₦airaland Forum

Mujtahida:
but moses has been more effective from the wings than iwobi. in the match against cameroun he floated in one dangerous cross that vicmo could not nod home. he eventually gave an assist to moses from the wings. against cameoun he scored form the left wing after he and vicmo swapped wings. but iwobi has not given even one assist. remember iheanacho's freekick against argentina was as a result of a foul on mikel from a pass in the middle by iwobi. even musa has recorded one assist as a winger in the argentina match. iwobi none. in terms of football intelligence iwobi beats the two of them but as far as effectiveness from the wings is concerned there is nothing to supprt your assertion that iwobi is the better winger Sir

its not a matter of his preference ooo . the stats say he is more effective from the middle.

You are talking about assists when Iwobi has been scoring goals when played from the wings.

How many assists you said Simon had sef?

Oasis007:
We can't speak of what's gonna happen in the Future since we ain't God. Also we can't decide who starts for the Team at the Mundial since we ain't in charge.

Technically the Coach might opt for Iwobi, but there are some Matches that tactically Rohr will have no other Choice but to start Simon and keeps Iwobi on the Bench.

Since we ain't God we cannot also say whether it is Rohr that will lead us to Russia or whether the NFF would fire him and get another coach.

We are not God naa so we can't say.

Oasis007:
We can't speak of what's gonna happen in the Future since we ain't God. Also we can't decide who starts for the Team at the Mundial since we ain't in charge.

Technically the Coach might opt for Iwobi, but there are some Matches that tactically Rohr will have no other Choice but to start Simon and keeps Iwobi on the Bench.

Give me examples of such matches in this world cup and the kind of tactics that will make Rohr start Simon ahead of Iwobi.

Mujtahida:
this is precisely why i began the debate. if you read me well i use the word "opinion", "judgment". if its based on those two words then fine. but as per facts its not so clear cut unlike in Vicmos's case. ultimately one's opinion or judgment might be prove to be correct

Iwobi is clear cut favorite over Simon.

Kog45:
No Sir,ineffective Iwobi is not better than Musa and Simeon cos i saw ineffective Iwobi against Algeria in Uyo.

You don't get my point

They raised questions about Iwobi's effectiveness from the wings. I explained that even at that his level of effectiveness or ineffectiveness which ever way you look at it, he is better than either Musa or Simon.

Mujtahida:
hahahaha Baba you make me laugh with your gbam. but the thing dey always pain me when i see iwobi being played from the wings. it dey scatter my dada.

Because the other wing options are not better.

Mujtahida:
i know mikel is there but then lets look at iwobi from the middle and iwobi from the wings for Nigeria. in the first match against zambia he scored from the middle. in the match against algeria he was ineffective from the middle. in the match against south africa he was very ineffective. in the match against zambia he was effective but his goal came from the middle. against algeria he was flat. against argentina his two goals were from the middle. against poland he was not effective from the wings. against serbia he came alive when he disobediently drifted into the middle sensing that there was a disconnect in the team. from the middle 3 goals. from the wings no goal, no assist. what does this tell us about not just his preference but his effectiveness?

With all these you prefer Iwobi to sit on the bench so Simon can start on the wings?

I say again even with Iwobi's level of effectiveness or ineffectiveness, he is still more effective than Simon and Musa from the wings which is why he starts ahead of them.

Mujtahida:
i have acknowledged that he was in the squad against poland and serbia as well as algeria. algeria nothing to fight for again. poland and serbia he had not regained full match fitness. he was out for two months and played one match for his club as a 70 min sub before the friendlies.and there was nothing for rohr to discover by forcing the situation as in playing him cos he already knew what moses could do so naturally in that circumstances iwobi started.

So you think Simon will start against Croatia even if Iwobi is fully fit?

Oasis007:
Check Iwobi Records as a Winger, then compare it to his Records as an AM, No. 10 precisely, hopefully you gonna understand my Point of view better Sir.



World Cup ain't a physical Battle like Africa WCQ Matches, it's more of a tactical Battle Sir. While Africa WCQ Matches are like a Game of Ludo - running to strikeout Opponent(s) or into a comfort Zone, World Cup Proper is like a Chess Game - you gonna have to be calculating with your Movements - Tactics.

What killed us at 2014 WC Sir, first we lost a very fit, dazzling AM in Babtunde, secondly our Engine Room collapsed the moment Onazi was injured - that's the Case of putting our finest Eggs in the same Basket.

