₦airaland Forum

tbaba1234:
Generally, we have defended quite well in the last few friendlies but we have struggled with making the transition from defence to attack. That is the first improvement i want to see. I also want to see better midfield control.

A narrow win, a draw or even a narrow loss is ok as long as the improvements are obvious. Beating England in Wembley will be hard. Southgate has made them more defensively sound. I expect the team to play with a lot of determination because we will be put under pressure especially if we manage to score first.

I do not necessarily want us to trounce England because i do not want the players to get carried away. It is still a friendly. A narrow win will serve a good confidence boosting purpose.

Your 1st paragraph is a very valid observation.
Hopefully with Mikel playing behind the forwards in the AM role we'll see a better transition today.

I also expect us to be more on the back foot for most of the game.
And so the mental strength of our defense would be tested today. It will also be a good test for our goalkeeping department.

safarigirl:
Aina will die on that pitch tomorrow. He will not miss a chance to show England what they missed out on, if I were Rohr, I would start him

This is the match he will give his best, if he still plays rubbish against England, then mans issa lost cause. Rohr can drop him straight

No point. Aina had his chances.

I prefer Rohr starts our Starting 11. Rohr should be almost done with his experiments by now. Time to gel the starters together. No much time again.

Icon79:
This Croatian team is concentrating 100% of their attention on Nigeria. I won't be surprised if they have someone sleeping at the Super Eagles camp sef. Are they forgetting that they can beat us and still NOT qualify? Are they forgetting that they lost to Iceland in the Euro qualifiers?? And would lose to them again in Russia if they don't pay attention!

This their obsession with Nigeria is becoming a little annoying


O pari

You think so because you only get to hear about what they say about Nigeria.

Martz101:
bros thought you said such strike partner can't work in the morning?

You need a creative partner that can fall deep. And that was Kanu.

BOOMnaija:
One weird thought just crossed my mind...

Imagine simi nwankwo and sadiq umar double striking for nigeria someday.

Just like when Kanu and Kluivert spare headed the Ajax attack of 1995.

Joebie:
He scored a hart-trick in training from the left wing, just as VicMo a RW can also do well from the left. Iheanacho can deliver that cross from the left when needed. I don’t know if u played the game sir, but do u think good strikers can convert headers from the left and right with the same ease?

When a player plays on the LW, he does crosses more easily with his left leg but aims at the post more easily with his right. And reverse is the case when he plays from the Right where he crosses more easily with the right and aims at the goal more easily with his left.

WE ALL KNOW IHEANACHO IS A NATURALLY LEFT FOOTED PLAYER.

In fact I cannot recall any competitive game that he scored with his Right foot or from the left wing.

He may have done that in training. Aside this info you got from training show me which goal he scored from the LW or with his Right foot.

My exact words are "Iheanacho is more lethal when played from the RW". And that remains my point.

Talking about heading when the ball is crossed from left or right. It doesn't really matter much where the ball is crossed from. What matter more are the trajectory of the ball, the awareness of the striker about: where the post is, how to out smart his marker, and also how to out smart the goalie, not forgetting also how to remain on side.

Joebie:
you mean switching positions?

Yeah.Iheanacho is more lethal when played from the Right wing.

Joebie:
Depending on the run of play and if Awaziem is fit, this will be my line up for first half, and after substitutions for England friendly:

I like your first line up.

However, for the second, please swap Iheanacho with Moses.

Tega9999:
Am confused i've seen 5pm, 5:15pm ,and 6pm.what's the time for the Nigeria game tomorrow?

5:15pm Nigerian Time.

Mujtahida:
Thank God you said professional. Professional no be machine. Na flesh and blood. Professionals get tired and wane as the game progresses. So if you be coach and your player don tire you no go sub am. You will say to yourself 'let him play jare, na professional him be'.

You will now keep Iwobi on the bench dey wait make Mikel tire.

What if Mikel doesn't get tired, Iwobi will not play in Russia?

Martz101:
and if Mikel refuse to get tired then he remains on the bench lol

Na so o

Mujtahida:
And when Mikel is tired and subbed be ready for a midfield collapse because even bringing in Musa and Iwobi drifting into the middle will not save us cos Iwobi go don tire.

All this tired tired talk, na you want make them tire? Hahaha.

Oga, these boys are professionals.

Kog45:
If i get Humidity right Simy providing cover mean a good sub for Ighalo.

OK. Thanks.

Because a player providing cover for another player also means covering space behind a player when he makes a forward run.

Humility017:
Meaning Iwobi can be played too as SS besides nancho?
while Simmy provide cover for Ighalo

Iwobi can also play SS.

And what do you mean by Simy providing cover for Ighalo.

Iwobi is such a utility player. A gift to this team. I wonder when people say he should sit on the bench and wait for Mikel to get tired.

Mujtahida:
To me it's not whether he is more effective than the other wingers and in fact I consider Simon better than him. My point is that I see him having potential to be far more effective playing from the middle.

Who doesn't know he is better from the middle?

But Mikel is there at the middle so what becomes of Iwobi? Relegate him to the bench?

I don't know if you have read Matz101's analysis of how Arsenal plays the 4-2-3-1 with Iwobi, Ozil, Mikhi

Martz101:
when you guys keep saying iwobi is not good in the wings it makes me laugh

these same people will say we don't have a number 10, abeg does it mean iwobi don't have a wing??

