₦airaland Forum

TheGoodJoe:
LOLS. You have started again. I have brought Kung-fu shoes. I will definitely select the best players I can get in each role than wait for Denmark to thrash us four before I know the time is of the Experience Keeper is up.

LOL... Why did Guardiola buy an experienced Claudio Bravo?
Am sure there must be a couple of 19yr olds in the Man city academy

Icon4s:
I am shocked that you can analyse football in this manner.
I am done with this argument.

If TheGoodJoe was our national team manager, we won't win a football match.

BascoVanVeli:
Aurier is one of the best defenders in the world. It won't be easy for Salah at all.

Best defenders? Aurier has very poor positional awareness. He tends to overlap every single time,feeling like a super man.
Egypt can exploit the gaps he leaves. Just an inspired moment of Eleney pin point pass out to Salah in the gap Aurier leaves, then it's bye bye to Baghdad.
(see Egypt equaliser against Nigeria in Kaduna)

BascoVanVeli:
Serge Aurier plays every position in the back 4. That is going to be the matchup if they meet.

Between Salah and Aurier who is quicker?

BascoVanVeli:
Why would u say a thing like that? This Egypt is all about Salah. Serge Aurier shuts him down easily.

Aurier and Sala will never match up against each other. Salah operates from the right and cuts in with his left foot.
The Ivorian left back will have Salah to deal with not Aurier.

Even if they come together, between Salah and Aurier who is quicker?

BascoVanVeli:
Egypt kini? They don't have enough options to score against the elephants and going forward they can be scary.

Egypt have never relied on super star players. If you've been wat watching them closely through the qualifiers, you will appreciate they are a rock solid outfit.

BascoVanVeli:
Ivory Coast is better than any team in North Africa, they have the best chance IMO. Can't wait to see Zaha on African soil.

This Egyptian team under Hector Cuper will roast them. Wanna make bet?

tbaba1234:
What are your thoughts on his move to North Africa?

I have nothing against a Nigerian player using North Africa as a launch pad to Europe.
Amuneke and Utaka started out in Egypt before hitting Europe.

However, Chisom's case is different. Different in the sense that he is close to hitting his plateau.
Utaka left to Egypt from an amateur side Unth hillers, while Chisom piloted Rangers to win the league.
Winning accolades like the best player in the Npfl and Nigerian footballer of the year and getting a merited call up for a world cup qualifier.

In my opinion, Chisom just like Etebo doesn't need much coaching at a European club to hit it big. He has already completed a cycle of development in Nigeria.
Europe should be his destination.

BascoVanVeli:
No no no Obinna is more their Messi. Their best moments always had his stamp. He scored some of the best goals last year.

For all the job Nwobodo and Madu do in midfield, chisom brings the cutting edge.
At the Super 4, Obinna wasn't part of the tournament due to injury, yet we saw Chisom at his best in the game that he played.
Scoring 2 world class goals that dispatched Rivers Utd.
The second goal was Thierry Henristic.

Obinna obviously gets more media attention because of his exploits with the U 20,while Chisom flew under the radar.
However, he was dully recognised and crowed Nigerian player of the year in December.

Icon4s:
The bolded is what I have been personally arguing against on this thread. Some are already reserving a shirt in the super eagles for him in this 2017.

The U17 performances by these players is so much hyped here. I have always cited cases where MVPs and Highest goals scorers of the FIFA U17 end up as flops.

Osimhen is a talented young player no doubt but how he would channel that talent when he starts playing professional football is what I dnt know.

Any thing can happen. But let us see Osimhen play professional football first. What has even become of Taiwo Awoniyi that over a year ago peeps here said he deserved a place in the Liverpool line up. What of Musa Yahaya?

Well said.
Osimhen as promising a talent as he is, should concentrate on developing at wolfsburg for now. Its uncalled for reserving a shirt for a lad who haven't played a minute of professional football. Not when we have players who are better equipped and experienced with talent to match.
If the camp was thrown open, it would take an insane coach to choose Osimhen ahead of Egbuchulam.

By this time last year, Etebo was still at Warri Wolves. Those of us who saw him play knew we had a phenomenal player on our hands.
Egbuchulam so far have achieved even more than Etebo in the Npfl. Winning Nigerian footballer of year in a country that hates her league, a country that would rather hand a call up to a player in Syberia tells the whole story.

It's a travesty for anyone to place Osimhen ahead of Chisom at the moment.

