₦airaland Forum

BascoVanVeli:
Ur question should be which game did Pelegrini play him as a lone striker?

YOu just want to add a chaos factor.
Quote me when you're ready to make a contribution.

TheGoodJoe:
Same way people said Mikel Obi was doing nothing to prove them wrong.

Mikel never played for Chelsea U20s .

TheGoodJoe:
You mean the same court that declared Mikel Obi guilty on all charges. I will listen to masters like Pellegrini and Hiddink before listening to their crap judgment.

So far, Kelechi is doing nothing positive to prove them wrong .

TheGoodJoe:
"And the current manager Pep Guardiola, a massive thank you to you for helping me grow and learn so much. I will remain grateful to you because you are a top coach and I'm happy working with you."... Kelechi Iheanacho

As long as Kelechi Iheanacho keeps working hard, the knowledge he learnt from Guardiola will help mold him into a top quality player. Glad to hear the young man is still working hard.

And the church says Amen!

TheGoodJoe:
Who decides if Pellegrini made a wrong call, you?

You guys make it look as if Kelechi Iheanacho never played pro football, let alone become one of the stars and key players of the Super Eagles.

The court of public opinion is a very powerful one. Kelechi is not playing in a mushroom where nobody observes him.
People actually pay money in form of season tickets and cable tv subscriptions to watch him play.
Kelechi didn't invent football , he will be judged like other footballers

TheGoodJoe:
Keep claiming to know more than a true master of the game.

The taste of the pudding is in the eating. He may be a fine manager, but he made the wrong call on Kelechi.

BascoVanVeli:
If any it was Pep. Pelegrini openly told reporters that Iheanacho was a 10 not a 9.

Which game(s) did Pelegrini play him as a no10? I have Internet facility, I'd like to verify your claims.

TheGoodJoe:
That is your opinion. Not a fact. You were not on the training pitch with them to know coaching out. Just as your under development talk.

The fact is that Pellegrini knows more about coaching and grooming a player than you. Under him, Iheanacho broke into the Super Eagles. Iheanacho became a known player. Your preference is not a benchmark for developing players over the ideas of one of the Masters of the game.

I don't have to be there on the training pitch. We saw him every match day.
We saw a guy who cannot outpace his markers, struggles to beat his man, poor first touch, poor with his back to goal, lack of aerial dominance, constantly isolated, poor footwork.... I can go on.

Some of us have the nerves to question the status quo.
Pelegrin's opinion is not bible.

TheGoodJoe:
The position he played most does not change the fact he can play multiple roles. My problem is with bias critics saying Iheanacho can not play as a striker. It is a blatant lie. Another is that ten is a natural role. In today's game, it is not like that. Sterling has played on the left, right, behind the striker and as a top striker.

Where he plays regularly does not mean he can not play other places.

Finito.

Functioning in multiple roles is the hallmark of a great player but Kelechi was made to play in a rigid front role.
His game which brought him to limelight was about creativity, shot accuracy, soft skills and intelligence.

CIty concentrated on his shooting because they needed results. The other aspect of his were left under developed.
This is why we have a player who don't have a defined role.
He's neither a striker, not a midfielder, nor a winger.
MAN city coached many things out of him in desperation for points.

TheGoodJoe:
Iheanacho is a forward and can play multiple roles in the forward including as a creative midfielder.

AGREED. So tell us, which position did he play mostly fof Man city?

While at it, you may like to take a loom at this link. They are roasting your boy. Go defend him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdLcDiejZb0/

BascoVanVeli:
U said Pelegrini changed his position but Pelegrini made it know that he was not a striker.

Who converted him to a striker?
a) Guardiola
b) Pelegrini
c) Christian Chukwu

eazyjakes:
He didn't had to sit on d bench for anyone.....dey cud loaned him to a club dat can accommodate him in his natural role dan convert him to a striker.....imagine converting bernado Silva to a center forward cos he can't displace Silva,gundogan,de bruyne or toure!

You're a football man. You deserve a drink.

BascoVanVeli:
Im sorry but this amounts to talking trash. The man sent out so many good players just for Nacho. He selected him over Nasri in the champions league. The man even made it known that Nacho was not a striker so were is all this coming from?

I believe you're quoting the wrong person. I'm of the opinion he was never a striker

TheGoodJoe:
Pellegrini left Nacho as one of the most promising strikers in the game. What a definition of obscurity.

He used Kelechi to get results. If he had his career interest at heart, he would have developed him in his natural position.
We now have a player who struggle with basics.

TheGoodJoe:
Another person who knows more than Pellegrini. A master of the game.