The truth Is or else you play a 4-4-2 you actually don't really require a true winger that sill need to connect with the 2 forward.

we play 4-2-3-1 just like iwobi team arsenal, when you play that formation, the 3 guys behind the lone striker interchange at some time and also go forward to assist the long striker, they are not really wingers. in arsenal you will see players like Ozil,Mkhitaryan and iwobi playing there...they are all potential number 10 and non is a true winger.

Jose mourinho adopted that same style in chelsea playing the likes of Hazard,Willian and Oscar behind a striker, non is a true winger

This is a 5 star comment.

They would rather put Iwobi on the bench and wait for Mikel to get tired before bringing him in.

TheGoodJoe:
That is what Boss Icon4s is saying. You can play two center forwards but one of them has to offer mobility and creativity. So Iheanacho is the better option to pair one of the natural center forwards we have.

I don't know why this is difficult to accept or comprehend.

Martz101:
2 CF can play in a 4-4-2

Yes but not the kind of Ighalo and Simi kind of CFs.

Martz101:
I don't think he will be dropped, Etebo or Agu

Etebo is in Russia already.

Kog45:
This is our major problem we tend to discard player easily based on age even if he is still performing.

At 25 these guys are still young and if they can continue with good performance then they are good for 2022 WC.

They discard them when their experiences are needed most. And we begin all over again and be giving excuses of presenting a young and inexperienced team. Calling it a team for the future. That future way no dey ever reach .

Mujtahida:
Nobody runs away from this fact. It's a mute point. We are looking at effectiveness and the best position for him not whether he starts or not. Iwobi starting or not starting is not an issue for me particularly now that S. Moses is probably out of contention. The quality of his play is my concern. Till date you've not convinced me that Iwobi is effective on the wings. You just keep saying he is a starter. Starting is not gold. Effectiveness is. His career prospects, our WC prospects hinges not on whether he starts but on his effectiveness. No coach ever buys a player because he is a starter. Effectiveness is the premium quality coaches look for.

Once again proof to us that Iwobi is effective from the wings.

Which of the other wingers is more effective than Iwobi on the wings?

Besides, I don't think you have described Iwobi's AM abilities better than I have done here.

gamaliel9:
I am so happy Ndidi will not play against England....We need him fit for the main event...he has proved himself...he slots into the team easily...nothing to prove again

Not good news bro.

The WC is 13 days away and 15days to our first game. If he is not playing active football now it may likely affect his performance in the first game. That guy may have become match rusty by then.

If he doesn't feature in any of the friendlies I think he should not start our first game. He may be later introduced into the game depending on how the game is progressing. Or in our subsequent games.

Mujtahida:
Abeg, we can call it sentiments or whatever, for the life of me let Ogu taste WC abeg ooo. Na beg I dey beg. Mikel Agu is still young and can make 2022 cos after now both Ogu and Onazi will likely drop out of the SE set up and thus create space for him in the midfield.

I hope you know Onazi belong in the same Class(age grade) as likes of Omeruo, Shehu, Musa, Kayode and Ekong. So he may still be around for a couple of more years.

Mujtahida:
We are discussing the tactical formations posted by Joebie nawww.

No matter which tactical formation, Iwobi is a starter.

komekn:
Agreed

Lets face harsh reality we are not going to use cohesive passing to outplay teams , but the 4-4-2 option gives us the possibilty to buly our way through matches with Ighalo and Simi.

We are not likely to start Ighalo and Simy together. They are both natural CF.

Under a 4-4-2 formation in addition to the CF you play a supporting striker that can easily fall deep into the midfield to get balls and also easily joins the attack when on the offensive. That description fits Iheanacho.

We may only play Ighalo and Simi together if we are chasing a game and the coach decides to throw in all his dice. In this case a midfielder or defender may likely be sacrificed for the extra CF to be thrown in.

MetalJigsaw:
Actually, I replied him based on his statement about SE. England are a good side, but but not very good .

O boy, England are a good side o.

They are favorites to win the game.

We just only hope we can create an upset.

tbaba1234:
I think Ogu might be dropped. It looks like Joel Obi is the preferred choice in the absence of Ndidi. That means that the last midfield slot goes to Agu or Ogu.

I don't see Ogu being dropped. Agu is the one likely to be dropped.

Kog45:
Iwobi is the owner of that right side even when Simeon was fit,so he is going to start as a winger with Ighalo leading the attack. Victor on the left side and Mikel doing his thing with any of Onazi, Ogu,Joel, Etebo or Agu.

I don't know why they have been running away from this fact.

Mujtahida:
Iwobi was in the other set up posted by Joebie. But if we are thinking of a sub, Iwobi can come in for either Ighalo or Vicmo or Musa. Or Simi can be subbed for Iwobi. Iwobi stays on the flanks while Ighalo moves further as the point man.

Oga....Iwobi is a starter.

Kog45:
Sir do we need to accommodate Ighalo and Simy at the same time. Why not Ighalo first half and Simmy second half cos the two should be rival for starting beth as CF or what do you think

Hahaha egbon ask him o.

Kog45:
Chief icon4s respect Sir.

And thanks for understanding Sir.

Kog45:
Chief icon4s respect Sir.

And thanks for understanding Sir.