BascoVanVeli:
I love Chisom but without Obinna Rangers would be a middle of the pack team. What the NPFL is missing is promotion of foriegn players. A league is more credible with top foriegn players. Look at South Africa with Billiard, he brings so much to that league, fans from his country must watch all his matches. I was disappointed when the NPFL allstar team didn't have a single foriegner. Nigeria should be the place where the top unproven African talent come to get credibility. If we make the ones we have now feel special more will come. Just like Dauda the Ghanian keeper who came after Nana Bonsu won the league.

Obinna is mercurial. I was the one who always talked up Obinna in this thread, am as fanatic as TheGoodJoe is with Guardiola when it comes to Obinna.
But I will have to be honest with you. Rangers rode on the back of chisom to win that league.
The way he made mincemeat of the hard man defenders in the Npfl is such a behold to watch.
Sometimes you cannot help but pity defenders who come up against Chisom. He is capable of making nonsense out of an entire defence.

Even from set pieces, he's very deadly. Watch his free kick goal against Abia warriors and Heartland I think.

Obinna is like Iniesta while Chisom is the Messi. That's just how it is.

komekn:
Goldfish80,

This is a deep problem that in some regards goes deeper than just football.

I have my doubts about a lot if these so called minor European Leagues, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland, etc are they better than our local league

Maybe more organised and structured yes but with regard to player quality I have my doubts. And we play too much emphasis on age, remember a 18 year old player who played for Nigeria who was at PSG he simply didn't go anywhere after that.

Okonowo please correct me if I'm wrong played for Barcelona at right back even captained the youth team. But I don't how he got to Barcelona but he was far from quality.

Until we stop looking at vested interests which unfortunately a lot of our coaches have been doing. And consider strict ability, potential and performance this problem will not go away.

Understand it is not unique to Nigeria it's across a very corrupted football world even England.

Truth is that NPFL is growing in leap and bound under Shehu Dikko. The man has been incredibly good in what he has done with the Npfl through the LMC.
It's surprising to find a Nigerian football administrator so good on his job. I can tell you authoritatively that some European leagues aren't better organised than NPFL.
All those Bosnia, Croatia, Romania Finland, Azerbaijan etc are below the quality of the Npfl.

Some of these countries aren't even football countries. In Finland, they would rather watch Tampa Bay play against the New York cardinals in ice hockey than watch champions league final between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Chisom Egbuchulam should be mentioned within the bracket of the next big thing in Nigerian football. Obviously his recognition as the Nigerian footballer of the year is commendable.
But further steps should be taken to project him to Europe, especially Spain since the LMC and Liga have a working relationship. I belive their contract should cover for player exchange between the 2 leagues.

komekn:
I do agree with you, it should be a level playing field.

However, the assumption that someone playing in a higher league and club is of better quality and experience can not be ignored. But should not be the final and only requirement.

Your last sentence sums up my point.

Look how Osimhen is being talked up and already having his super eagles shirt already lying in wait for him before he kicks a ball in his Pro career.
Chisom Egbuchulam on the other who as I type this second is better than Osimhen and not even being discussed.
Nobody wants to hear about him because he's home based.

Am sure most people don't know Chisom Egbuchulam is the Nigerian footballer of the year. He won the award ahead of Iheanacho, Mikel and Osimhen.

If there's a role reversal and Chisom was playing for Wolfsburg while Osimhen was playing for Rangers, will People talk about Osimhen starting ahead of Chisom?
Food for thought.

joseph1013:
Tell his people to update his profile then. I got this online

I looked up on the website nigeriafootball.com and it's empty. Not a credible website to use as a citation.

komekn:

I hope we aren't getting to carried away with foreign born players to the detriment of home grown lads. It will be a shame if that's the case.

Goldfish80, I am not sure why it will be a shame?

So if you are born or grow up outside Nigeria you are less Nigerian. The diaspora dynamics are a major factor of Nigerian life in every area that cannot be ignored. There is talk if us exercising our right to vote in Nigeria right here in the UK.

Talent is talent whether in Obalende or Peckham all deh chop pounded yam.

It will be a shame if home grown player's development is neglected while we focus solemnly on foreign born/based players.
Our football can't develop that way.
In just 2 weeks, a home based player can turn to a foreign based player and the minute he goes abroad, he is recognised. Such attitude wouldn't help anyone.