A Master who coached Kelechi into obscurity.

forgiveness:
That is just the simple truth hard for people to swallow here.

Iheanacho needs to be reverted to his natural position and starts playing regularly but I don't think he can achieve that at his current club except a miracle happens.

Hence, he needs to go to where he can play regularly in that role and become our Griezman but na passport dey worri am pass.

I don't think anyone will get Kelechi and reconvert him to a Wing forward or ATM.
The world now see him as a striker. His body morphology have changed so much to suit his new role.
He has no other option than to improve as a striker. Judging from what we have witnessed so far, it is very easy to see his celine.
Man city and Pelegrini really disfigured a promising career.

forgiveness:
None of the three strikers in the team can lace Martin's shoe. No offense.

why are they scared of Martins? I dont get it anymore.

komekn:
In the January window managers are looking for in form strikers who will bring what they are looking for goals.

I stand to be corrected but I can not see many EPL teams signing KC or Musa to lead thier attack. Considering thier current form.

Thier best chance of a loan move will be the Championship or another European league.

Promotion chasers in the championship can take a punt on them.
Hull, Aston villa, Fulham and clubs like that can guarantee them good playing time.

They cannot start for any other Epl team and Kelechi wants that passport so bad. Championship could offer an interesting solution.

forgiveness:
I was the first person to blow alarm three seasons ago that Solanke is a far better player than Kelechi but people don't know why I said so.

I studied both players and I discovered Kelechi relied on tap in to score goals while Solanke will take on 2 or 3 players before he scores.

This study took me days, weeks and some months to make my conclusion.

Now, today Solanke is on the ascendary while Iheanacho is going down. Why?

Because Manchester City didn't believe Iheanacho talent lays behind a striker hence the need to convert him to a striker.

That was the biggest mistake of his life though not his fault.

Rohr self could see for himself Iheanacho is not a striker hence the need to play him on the RW and later as false 9.

People shouting upandon about him here are of no good to his career. They are his biggest enemies.

If his club wants him to stay, he had better stay than roam around clubs he is not sure of getting a start but if they want to sell him, France is better because he no go smell bench for German. I don't like the league for Nigerian young players.

THe boy is not a striker. Manu Garba screamed his head off , pointing this out. The man who discovered him in Owerri said the same thing.
These guys molded Kelechi, they know more about him than anyone else.

forgiveness:
If Kelechi was playing I don't think Musa will have it easy with some folks here.

However, it's only in Nigeria an U23 player and bench warmers are starters.


No wonder we don fail to qualify for AFCON 3 good times and we are still struggling to qualify next year.

Poor Musa, bless him. He would have been flushed down the toilet here if Kelechi wasn't having it rough.

All animals aren't treated equally on this thread apparently.

You're guilty of this as well. You're not any different from them when your FBs are mentioned.

safarigirl:
hahahaha....I'm laughing at you right now

Algeria "could have scored three or four goals against us"..... You no dey even shame to talk am, instead of you to admit your folly and eat humble pie, you are still forming coulda woulda shoulda

Ha! You people are irredeemable.

Algeria could have won that game. Islam Slimani Yakubu'ed a glorious chance to seal the game, remember?
Rohr after the game complained about the teams inability to hold on to the ball.
That game wasn't our finest game in the series.

TheGoodJoe:
Tevez was one of the best players in South America and was strapped to the bench at West Ham United. Oliseh has told you Nacho improved and punched holes in your under development talk.

Finito.

If the improvements cannot help him break into Leicester city squad (he doesn't make the bench these days), then the pot holes in his development argument can swallow a molue bus.

TheGoodJoe:
Funny thinking if you believe a young player that is improving will walk into the starting line-up of Leicester City. That is like saying because Lingard is improving in Manchester United, he will walk into the starting line-up of Leicester City. I wonder how you guys come up with statements like this.

An improving youngster should be involved in more games than Kelechi have managed at Leicester one will think.

TheGoodJoe:
Not short term or long term. Nacho was up against two quality players. He is up against Jamie Vardy who is a respected hitman. Okazaki is good also. Mahrez and Gray are all good players. Give the young man time. The under development talk is not true.

But you claimed Kelechi was improving in some of your earlier posts. If he indeed improved as you claimed, dont you think he should make a light walk of this Leicester city side?

Icon4s:
Even encyclopedia cannot give you the answers to your question in the last paragraph.

Italy were not underdogs
But they were not among the pre-tournament favorites.

Nobody is saying we are going to win the WC.

And nothing wrong if some set a semi final target for us. Of course you know you set targets that are slightly above your reach but such that with hard work you can reach it.

