₦airaland Forum

Keshi's team wasn't this bad but we gave them a hell lot of stick.

Simon Moses is proving to be a huge loss.

This is crazy, should have been 2:0 ...

What system is being employed to defend corner kicks? Zonal marking, man 2 man marking? The team seem to have no idea how to set up for corner kicks. This is a big shame because, usually this is a result of poor coaching.

So predictable. Czech score from a corner kick.

Still this team cannot defend corner kicks. What have they been doing in camp?

See me pumping my hands on my chest, not because of the quality of football but the melodious ogene playing in the background.
Shidodo carry ogene go Austria?

SerVik:
When fullbacks attack, it is normal for DMs to cover for them. It is not a matter of leaving your role, it's a matter of covering gaps. As a matter of fact, some Nigerian coaches mistake this to mean that these players can play as fullbacks. We've seen keshi deploy onazi as a RB before and even Rorh used Ndidi as RB against Zambia. In a three man defense, when a wing back attacks, it is the role of the RCB and LCB to cover for them that is why you would always see azpilicueta temporarily take up the RB position when Moses attacks, but when it comes to the flat four back line, DMs conveniently do this.

What guardiola did this season was to reverse this system and have fullbacks slot in as DMs when the DMs attack.

Top post SerVik.

tbaba1234:
Garba Lawal, Member of NFF technical Committee:


“I got to know about the list on the social media like every other Nigerian. And I was surprised that the technical committee was not told about the list before it was made public.

“It seems we don’t know what we are doing. Rohr is the one that can answer Nigerians why members like Fanny Amun, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju were not consulted.

“At this moment, whether we say yes to Rohr’s list or not, there is nothing we can do again since the final squad has be named,”

“I am particularly sad that a player like Uche Agbo, who played week in, week out for his club, Standard Liege of Belgium was not given a chance to prove his worth.

“This guy is a utility player, who as a defensive midfielder, can also operate as a defender in the middle and at both wings. Yet such talent was dropped without a look in. I still believe there are qualities in the team that can make us proud in Russia,”

I watched the England vs Ngr game with someone close to Henry Agbo, some of the things he said was quite amusing.

Guinea and Liverpool-bound midfielder Naby Keita has tipped Nigeria to reach the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Africa will be represented by Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia at the finals, but it is the Super Eagles who Keita believes will “lead by example”. He also added that two of the continent’s teams could reach the semifinals.

“It will be a tough tournament for African teams but the good thing is that they have learnt from past mistakes,” Keita told Goal.

“I know Nigeria will lead by example and we will definitely have at least two teams in the semis of the competition.

“However, it is unfortunate that Guinea will not be part of the African teams at the games in Russia.”

Keita’s Syli National finished behind Tunisia, DR Congo and Libya in their qualifying group to extend their long wait for a debut at the global tournament.

The best performance by an African team at a World Cup is reaching the quarterfinal, a feat achieved by Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010).

https://africanfootball.com//news/750423/Naby-Keita-tips-Nigeria-to-reach-Russia-2018-semifinals

Goke7:
that due process has always been on paper, no coach be it foreign or local especially keshi has ever followed that hell of a due process. You can't help someone to do the job you paid him for. All the technical committee members are bloody hypocrites, you think a victor Ikpeba or a muitu will submit his list of players to a kangaroo committee if they were the coach?

He shouldn't have signed the contract if he knew he doesn't want to defend his list in front of a kangaroo committee.
By the way, that kangaroo committee interviewed and put a seal on his appointment. Without their signing off on his appointment, he wouldn't have been coach of Nigeria.

forgiveness:
Is the technical Committee not part of NFF, his employer?

The due process in the contract Rohr signed was that he will submit his list to the technical committee for vetting and defend his list in a press conference. Without checks and balances the system will crumble.