I repeat again, do we have any creative Midfieder in the Team aside from Mikel and Iwobi?! Secondly you wanna keep playing Mikel for 90mins+ in all the Matches? At what Age Sir...... or you think Mikel is getting younger not vice versa?!

God forbids, if we lose Mikel to Fatigue and Iwobi to Injury in a Match, what's gonna happen?! Guess you ain't thinking of makeshift Subs cos its Creativity we are talking about here Sir.

Etebo is simply workaholic not creative, Joel is superb as a deep-lying Playmaker not as a creative Midfielder. Then tell me who else we gonna play in the Hole? Mind you Iheanacho is more a supporting Striker - a Forward precisely not at all an AM.

We know all those.

The question is who is Rohr's first choice as a winger between Iwobi and Simon?

Mujtahida:
watch his latest interview which i posted where the young man said that he prefers playing behind the striker or as a ten or false nine. playing him from the wings is as a result of poverty of imagination. i swear. in the real sense he is not even a winger. for him to play in the middle they say he lacks vision but vision was precisely what the others interviewed(his uncle and two others- jay jay's former team mate at bolton and the other was assistant to alladyce at bolton) in that video said was one of his good qualities. its just that Mikel is there. against argentina he operated from the wings but he was used as false nine in that match. all his goals for us has come from the middle. how about that for effectiveness.

Every player has a preferred role but the coach determines where to play a player. National teams that are not much blessed with quality options typically assign roles to players in positions the team is lacking.

You cannot keep Iwobi on the bench in the Super Eagles because his favorite role is behind a striker cos we know Mikel is first choice there already.

Iwobi also plays as a winger at Arsenal so playing him as a Winger in the Super Eagles is not any where near out of place.

Mujtahida:
bros if na that rule forget am. this is not the era for rules. this is an era of strategy and dynamism. you are making my point. you can predict but you cannot say as a matter of fact that he will start. its a fine point and the fact that i am arguing it shows that you cannot say it clear cut, it is a fact that iwobi is a starter. you see me argue Vicmo? you know why? the facts are so clear one cannot debate it.

"You don't change a winning team". That was the rule Rohr adopted against Zambia in Uyo. Which I also backed.

Mujtahida:
Moses was injured in the Argentina tie. Initially it skipped my mind that he was in the squad for the friendlies but he was just coming from a a two months injury and before the friendlies played just one match for his club coming in the 70 min. Don't you think that tilted the odds in iwobi's favour? That's why I say it's arguable. It can be argued Bro unlike Moses case. You can decide which side to stand but it can be argued. On the contrary can it be argued that Vicmo is a starter? No!

So was Simon injured against Algeria, Poland and Serbia?

asha80:
how really effective is iwobi from the wings though?

Even in his ineffectiveness he is more effective than Simon and Musa.

Martz101:
so iwobi can not start as a winger and end up in the middle of mikel final leave and who said mikel most not finish a match

I always shake my head when I see comments like "Iwobi should come in for Mikel in the second half" as if they have predetermined how the game will go.

Oasis007:
Iwobi excels well when he plays as a No. 10 or SS. He's a brilliant attacking Midfieder, very good on the Ball, can dictate the tempo of the Team-play and certainly effective at connecting Defence to the Attack.

I would rather start Simon on the Wing and reserve Iwobi on the Bench as a Joker, also as a direct replacement for Mikel. Do we get another creative Player in the Team aside from Mikel presently? So we want to put both our finest Eggs in the same Basket?!

Starting a Match ain't the most Important thing, rather being Effective regardless to the Minutes played. Sokjaer is regarded a Legend at Manchester United not because he's a Starter, rather a super-Sub. We ain't the Coach, and we ain't in his Brain nor part of his Backroom Staff, hence we can't conclude or decide the Lineup authoritatively.

We need the full complement of Mikel and Iwobi at the same time on the pitch. Starting Simon because you want Iwobi to deputise for Mikel from the bench is just a waste of potentials.

Mujtahida:
You don dey enter another argument with the bolded ooo. Simon is not an integral part of the team? Is this supported by the facts?

It has passed but I doubt strongly if Rohr would have used Iwobi against Cameroon even if he were fit. Why did he fall back on Ighalo who had not even played a single match in the WCQ for the double header? Do you think Iwobi would have fared well in that match?

Let me give you an insight as to why I think even if Iwobi were fit he would not have started. Check out the match between Nig and Zambia in Uyo. Leaving Iwobi on the bench was very deliberate. I repeat very deliberate. It was strategy. Moses was to start. Run the Zambians ragged and tire them out. Iwobi came in when those guys were a softened as per tiredness and his impact was immediate.

