₦airaland Forum

realpoacher:
Easier said than done

Honestly, the last time Nigeria's performance got at me was at France 98.

There is no disappointment I can receive from this team that I have not received before.

See, I remain highly positive about our win tomorrow. But if we don't win, so? We look forward to the future. That is the mindset I use to watch football these days. I don't weep over defeats anymore.

TheSuperNerd:
In his very short reign, I think 3 goals or even four scored against oppositions from set pieces is enough. We were more dangerous from set pieces under Oliseh. I also recall when he harped on this aspect of the game in interviews. The improvement was deliberate and not coincidental. They really were working on it before he used his own hands to spoil his good work through controversies and poor player management.

Under Rohr, we have only scored two... One from a direct free kick and one from a dummy corner. None from an indirect free kick, not even against African opposition.

TheSuperNerd, that is a hasty conclusion.

somehow:
Come tomorrow, i ain't putting my heart into it. Don't want to develop health issues.

Praying i can stay away from the match without my heart and emotion.

Double post

somehow:
Come tomorrow, i ain't putting my heart into it. Don't want to develop health issues.

Praying i can stay away from the match without my heart and emotion.

Does life end if we lose the game?
Will football end if we lose the game?
Did you place a huge bet with the game?
Will you lose your job if we lose the game?

If "No" is the answer to all the questions raised above why develop health issues over it.

Remember FOOTBALL IS JUST A GAME.

TheSuperNerd:
They also scored from Indirect free kicks against Cameroon and yes, Swaziland. Not Simon's direct free kick but the second goal.

And as I said, Oliseh's reign was short and laden with controversies. There was no way he was gonna face Euro oppositions. Even at that, we scored a couple from set-pieces.

We have never scored from an indirect free kick against African opposition under Rohr. From a cornerkick, we have only converted once under Rohr and it was a dummy corner even against Cameroon. Also, Iheanacho is the only guy to have scored a free kick under Rohr. Simon got his under Oliseh.
The fact is we have gone from improving a bit to being less dangerous from set pieces. We have to work on that going forward to multiply our weapons of attack and chances of winning games. Sometimes, the difference can be a header from an indirect free kick or a corner.

That is not enough premise to conclude that Oliseh improved the team in set pieces convention and defending.

TheSuperNerd:
Under Oliseh as a coach. It was a short tumultuous reign but I have to credit him for at least improving a bit on our ability to score from set pieces. We scored quite a few under him.

We didn't notice that weakness in Rohr's team until we played European oppositions. Which European oppositions did Oliseh face?

The only set piece I can remember Oliseh's team scored was Simon's direct free kick against Swaziland.

elyte89:
We av been waiting patiently for d real super eagles since d friendly after Serbia

Av we been fielding flying eagles against opponents


Meanwhile, am awaiting another TITLE

You can even wait patiently for the real World Cup to start.

TheSuperNerd:
Oh okay... I thought you actually were talking defensively. On this, you are right. Offensively we do not usually have a player attacking the far post to try knock or head the ball back in across goal. Hope we can bring that to the table with time. Honestly, this set-piece thing is something we really gotta work on even after Russia. The whole of Africa have been seriously exposed by it. I recall we were pretty decent at attacking set pieces under Oliseh but looks like we are back to zero level in that dept.

Under Oliseh as a player or as a coach?

Which tactically gifted team did we play under Oliseh as a coach?

goldfish80:
I think it's time people put their money where their mouth is. No be only to draw fantasy formations up and down. See this Benin prophet is claiming he can make the Super Eagles win the world cup with just a token of 750k for himself and prayer warriors.
Why don't we contribute the money then arrest him with SARS if the prophecy goes south.
Win, win for everyone


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRL6rGwnxhc

Mtcheeew.

BascoVanVeli:
No but they lost none the less. Seems u are looking for an argument or something but I could care less TBH. If u like say I prefer Gabriel over Iheanacho that one na your business.

I won't be surprised if you come up and say you prefer Okpotu to Ronaldo. Hahaha

mank1234:
Against Argentina, at some point we sat deep. Discipline, determination and focus is the key.

That was when we conceded those 2 goals. immediately we started playing we started scoring. Argentina hardly threatened in that second half.

We are not that type of team that can soak up pressure for long. If we don't concede from open play a simple set piece will open us up.

Humility017:
and the top class coach who knew mikel better than even rohr...just faulted rohr use of mikel as AM for the super eagles....

oga please dont be rigid...be flexible alittle...
that it work for us to play mikel as an AM during the qualifers does not mean that it will work now in the world cup....
as the name implies this is the gathering of world best teams...so don't expect same easy ride we had against Africa oppositions.

So why do we prefer the onyinbo wall even despite conceding goals repeatedly with the duo especially in our recent games?

Because we want to be flexible let us start Awaziem and Omeruo at CB.

After all, we are playing in the WC and not the qualifiers.

isan:
Portugal and Uruguay didn't play but they get the job done morroco played they are going home

The kind of system we operate requires us to play to win.

Our defense cannot soak up pressure for long.

Kog45:
Thank you my sister, even here some of us got the starting lineup against Croatia perfectly.

Really?

Did anyone see Rohr starting Shehu ahead of Ebuehi?

Most also predicted Ogu to start.

MetalJigsaw:
Have u been smoking herbs?

Meaning what?

isan:
We rather not play and get the job done

You don't want to play yet you want to get the job done.

Humility017:
oga icon...are we still in the qualifiers...?
sometimes you make me fear and see you as a very conservative and analog kind of coach....

you have tried something and it is not working....common sense expect you to make changes....
you can't keep doing somethin same way and expect an improved results.....
it seems you are still in the euphoria of the world cup qualifers..... where we played weaklings.
now is the gathering of world best teams..

we have played mikel as AM for something now...but still.no results...so let's try iwobi there while mikel provide support from the CM role....
etebo or musa can be deployed to wings.....