Joebie:
Musa has been a regular in Bulgaria. He has even been fielded at LB as well. if Musa was given that chance Aina got it would have been history o. It seems we have forgotten too early Musa had made his debut for Nigeria before that Atletico match. How did he perform?
Rohr dropped him for a single reason — lack of game time at his club. Now he’s got many minutes under his belt. Leta see if he will make the cut in Istanbul next season.

He played very well on his debut against Tanzania. Rohr was in awe of his performance on the day. I think it was Rohr's first game in charge.
The kid is very good, forget about the bad contract he signed in Turkey. He had options to transfer to Athletico Madrid but bad advisers derailed that move.

Mujtahida:
I strongly doubt Ebuehi ever said that. Only his agent said he (Ebuehi ) was not yet ready for international football and would like to focus on his club. How can a player, even a whack player say that he's not good enough for international football. Abeg show me the link from where you got the bolded

“I don’t think I’m there yet, there is still a lot to improve in my game.Defensively I have improved a lot but I need the offensive discipline of modern full backs. I have to work on that. I’m sometimes afraid to go forward. “I am working every day to improve that aspect of my game. For example I have been working on my crosses,” Ebuehi told his club’s official website.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/ebuehi-im-not-ripe-super-eagles-yet/

Hopefully the team's video analyst is doing his job. I re watched the game against England this evening and to be honest, Mikel Obi looked heavy, the guy was immobile and he let players go through him on multiple occasions when England attacked from corner kicks.

England nearly scored a 3rd goal when he was out jumped by Stones in the second half while the first goal was due to poor man marking between him and Ekong.

Looks like Rohr has set up the team to defend set pieces using the zonal marking method. The problem with zone marking is that if one player slacks in his duty, the cookie could crumble. No 2nd chances

tbaba1234:
Musa has better natural ability but poorly schooled especially defensively. I doubt Musa can play in a top league as he plays right now. Aina is better schooled but also has defensive frailties.

With Musa's natural ability, I imagine he would have improved just like Ebuehi did. I recall Ebuehi saying initially in his early days he wasnt good enough yet for international football.
Aina with all the resources invested in him by Nigeria yet, couldn't acquaint himself. Had Musa been given equal opportunities like Aina and Ebuehi, he would have been ready because the ability is undeniable.

tbaba1234:
I do not think either of them is ready for international football.

why?

forgiveness:
What stops him from playing in popular league if his quality is undeniable?

Oh! Popular leagues are childish and very hipster the manner they put glass ceiling on a very good player like Musa Mohammed for mediocre players.

Welldone sir.

The bolded is a very poor line of thought. We all know the kind of clubs who came calling for Musa but due to poor management and selfishness he found himself in Istanbul.
I mean, even in a match rusty state against Tanzania, Mo' Musa was Aina 3.0. This is a testament to his natural ability.
Aina maybe a good player, but he's definitely not ready for International football.

isan:
Yaya toure on guardiola

Pep Guardiola is not an angel but Yaya Toure is a temperamental egomaniac.It’s really reaching to try to get us to believe that Pep was so obsessed with a squad player this season, which is all that Yaya was and that’s being generous.
At 34, he must be whacked out of his mind to think he will walk into a top team's first 11.

forgiveness:
Musa Mohammed wey no fit make bench for Turkish league and ordinary Bulgarian league na em dey far more talented?

Somebody wey don dey win MOTM awards in his first full season, na em no get talent?

I can tell you Ebuehi is not better than Ehizibue but na wetin you see you wan see.

I don't care if he is in Turkey or Bulgaria, the bottom line is that he has played extremely well for Nigeria whenever he is called upon. His impact against Tanzania and Athletico is far more memorable than anything Aina has offered.
Its becoming childish and very hipster the manner people put a glass ceiling on a good player because he doesn't play play in a popular league, even when the quality is undeniable.

Sainty92:
Germany leaves out Leroy Sane from final 23man squad..... Na wa oo. U sure say Joachim Low no smoke weed?

This is a head scratching one. Only Loew can explain this, although In some cases there might even be a bit of politics involved in selection of players. For instance, former French manager, Raymond Domenech famously used horoscope/zodiac sign to choose players.

