₦airaland Forum

kennysville:
Question is if we were to play 3-5-2, must moses play?

He is our most potent forward. Rohr has mentioned that too.

This underlines my stance that we have to adopt a formation that best optimises our strength.

Certitude:
Keshi, to me, would perform wonders with this crop of players.

He would have had problems with key senior members of the team. Put them on the bench or dropped them completely and in their place he will line up relatively unknown home-based players just to spite them. That was my major headache with Keshi and Oliseh

Joebie:
Vote on Twitter for Kanu
‪@SkySportsNews Kanu vs Chelsea (1999)‬

That game Kanu Vs Chelsea was the day I got converted fully as an Arsenal fan. I was a neutralist before then.

Mickael2:
and that is why I keep on hammering that without Mikel Rohr does not have a team. If it could be possible to combine Keshi's tactical prowess and Rohr's managerial skills then we would have gotten to the semifinal of that 2014 world cup easily. Let's look at what Rohr brings though

We know na. Mikel is the next most important member of that team... after Rohr.

Keshi's team played Robust football. My only problem was his players selections

BascoVanVeli:
The options we have are not as good as Moses who on his day is the best wingback in the world. A wingback can still be key to our attack when playing the 3-5-2. Moses is a winger not a striker and the closest position to that in this system is the wingback.

Rohr is not playing Moses as a WB in the WC. This is the Super Eagles and not Chelsea football club. We need him more as a Forward.

TheGoodJoe:
Equivalent to folding arms. I wonder how well it has worked for us over the years.

So we should just scrap all our age grade teams. Since you call it folding of the arms. And then pack all our youth players into "Team B".

Point to the members of The current SE that were never members of our youths system. U17- U23.

TheGoodJoe, I used to see you as someone who believes in our youth's system. How you have chosen the opposite course because of one argument is just....... something else.

edi287:
Check this analysis on out team back in 2014. Not too much have changed since then in terms of style


Tactics: Analysing Nigeria’s tactical approach, formation, and set up

The Super Eagles of Nigeria booked their spot in Group G of the FIFA World Cup after what was in hindsight an easy qualifying campaign. Stephen Keshi’s side are now getting ready to face Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Iran for the honour of being in the World Cup’s round of 16. A feat that will definitely be a brilliant achievement from the African Champions. A lot has changed since Nigeria’s (led by Lars Lagerback) last appearance at the World Cup in 2010 that was summed up by Yakubu Aiyegbeni missing one of the easiest tap ins you will ever see. In fact 2010 was so forgettable for Nigerian football that the President banned the national team from any official matches. The said ban was only overturned when FIFA handed the Nigerian National team a ban of their own for government interruption. After a confusing period of switching manager after manager. The Eagles finally found the right man in Stephen Keshi. And since his appointment, Nigeria has not looked back. They won the 2013 African Cup of Nations and put out a good account of themselves and the continent in the Confederations Cup in a group that contained Uruguay and Spain. The Nigerian team is certainly capable of being a surprise package at the World Cup.

BASIC FORMATION

Stephen Keshi’s preferred formation since taking over has been the 4-3-3. Even though he at times experimented with a 4-2-3-1/4-4-2. If all players are fit and available, his starting XI is normally constant. Enyeama is a certainty in the post, with Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboabona being the centre backs. Efe Ambrose and Juwon Oshaniwa should be the starters at right and left back respectively, with a midfield trio of John Obi Mikel, Ogenyi Onazi and Ramon Azeez. Upfront, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses are on the flanks and Emmanuel Emenike is the preferred striker. Although the inclusion of Peter Osaze Odemwingie and Shola Ameobi in the provisional squad means serious competition for the front 3 players.