It is your same kind of person that will be quick to jump and say "why didn't Rohr play Mikel where he has been playing before"?

You think players selection for the world cup is like what you do on your PES?

I don't think anyone here in time past has defended Iwobi's abilities as a central AM in the team like I have done.

Some people here have tipped Iheanacho and Etebo as being ahead of Iwobi in that AM role but I argued in favor of Iwobi as second best behind Mikel for that role.

Was it not here we agreed that Mikel has the best killer pass instinct in this whole team?

Let everybody say what ever they want to say. I am not everybody.

Rohr can chose to play Mikel at CM and Iwobi at AM. Or still play Iwobi at the Left or Right AM positions so be it. That doesn't make him analog. He knows the team better than anyone of us here.

Mujtahida:
did you see the comparison between mikel and modric? iwobi should be the one playing behind the strikers not Mikel

He was making comparisons between Mikel and Iwobi, you talking of Modric. Is Modric going to play for us?

isan:
We played against crotia what happened?

And so we rather not play against Iceland. When we need to fire from all cylinders to overturn our deficit?

isan:
I hope we allow Iceland to play and catch them on counter

No, we have to play.

Mujtahida:
habaaaaaaa, sir. so you still want mikel to play AM? has this thing not sunk in that Mikel has neither the lungs nor the legs to be our AM? lawd.

we have a winger in musa, etebo can also play there. please let iwobi play where he most fits. he is the nearest we have to a creative outlet in the team.
mikel can pair etebo, or ndidi or ogu as a deep lyinng playmaker.

mikel is a good no 6 but bad no 10- Mourinho

As if it is not the same Mikel that played AM during the qualifiers.

Note again that Iwobi is not being played as a winger but as a Left or Right Attacking Midfielder.

So if Rohr chooses to start Mikel as the Central AM where would you rather Iwobi plays?

Egypt and Saudi Arabia officially join Morocco in teams that have been eliminated

TheSuperNerd:
Like it would have been in 2010.

You get it.

We lost our first 2 games in 2010 but just needed to beat Korea, in our last game to go through.

Egypt will crash out today if Uruguay wins. But if Saudi wins Egypt are still alive

Mujtahida:
i didnt mention Musa. but even at that playing iwobi in the middle because Musa is not effective is cheating ourselves. maximise iwobi where he is most effective. we can manage with Musa on the wings

Meaning "just put Iwobi at the center" you don't care who plays from the wings.

Nobody is saying Iwobi is better at the wings than at the center but what do you make of Iwobi as Mikel is favorite to start from the AM position?

isan:
Saudi Arabia has completely outplayed Uruguay today

But no serious goals threat to show for it.

princfred:
Assuming thats true, how well did it work all the while during the friendlies? Wasn't that enough for him to know the players werent operating at their best?

Their game was very one-sided and predictable too -always to Moses on the right. Both Idowu ad Shehu never overlapping. Who wins a game like that?

As if we didn't play WC qualifiers before the friendlies.

Rohr played those 4 players you listed in their natural positions they have been playing for the Super Eagles even during friendlies.

Nothing like they being played our of positions.

Mujtahida:
Egypt is the first country out. this highlights the importance of winning your first match. i really fear for nigeria

Nope! Egypt would be out if Uruguay beats Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia wins Egypt are still in.


So officially the only country that have crashed out are still Morocco.

Losing your first two games does not always mean you have crashed out.

Sometimes 3points can be enough.

In the spirit of African Brother-hood, let's go support Saudi Arabia to beat Uruguay for Egypt.

princfred:
Moses plays best from 11 and 8 and momentarily drifts to 7 but was permanent on the right side during the last game.
Iwobi does best in the 8 role with chance to roam into the 18 yard box or into midfield to help play.
Etebo does better as 11 or attacking midfielder not 4.
Mikel plays 10 from where joins attack attack or doubles 4 so he can throw long passes not best in tge 8 position because his play style is not fast enough to be effective as main 8 role.
And everyone knows Tyrone is better than Shehu to overlapping LWB to help the attackers.

Am tempted to say Rohr sold that match given the number of errors as martialed above in that one match, but i won't.

Sir, the roles those 4 players played against Croatia are the typical roles they have been playing for the Super Eagles since the coming of Rohr.

And you forgot to describe how Etebo was played out of position.

BascoVanVeli:
A team that has lost twice going on three? BTW I was not debating just stating my opinion so u can state ur own if u want it is a free world.

Yes, as if the loses were against the Nigerian CHAN team and Mauritania. You go soon prefer Osas Okoro over Ebuehi.

Kog45:
Sir,3-4 years ago,pls add Omeruo,Echiejile,Onazi inclusive Musa save for Mikel and Moses who had good WC qualifiers.

The comparison is between Musa's effectiveness as a winger compared to Iwobi's effectiveness in that same position.

Icon79:
Nerdie, that's the problem! These North Africans tend to up their game when they meet African oppositions, but they always get intimidated when they get to the world stage. I mean, you know as well as I do that Ghana would've gotten a result against Uruguay and would've, most likely, beaten Russia. There's nothing special about Russia. Watch them collapse against Uruguay in the next game.


O pari

They do well on the African soil because they are typically more organized and more motivated.

While teams from West Africa would have fired their coaches after a previous tournament, they will stay for months without a Substantive coach and then employ a local caretaker coach until when qualifiers are barely weeks away.

But meanwhile the North Africans would have put their houses in order early enough and kick start preparations.

They usually start the qualifiers flying while we from West Africa would have gotten one or two bad results first before struggling to come back and by then the damage would have been done already.