Watching the the Premiership and gushing at how brilliant Sane has been (and he was) but if Low doesn’t feel that he can blend with what he wants he will pick the final players that he feels will deliver for him (he will point to his trophies as justification for his selection).

Although managers are not always right, case in study Klopp, preferred signing Julian Brandt while the Liverpool committee wanted Salah. We know how it turned out in the end.

Kog45:
Spot on Aina didn't take his chance

Musa Mohammed as captain against Atletico has nothing to do with any special interest from managers cos he already had his cap with eagles,so naturally he is the leader.

Musa Mohammed better than Aina,well your opinion just like your opinion on Osas Okoro as the best Nigeria RB.

Oh Aina London born,this should not be an issue in analysing his performance.

The young man can still come good with his age cos have watched him as RB and is cool,technically gifted as a player.

I know I hit a nerve whenever someone mentions Osas. It is simple psychology and I didnt expect any less hence, I added "controversial opinion" as a prefix in my initial post.
Truth is that Aina was given chances and he failed. One of the reasons people praised Aina was his versatility to play on either flanks but I am surprised same fans are saying he wasn't given a chance on his preferred position.
Why was he sold as being able to play on either flanks the first place?

If you like, talk about Osas and his grand father it wouldn't change my opinion that Aina is not a good fit and guys like Stanley Amuzie at Sampdoria would have done better if given equal opportunity accorded to Aina.
At right back, Musa Mohammed, Tyronne Ebuehi and Nura Mohammed are far more talented than Aina and they will certainly have a big say in the future of that position for Ngr.
It is time Aina's fans start adjusting to the realities of the future.

elyte89:
Dem no rest at all?

YOu dont deserve to rest after playing badly and loosing. Alex Ferguson will make you work so hard the n2xt day after loosing that players were terrified to loose knowing the punishment that came the following day.

MetalJigsaw:
Super Eagles’ Midfield Problems And Five Other Takeaways From Defeat To England
June 3, 2018 1:30 pm


Following the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to England in Saturday’s friendly at Wembley Stadium, C ompletesportsnigeria.com ‘s JAMES AGBEREBI makes his observations from the game…


– POOR COMMUNICATION ON THE PART OF THE SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS
One very important aspect in football is communication among teammates. But against England, the Super Eagles players showed they need to learn a lot in that aspect.
On two occasions the Super Eagles players clashed heads against each other which could have been disastrous.
In the first half, Leon Balogun collided with Joel Obi in a needless head collision which could have been costly.
And in the second half, Kenneth Omeruo and Oghenekaro Etebo had a clash of heads.
This is one area the players must address before going to the World Cup because failure to do so will spell doom for the Super Eagles.


– SUPER EAGLES FAILURE TO DEAL WITH SET PIECES
It is evident the Super Eagles have not come to grips when it comes to dealing with set pieces.
Aside from Gary Cahill’s header which broke the deadlock, England went close on different occasions.
Eric Dier, Marcus Rashford and Kevin Trippier went close for England but were unlucky not to hit target.
The Super Eagles technical crew must look into this area if not it would be exploited by smart teams at the World Cup.


– POOR START BY THE SUPER EAGLES
If there is one thing the Super Eagles must look at critically, it is the issue of starting poor in games.
Their shaky start led to England taking an early lead which also led to the second goal.
Though they bounced back in the second half, they cannot afford to do that at the World Cup or else their opponents would have been out of sight by the time the Eagles wake up.


– MIDFIELD ISSUE
The Super Eagles struggled in the first half because the midfield did not click.
The midfield trio of Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi and Joel Obi could not contain the England midfield.
Due to their struggle, the forwards were starved of any meaningful supplies while the defence was under constant pressure as a result of lack of protection.
The absence of Wilfred Ndidi was felt as Onazi and Joel Obi failed to mark runners which worried the Eagles back line.
The second half response by Gernot Rohr brought sanity in the midfield which led to an improved performance.