We cannot be going into this world cup and be setting a 2nd round or q/final target. Something others have achieved a long time ago.

If we set a semifinal target and end up in the quarters good. We go with that and aim higher next time.

Please don't write this team off because some of the players play in less competitive leagues and some in the top leagues don't see playing time.

In my years of followership of the WC I have seen where teams that were written off emerge very strongly and teams loaded with world class players crumble.

If you've been monitoring my comments, you will know I stand up for players in less fancied leagues.
Jobie once said I liked mediocrity probably because I argue in favour of the less fancied league players. I have had strong arguments with tbaba1234 about my stance on the so called backwater leagues.

I prefer a guy in China or Turkey than a regional league or U23 league player.

Musa and Kelechi need serious kick on their backside. They must be made to understand they have to earn their place in the team.
They are too diplomatic with Leicester city for my liking. Kelechi and Musa should be leaking to the press their desire for more playing time.
Their agents should be leaking stories to the press to force Leicester city's hand.

Taking match rusty players to a fierce group of death like we find ourselves is a cause for serious worry.

It's like 100 metres in the Olympics, you cant expect a guy clocking 15 seconds,6 months to the games to medal.
Tbes guys need to start playing .

Match rusty players, playing as a team will never do well in a global event.

TheGoodJoe:
Manchester City's under development of Kelechi Iheanacho. Ye! We are talking of a boy who became a key player of the Super Eagles in a short time working under Manchester City. Haaaaa. Manchester City is competitive. Finish. Even a talented and experienced Nolito could not keep up with Sane.

Manchester City is the best thing that has happened to Iheanacho so far.

It appeared a success on the short term, on the long term, here we are......

tbaba1234:
Come on, Kelechi has been outstanding for Nigeria.

Both players still have some time to get the required sharpness before the WC.

As we have seen before, top league form does not guarantee a good world cup, the opposite also holds true.

Kelechi actually lost his starting position in the team to Ighalo after the loss to to South Africa. Odion would have started that friendly if he was fit . By the way, Kelechi started that game in Algiers, why haven't anyone mentioned how poor he was on the night?


I have been screaming my head off about Mancity's under development of Kelechi, even when his numbers were good. I saw through his performance. Not everyone understood what I was pointing at till last season and this current season.
Converting him to a striker was the worst thing to happen to his career. Even if he was to make the conversion, it shouldn't have been this early in his career.

realpoacher:
CC goldfish80
Olorioko
Forgiveness

It is obvious what your intentions are for the SE. All your criticisms is not for the growth of the SE rather it is because you truly hate the team especially because your players are not always selected, so you truly pray for our downfall so that you can laugh at us.

If the 3 of you deny my accusations, prove me wrong by showing me anywhere on this thread where you wished the SE success in any of our matches in the past?

Everytime before any game during the qualifiers, you all will wish us badluck only for these same players you so hate and write off to enter into the pitch and win, not just winning but performing and winning excellently well. But none of you guys will ever comeback after the match to congratulate the team for performing far above your expectations or predictions, rather you all will disappear for awhile only to reappear after the dust have settled to continue to castigate the players and predict doom to the team as a whole.

I am referring to @forgiveness, @mickeal2, @komern and others listed earlier on especially.

But going into the crux of my post. I want you all to know this!

- WHETHER OR NOT ALL OUR PLAYERS WHO PLAYED OUR QUALIFIERS ARE BENCE WARMERS WITH SEAT BELTS IN THEIR CLUBS, THEY WILL STILL GO TO THE WORLD CUP. FACT!

- UNDER ROHR, WE QUALIFIED FOR THE WORLD CUP WITH THESE SET OF PLAYERS YOU ALL SO HATE DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE COULDN'T QUALIFY FOR TWO NATIONS CUP BACK UNDER THREE DIFFERENT COACHES, THEREFORE THESE SAME SET OF PLAYERS WHO MADE OUR WORLD CUP JAMBOREE POSSIBLE WILL BE THERE, ATLEAST 80% OF THEM WILL BE LIVE IN RUSSIA INCLUDING IHEANACHO. IF YOU LIKE CHOKE ON IT.

- THE ERA OF CHANGING THE TEAM UNDER THE DISGUISE OF "LOOKING FOR BETTER PLAYERS" IS GONE. IF YOU WANT TO Be PLAYED AT THE TOURNAMENT PROPER, FIGHT TO BE WITH THE TEAM DURING QUALIFIERS BECAUSE AFTER QUALIFICATION, YOUR CHANCES OF MAKING THE TEAM DROPS TO 20% EXCEPT OFCOURSE YOU ARE PLAYING IN THE MOON.