If you judge as per the nature of the opponents we'd face at the WC and say Iwobi is likely to be the starter, I no go argue but to say it as a done deal I no gree.

Oga, Rohr choosed to start Simon ahead of Iwobi against Zambia in Uyo because he opted not to change his Cameroon winning team. And Iwobi came in and made the difference reminding Rohr that he is still favorite. Did Simon ever start ahead of Iwobi in our subsequent games?

Martz101:
which last 3 games are you talking about, simon was in our squad for poland and Serbia

Including the Algeria game and Iwobi started ahead of Simon in all. Yet he doesn't want to say the obvious fact.

Mujtahida:
Those same facts are why I will repeat that it can be argued. Even among many here Iwobi has been recognised to have more impact coming in a sub. So what if Rohr decides to use him as a joker again? Can you predict that? Did you envisage him coming off the bench against Zambia? It's all judgment and as it stands it can tilt either way for the two of them depending on a lot of factors.

Against Zambia I was among those that clamored for "you don't change a winning team". So I clamored for Simon to start.

How many games did Iwobi come in as a sub that you have concluded he had more impact as a sub?

Mujtahida:
You can't say. Cos Iwobi clearly had the upper hand at the beginning of the WCQ but he suffered a dip in form and then the injury.

You used the word 'if'. So I can also argue that 'if' Simon had not been injured in the last three games he would have started.

What if Rohr decides to play the joker with Iwobi in some matches?

You can say that in your judgement Iwobi is a starter but to say it as a matter of fact me no agree. As per facts it's debatable. If it is your judgement then fine.

Ultimately you or me may be proven wrong but as it stands now none of us can confidently say Iwobi will start over Simon. Simon now sef is battling with injury and fitness.

It's like saying that between Ighalo and Iheanacho you know who the starter is. You can judge and say it's Ighalo but the WCQ and the friendlies make it difficult to determine it now beforehand.

Oga, Iwobi and V. Moses are the first choice wingers.

MetalJigsaw:
7 Fringe Players Facing Big Test For Super Eagles’ Final 23-Man World Cup Squad
May 26, 2018 11:24 am


The Super Eagles of Nigeria will play their third pre-World Cup friendly game against DR Congo in Port Harcourt next on Monday. Completesportsnigeria.com‘s JOHNNY EDWARD presents seven players who must prove themselves to stand a chance of making the final 23-man squad to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.


1. Junior Lokosa (Kano Pillars)
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) top scorer, Junior Lokosa, will get his chance to prove his mettle when he features for the Super Eagles in Monday’s international friendly in Port Harcourt.

The striker has become one of the most talked about footballers in the NPFL and he needs to prove it against DR Congo. The 25-year-old failed to impress in training playing from the flanks. However, acquitting himself well against DR Congo will confirm his readiness to cope with the pressure if selected in the final squad, and he can still mature as a star in the Super Eagles.

Lokosa has scored 18 goals so far for Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Professional Football League.


2. Simy Nwankwo (Crotone)
Despite scoring a cheeky goal so far in training for the Super Eagles, Simy Nwankwo’s wealth of experience playing in the Italian Serie A will be needed if he gets the nod to lead the Super Eagles attack against DR Congo.

The 26 year old striker scored seven goals for Crotone who were relegated to the Serie B. A sterling performance on Monday against DR Congo will definitely boost his chances of making the Super Eagles final squad to the World Cup.


3. Tyronne Ebuehi (Benfica)
Tyronne Ebuehi was a special player for ADO Den Haag until he departed for Portuguese side Benfica. Ebuehi’s exceptional overlapping skills combined with his ability to deliver quality crosses makes him one of the rising stars in Europe.

Ebuehi’s high-point was when he was nominated by VoetbalPrimeur as one of the ten best right-backs in the just concluded season in the Netherlands. The 22 year old will however face stiff competition from Ola Aina and Shehu Abdulahi.


4. Mikel Agu (Bursaspor)
Though he has been part of Bursaspor’s main team for a while until he lost his place when Paul Le Guen was relieved of his job, Mikel Agu’s ability to dictate the pace of the game and his other qualities will be put to an acid test when he features for Nigeria against DR Congo.