– FRANCIS UZOHO KEEPS IMPROVING
Though he could be blamed for Harry Kane’s goal, Francis Uzoho showed he is learning fast.
He made some good saves and did well enough to come out and either catch or punch away dangerous crosses, making use of his tall frame.
The friendly game against Czech Republic on Wednesday is another opportunity for him to show he is ready for the World Cup.


– GERNOT ROHR’S RESPONSE IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
It was obvious the Super Eagles struggled in the first half which saw England deservedly go 2-0 up.
The likes of Shehu Abdullahi, Ogenyi Onazi, Joel Obi were poor in the first half which led to the poor first half display.
But before the start of the second half, Rohr brought in John Ogu, Oghenekaro Etebo, Tyronne Ebuehi and Kenneth Omeruo which totally changed the complexion of the game.

This is a clear indication that Rohr reads the game very well and knows when to make changes.



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/super-eagles-midfield-problems-and-five-other-takeaways-from-defeat-to-england/

Sentiments won't kill Nigerian fans. They nearly put me to death last night for blaming Uzoho for the second goal.

forgiveness:
He played the RB position mostly this season and that's best position.

I hope he is given the chance to prove himself in that his natural role after the world cup.

Unlike, Ebuehi who was played in his best position.



No 1. Ola Aina

No 2. Tyronne Ebuehi

Whoscored comparison

Controversial opinion, but honestly speaking Aina doesn't look to me a solid player. Even while he played LB, he never made daring runs that suggests he has it in him to offer something extra. He made a dogs dinner out of the chances given to him.
After the the world cup, he has a big fight to claim either of the fullback roles in the team because certainly, Usman Mohammed will come back to fight out the RB spot with Ebuehi.
The confidence of the team managers to hand him the captains band against Athletico and the yoe man's job he did in that game suggests to me that he is the guy Ebuehi will contend with. I dont care how anyone feels about it but Aina doesnt hold a candle light to Usman Mohammed, expect of course we want to be economic with the truth and common sense flies out of the window because Aina is London born.

andrew444:
Bros shehu should not near the midfield,he can do that at bursaspor not eagles,we have etebo and ogu.

If ebuehi is similar to Alonso does Ado den hag his club side play with a wing back ?

Ogu brought balance to the back 3 playing the left CB lasy night, going forward, this should be his position.
I don't know, but it appears Rohr have programmed the minds of Nigerians not to be daring when analyzing this team. Shehu was about the best player in Cyprus playing as a Dm and that form continued in Turkey but somehow, people dont want him tried in that position even when you have a fumbling Joel and a the fat guy. I dont get it.

Cross section of England fans talking about the game.

andrew444:
You no go give up on shehu abi upon all the proove?

Shehu starts ahead of him in shehu comfortable position yet Ashley young dey claim Messi with shehu and the wing dey leak,I tire for naija people,and mind you I am not saying shehu is not a good player.

I'm just stating a fact. Some players adapt better to some formations than others.
Ebuehi is similar to Marco Alonso. These guys are made for the wing back role in a 3-5-2 formation more than a flat back 4.
And for the record, I have always wanted Shehu to be tried in midfield where I think he will be better than Onazi and Joel.

Icon4s:
OK, I see

If I was Pinnick, Rohr will be answering a querry this morning on why he started Moses after one light work out with the team,when you have other players who have trained with the team for over 2 weeks.
Moses could have picked up an injury for this rush job.

Icon4s:
I am sure if Rohr had done what you just suggested you will still be among those that will question why Rohr started Musa ahead of Moses. Why didn't you make the suggestion before the match?


We are always quick to provide alternatives after the did is done.

I practice what I preach. I dont believe in after thoughts as you can see for yourself

Good decision to drop Aina, the guy is a very ordinary player. Wish Rohr was this ruthless with other under performing players in the team.

It was football malpractice by Rohr to start Moses last night after just one training session with the team. Musa should have started while Moses came in to see out the game in the last 15-20 mins. That is how professionals work.