I remember Akpala getting a called up by Eguavoen to the Afcon 2006 squad the minute he signed for Standard Liege from Bendel Insurance. Its a shame to be honest.

joseph1013:
I know you are a Rangers fan so your comment can be excused. I say the Tunisian deal is probably the best he can get for a 29-year old striker. The only reason I'm in for Nwobodo is because he is still young, I won't bother even if he is 27. Chisom is in his last stages as a footballer, especially when you consider that for lack of MRI, his real age cannot really be ascertained.

From the little I know about Rohr, he seems not to care where you play as long as you produce results. Therefore, if he was indeed better than the other boys during the Zambia-Nigeria camp, he would have played. He would even have been invited for the Algerian game.

I say we look further ahead.

Which Chisom is 29?
Chisom was poached by Rangers from Ingas academy at just 19 in 2013.
You can do the maths to figure out his age.
Infact if you must know, his parents signed a consent form before when signed for Rangers.
When he made his debut, people were shocked how such a small boy was playing for Rangers. Chisom didn't add a day to his age. You just have to belive me.

I thought the first picture was Davido and the skuki guy.

joseph1013:
About Nwobodo, I don't think anyone is saying he should have an automatic shirt in the Eagles. He is a player that has proven himself wherever he goes. From U20 to U23. He was also one of the best players when Enugu Rangers won the Nigerian League last season. I can tell you that he is impressive.

What those who know him well are saying is that he should be given an opportunity to slug it out with the other guys in the national team. Sometimes ehn, opportunity is all it takes. I was reading what that Man Utd scout said about Ndidi at Nath Boys, it's all about him being at the right place at the right time. We have better players than him in the grassroots all over Nigeria.

For Nwobodo, an opportunity to compete with his countrymen in Camp is not too much. Same happened to Sunday Mba and Godfrey Oboabona under Keshi.

As good as Nwobodo is, it appears Chisom Egbuchulam doesn't get enough mention on this thread.
I hope we aren't getting to carried away with foreign born players to the detriment of home grown lads. It will be a shame if that's the case.

Chisom for my money is the real deal. If he was born abroad he will be mentioned in the same light as Mbappe and Dembele.
The guy is the real definition of a modern wide foward.

With the recent partnership between the LMC and La liga, I felt the MOU should cover some areas like the best player in the league going to train with top La liga teams in view of getting a contract.
It would be ridiculous if Chisom ends up in Tunisia. His game has gone beyond the African continent in my opinion.

TheGoodJoe:
Are you saying total distance covered only have to do with pressing? Answer no and let us sleep.

If you're playing in a heavy possession team, distance covered will have to be mostly from keeping possession like Barcelona.
In a counter attacking team, distance covered will mostly come from chasing after the ball.

TheGoodJoe:
Are you saying total distance covered only have to do with pressing? Answer no and let us sleep.

Are you saying that it is possible to press more than any other player and yet cover less distance than every other person?
As an engineer I find it quite difficult to capture how possible that could be.

TheGoodJoe:


I will not answer the question because it does not prove that total distance covered is strictly by pressing.

I did not say pressing does not cover distance. That is ridiculous. I said, total distance covered consist more than pressing.

When a team is pressing, they do not have the ball. When they are are with the ball, they still cover distance.

This is the blatant truth. You can not deviate it.

Pressing on its own is all about running. How do you calculate distance covered while running?
I've cited Dortmond as an example earlier. They cover an average distance of 120km per 90 mins. This like the distance from Lagos to Ibadan.
Dortmond aren't known to be a heavy possession side rather they are known to be a hard pressing team.

TheGoodJoe:

That is not all the distance they cover. Simple.

Yet hard pressing teams cover more kilos than their opponents. That should tell you something.

TheGoodJoe:
Take time to understand before arguing the point. I said, among the Super Eagles players, Iheanacho is the best at pressing.

You said you wish you could get distance covered stats to prove that Iheanacho did not press like others.

I said distance covered can not prove who was the best pressing because it contains other variables than pressing. Distance covered is not strictly on pressing.

Simple.

Why is it that teams who are renouned for their pressing style cover more kilometres than other teams?

TheGoodJoe:
Yara Yara, bring pen and paper. Goldfish80 is about to teach us how Iheanacho was gengen.. Gengen... What is that word?

Yara Yara: pressing.

Yes pressing Algeria. LOLS.

My friend, I do not get the relation of drills to gengen press in relation to Iheanacho pressing.

I will rephrase the question.
If you were the manager of Man city and you want to build a pressing machine like team, how will you achieve that in drills if we discard long distance running.
I really want you to answer this question.

TheGoodJoe:

I beg you, read now? Yara Yara is on his knees pleading.