Agu has not been a first team regular at Bursaspor since Le Guen was sacked after less than a year, and he has been frustrated by the lack of playing time towards the end of the season. The 24-year-old can also fulfill his desire to get selected for the Nigerian squad to the World Cup, not far if he can be a nightmare to the opposition.


5. Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes)
After a terrible display against Serbia, Chidozie Awaziem must prove that he could be relied on if he gets the nod to feature for Nigeria in Monday’s international friendly against Dr Congo.

The three cap Nigeria international will battle Kenneth Omeruo, Stephen Eze and Uche Agbo for one of the two available slots in the central defence role.


6. Stephen Eze (Locomotiv Plodviv)
Stephen Eze’s intelligent interceptions and tackling earned him a place in the provisional squad. His height is one that every coach will fancy for the central defence role.
Eze has grown into a dependable defender with a fantastic understanding of the game since he joined Locomotiv Plodviv. The 24 year old has continued his impressive run in the Bulgarian League, and a good outing against DR Congo will enhance his chances of traveling with the squad for the high profile international friendly against England on June 2.


7. Dele Ajiboye (Plateau United)
Dele Ajiboye has consistently dlivered in his duties for Plateau United in the Nigeria Professional Football League which earned him a place in the provisional squad list.Now, he faces a challenge of displacing any of the three goalkeepers in camp; (Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi).


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/7-fringe-players-facing-big-test-for-super-eagles-final-23-man-world-cup-squad/#comment-126157

I fear for Ebuehi. He may fail a late fitness test. Aina may eventually take his place.

Mujtahida:
What are the facts. It's not by saying Iwobi is a starter. Something that is arguable? Humility017 rightly opined that it depends on tactics. And if we look back at the WCQ it is hard to say who between them is a starter.
If it's your opinion or sentiment then I'd rest it but if it's based on facts it's very debatable.

The only game Simon started ahead of Iwobi was against Zambia in Uyo and which was because Rohr was hesitant to change the winning team against Cameroon.

Iwobi only missed the Cameroon double header because of Injury.

Iwobi came in against Zambia in Uyo and his immediate impact reconfirmed his status as first choice from that wing position.

Has Simon started any other game after that Zambia game in Uyo?

Humility017:
it gonna depend on tactics employed by the coach...remember against Zambia in uyo.
that guy when rightly used....is very lethal.

So which tactics will Iwobi not start and who starts in his place under such tactics?

Humility017:
just sayn...bro. I will hav no problem with iwobi coming in when necessary.

Iwobi is a starter

Mujtahida:
I don't think so. The facts lie more in Vicmo's side but not Iwobi.
Cos throughout the WCQ it wasn't clear cut between him and Simon who the starter was.

And Iwobi has started the last three friendlies because Moses Simon was not there.

Oga, Simon is not first choice.

It is Iwobi and Moses.

Humility017:
who will now deputize mikel.in the midfield.... .?

Now, the beauty of this team is in the versatility. A couple of players can also play the AM role: Iwobi, Etebo, Iheanacho, and Joel. You may argue they are not up to par with Mikel in that position but thay remain options.

tbaba1234:
The team leaves for PH by road.
3pm Nigerian time.

Uyo to PH is quite a distance.
But thank God the East - West road is almost completed on that axis.

Mujtahida:
Of all the wingers it's only Vicmo that one can say for sure is first choice.

Iwobi and V. Moses are the first choice wingers.

tbaba1234:
Rohr said, Lokosa and Simy will play against DRC.

But some people have been saying Simy is not eligible because of the 10days rule.

Humility017:
he even helped the team...against Bosnia...almost scored against Iran...
some of these conclusions/prepositions are not always true.

Some times we make hasty conclusions here.

tbaba1234:
Mikel and Ighalo will play no part in the DRC friendly.

Does the "10days rule" also apply to Lokosa?

OMANBALA1:
Guys, please answer this question. What exactly does Simon Moses bring to the table because I am lost here. And if I can remember vividly the only reason Simon got into that team was because of Ahmed Musa's dip in form.

Simon is an additional wing option.

We have 4 wingers on the list: Iwobi and V. Moses are first choice while Simon and Musa are their deputies.

Kog45:
Sir between Simy and Joel cos Rohr is going to WC with 8 defenders but if i have my way i will pick Joel Obi.

I'm okay with Ighalo, Iheanacho and possibly Musa as CF and we should know that the new SE doesn't depends on arrow head CF to score,our qualifiers and friendlies is a testimony that we don't depend on CF.

And what if Simy performs creditably well in the game against England?

I know his chance is slim. But nothing is certain yet.