- THESE CURRENT BOYS KEPT FAITH WITH THE TEAM, PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT, DELIVERERD DURING THE QUALIFIERS, AND THEREFORE DESERVE TO BE ON THE PLANE TO RUSSIA. EVEN IF WE LOSE OUT IN THE GROUP STAGE(GOD FORBID), SO BE IT!

- NOT TOO LONG AGO, ALGERIA WAS NO1 IN AFRICA, CAMEROUN WON THE NATIONS CUP AND PLAYED IN THE CONFEREDATIONS CUP. THESE WERE THE TEAMS ROHR AND HIS BOYS WERE PAIRED AGAINST WITH. NO ONE GIVE THEM A CHANCE, YET THEY QUALIFIED WITH A RECORD. THAT IN ITSELF IS A HISTORY! AN HISTORY THEY ARE GOING WITH TO WORLD CUP. WE WILL NOT GO TO RUSSIA WITH PLAYERS WHO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW WE GOT THERE! THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN

- ROHR HAS SAID ONLY 4 PLAYERS ARE WHAT HE NEEDS TO BEEF UP HIS TEAM, FIGHT FOR YOUR PLAYERS TO BE AMONG THE FOUR AND LEVEL IHEANACHO ALONE!

Iheanacho this, Iheanacho that, the same Iheanacho that was not getting playing time but kept on scoring everytime he wore our shirt, to the point he scored a beautiful free kick against Argentina ranked 4th in the world.

I dare you all Iheanacho enemies and haters to name one player in the history of Nigeria football that has ever scored a free-kick against a top 10 ranking team whether in a competition, friendly, 5-aside, Sunday set or in training match!

I dare you all to name just that one player who has ever scored a direct free-kick like that. Either you name that player or you keep mute and forever hold your peace!

The five of you that I mentioned are not fans, you are agents seeking to do an "uchebo" on us. It will not work. No matter how fans criticise their team, they will celebrate whenever the same team wins a match. Never have there been any time any one of you guys celebrate the SE for winning any game here. All you do is to go "ghost mode" for a while only to jump back in castigating players. Or you think many here haven't noticed your pattern of comments?

SMH

So long as chicharito was on seat belt in both Man U & Real Madrid but still commanded first team shirt in Mexico, IHEANACHO WILL GO TO THE WORLD CUP!

Haters choke on it

You're the real enemy of the team since youre happy and satisfied with the situation most of our reliable players find themselves.

You claim to be a fan of the team but it doesnt agitate your mind that our attacking players have managed to score just 6 goals collectively in the first half of a season preceding the world cup.

Sometimes I wonder what have happened to the African youth. Why is the African youth incapable of questioning the status quo? This is the reason the older older generation believe the youths are not ready to take over.

Is it so hard to look at international best practices and demand same for your your country?

This impoverished thought as exhibited by this writer is the reason why the world view Africans as people with relatively lower IQ than the rest of the world .

Unbelievable. This is a world record!

tbaba1234:
As a team, they over-performed..

Senegal were still an emerging force on the continent.

Did they have reserve league players in that team who turned them into an emerging force in Africa? ?
Analyze their players individually and tell me if you can find players in footballing purgatory, like Kelechi and Musa.

FabioPeter:
Romero is the first choice goalie for Argentina, Okazaki is a starter with Japan, Batshuayi will play a part just like Iheanacho does for SE.

Lately, having a starting spot at club level has been a criteria for first team spot with SE. in our last competitive qualifiers that was the criteria.

ROberto Martinez is under serious pressure to drop Batshuayi. I hear they are proffering a 2 season loan deal out of Chelsea for him. However, if his present predicament continues, its a certainty he wont be going to the world cup.

Romeo is a goalkeeper, they are not judged with the same parameters as outfield players. Mind you, Romeo have been in the Argentine squad for more than 10 years.
The team have been comfortable with him since 2006

tbaba1234:
Francophone countries have always had the majority of their players playing in France. It is nothing new.

Nothing Senegal did in that WC could have been predicted.

The same goes for other teams mentioned.

No one expected Ghana to be half as good.

Costa rica in Brazil was made up of average players.

Before the WC, none of those teams were expected to do well.

You still dont get it.You think I'm talking about world class class player.
For goodness sake, I'm talking about performing players.
That Teranga lions team had lots of performing players who bossed the French league 1.

Diouf, Coly were bossing it at Rc Lens, Tony Sylva at Lille, Fadiga at Bordeaux name them.... these guys were important players for their clubs prior to the world cup