to be a world class destroyer, but at the moment, Matic is simply better and more experienced. He reads the game better, dictates play better and of course has a better passing range. Ndidi is a tackling machine and edges Matic in terms of mobility.

I'm surprised no one has said anything about Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Now that is a beast of a player. The true guy we should be keeping an eye on instead of Matic. I'd like to see how our midfield will cope against him.

LZAA:
hmmm whole of europe u say?
so jorginho has ??

Jorginho and Ndidi are two different players.

Icon79:
OK. So can you tell me what he contributed in Brazil


O pari

He didn't have a good tournament. Neither did Mikel.

tbaba1234:
Look at Etebo in Las palmas, Ndidi in Leicester... Those are players clearly in great form for their teams.

Azeez had a few good games but he was anonymous several times for his team. That said, I believe, he made the WC team on merit but he should never have been a first choice sub.

Aluko and Igiebor on pure quality should have been there.

Azeez was more of a CM/DM though. Aluko would've been a better option over someone like Uchebo.

SerVik:
You're right. I remember how we celebrated that move to Belgium. It was thought back then that his coach at Kilmarnock had personal hatred for him. He always questioned Reuben's continues invitation to the National team even with him being inactive in his club.

Keshi had too much faith in him. He always insisted he was talented and would prove people wrong.

tbaba1234:
Really? He was playing but was he in form??

Yeah he had a few good games for Almeria that season.

Icon79:
Actually, it wasn't just Reuben alone. We can excuse him if he had fumbled on only one or two players, but Keshi fumbled on:

Michael Uchebo
Shola Ameobi
Ejike Uzoenyi
Kunle Odunlami
Ramon Azeez
Uche Nwofor

And I can go on and on. So it wasn't just one player. The entire bench was useless - sold to the highest bidder.


O pari

Ramon Azeez was one of our most inform players going to the world cup.

neighy:
if am not mistaken lewandoski started as a number 10... Or probably he has played the role before

Correct. Played as a 10 when Barrios was at Dortmund.

Kog45:
Not a loss to forgiveness but to Nigeria.

If i may ask is Hungary going to WC?NO,meaning capping him doesn't mean going to WC.

But when it comes to player like Tammy we ran with our whole NFF President begging and at the end rejection.

My man Nigeria LOSS.

The guy rejected playing in the last euros waiting for us to invite him. It's not like we've had Nesta and Baresi for him not to even make the bench. Oh well...

My SA friend is complaining about Akpeyi...looks like he committed a blunder in their last game.

That's the Iron Triangle. It's like a mechanic village.

The place will be going through major development very soon. NYCFC wanted to build a stadium around that zone.
In the next 18 months or so, it'll have changed