Did you not read when I said that pressing happens when the opponent has the ball? Distance is covered there but the total distance covered by the player includes when his team also has the ball.

Is this so difficult to understand?

Eh. This was the beginning of this thing you want to drag. Ha ba.

No, the beginning was your statement that Iheanacho pressed more than any other player against Algeria.
I said that couldn't be possible because his so called pressing does not reflect on his km covered.
Abi he was pressing in a static position?

If other players put in twice the Kilometres he chalked in then he couldn't have pressed more than them.
It simply means other players covered more distance on and off the ball more than kelechi.

TheGoodJoe:

What is pressing not running after goal keepers? Na wa. Did you read when I said Mikel pressed Xavi? Ha. Is Xavi a keeper to you?

I have seen it all.

If you were a manager, and you want your players to gengen press, what training drills will you put your team through in training?
Please don't mention long distance running. Let's start from there

TheGoodJoe:

You can argue the truth from today till tomorrow, you can not change it. Pressing has to do with when the opponents have the ball. You can not press when your team is with the ball. Total distance covered includes when a team is in possession and when the team is not in possession.

This is the truth. You can not change it. When Mikel runs to cover a gap. He is not pressing but he is covering distance. Simple thing, you are arguing.

There's no way you can press without putting in the kilometres. You can take it to the bank.

TheGoodJoe:

Another long epistle. The pressing you see Iheanacho and Sanchez doing. Pressing defenders and keepers to lose the ball, is it the pressing Mikel is doing?

No.

However, Mikel covers large distance on the field. The distance Mikel covers is when he is looking for gaps in the field and covering. Not when pressing.

Pressing is not all about chasing after goalkeepers. I have defined pressing in my last post.

You will hardly find Ozil running after goalkeepers but I tell you what, that guy is a mad presser. He's on record to be the player with the most kilometres covered in the premiership over the last 2 seasons. He averages 10-11km per game.
What Ozil have mastered is the act of pressing and closing down passing lanes. Wenger said this himself in an interview.
Pressing is not all about running after goalkeepers TheGoodJoe.

TheGoodJoe:
Pressing and distance covered are two different things. If you calculate the distance covered by Kolarov during the last match, is it pressing figures. Ha ba.

You can't talk about pressing without talking about distance covered. Pressing reflects on distance covered.
Jorgen Klops Dortmond team were renouned for their mad pressing style (gengenpressing), it reflects on their distance coverd. At a point stats had it that they covered 120km per game cumulatively.
Pressing reflects on Km, its elementary logic.

TheGoodJoe:


Oh, come on. It means you do not know what pressing is. When Mikel is not with ball, he moves to cover gaps and intercept ball. That is his style, not pressing.

The bolded is actually the definition of gengenpressing.

Pressing is all about cutting passing lanes so that the player on the ball cannot pass the ball.
Another form of pressing is when you have 2 or 3 players simultaneously clustering on the player on the ball to force a turn over.
Bayern Leverkusen coach, Roger Schmidt is the king of gengenpressing these days. You will do well to read up on his application of pressing to understand better.
However, I know since he's not Guardiola you won't give a damn.

TheGoodJoe:

Mikel Obi during the World Cup covered loads of distance. Same with the AFCON. Do I need to spell everything out. Yet, he is not a pressing player. In games against Chelsea like the Champions League against Bayern Munich, he covered loads of distance, yet he was not pressing.

So pressing and distance covered are two different things.

Mikel, Emi Ni Baller.

Where exactly is Mikel running to if he's not pressing?
Even at the Olympics, Mikel pressed very high up the pitch in all the games.
In one of the interviews published, he said the players look up to him and when they see their skipper running and pressing, they know they must toe the same line.
Am actually paraphrasing.

TheGoodJoe:

The distance covered also covers the distance during possession. While pressing has to deal with only when the opponents have the ball.

Pressing have to do with when the opposition have the ball and the distance covered durring pressing adds up to a players performance index by miles /km covered.

If Iheanacho pressed more than any other SE player against Algeria, it should reflect on his distance covered durring the game which should be within the top 2 atleast in his team.
I know for sure Kelechi didn't cover up to 10km in that game.
It would be wrong to say he pressed more than every other player while you have more than 5 of his team mates who covered more distance than him.

Sanchez covers an average of 10. 0km per 90mins. And we all know how much he presses like a lunatic. Match that with Iheanacho's game against Algeria. I would be surprised if kelechi covered more than 7km.
Again, pressing is directly propotional to distance covered. There's no hidding place in the football pitch these days.