Made using Tactical Pad

ANALYSIS

Stephen Keshi, since he took charge of the Nigerian team has favoured a more reactive style of play. The Nigerians have become very adept at holding off pressure from opponents, waiting for them to lose the ball, and then they counter with lightning speed. They are not the kind of team that camps players in front of their box looking to soak up press or “park the bus”, they look to press the opponents from the midfield, as such are closer to goal most of the time they win the ball. Even in the games versus Spain in the Confederations Cup where you would expect them to sit very deep, they actually came out and pressed the Spanish in midfield, and for a while Nigeria actually dominated the World Champions. When the ball is won in the centre, it is immediately passed to their quick wingers who use their pace and trickery to fashion out chances for the team. The fact that Nigeria’s fullbacks are not very adventurous in attack and the presence of three defensively solid central midfielders means that the defence is well protected. So most of the time Nigeria’s centre backs are more concerned with defending the box and are rarely forced out of position into the wider areas or high up the field.

The team has problems defending down its flanks especially in situations when they have lost the ball and the wingers are high up. This is caused by the fact that Nigeria’s wingers, although they try, are not very adept at tracking back and helping their fullbacks. In a situation where Nigeria were on the attack and lost the ball, the fullbacks would be isolated because they don’t go high up the pitch, and there is no way the wingers can track back in time to prevent attacks. This problem is more evident when Nigeria play against a team with an offensive fullback, as this leaves the Nigerian full back in a lot of 2v1 situations. An attempt from the midfielders to cover could leave the centre exposed, and the same goes for the centre backs as they are not comfortable defending the wide positions if their fullback is exposed. A good example of this is the goal that Spain scored via Jordi Alba to break the deadlock in the Confederations cup.

[/b]Another problem of the team is building up play via passing moves. Nigeria’s team is designed to hurt teams with quick transitions and find it hard to fashion chances against teams that are deep and compact.[b] This is mostly because they have wingers that are better with space in front of them or behind the opposition defence to run into. The fullbacks in the team are not the offensive types so do not provide width during attacks. Another reason is that Nigeria don’t have the type of creative midfielders adept at breaking down deep defences. Mikel’s passing is at its most dangerous during counters. These factors altogether make it hard for Nigeria to break down deep, compact defences.

Another factor that could deter this Nigerian team is their finishing. The Nigerians are often guilty of squandering an alarming amount of chances in big games. In previous tournaments, Emmanuel Emenike has been their only efficient finisher, with wingers like Musa and Moses being good at fashioning out chances but disappointing with the finish. The presence of more EPL standard strikers like Odemwingie and Ameobi could solve this problem though.

KEY PLAYERS

Vincent Enyeama | The keeper has had a wonderful season at Lille and how far Nigeria goes will depend on his form.

Jon Obi Mikel | The Chelsea midfielder at club level is mostly known for his ability to provide a solid and stable screen to shield the Chelsea defence. He provides stability and anchors the midfield and also helps Chelsea slow down games with his passing and ability to hold the ball. He does the same for his country, but with far more freedom to be creative. Once Nigeria win the ball back, Mikel is their main distributor, quickly locating the outlets or sometimes splitting defences directly with through or long passes on the counter. He is Nigeria’s main playmaker and midfield anchor.

Victor Moses and Ahmed Musa | They are Nigeria’s main outlets on the counter attack. If found on the run, they will look to run at defenders and beat them with a combination of pace and trickery to create chances or score them. They are also Nigeria’s main source of width as the fullbacks are not very offensive.

Ogenyi Onazi and Ramon Azeez | The two central midfielders in front of Mikel are the ones tasked with the important duty of pressing the ball in midfield and forcing turn overs. Both players have brilliant work-rates, are strong and dynamic, and when they do win the ball, they go for the short pass to a close team mate (mostly Mikel). Both players also make forward runs on or off the ball from deep to help the attack.

Emmanuel Emenike | The striker was a key player for the team that won the African Cup of Nations. Although the inclusion of Shola Ameobi and Osaze Odemwingie casts doubts over his role in the team, he will probably still be the starter at Brazil. A striker that possesses a dangerous mixture of pace, technical ability and strength could be a nightmare for opposition defences. Emenike holds up play well, drops deep to play with the midfield allowing the wingers space in the channels to work with. All this while having a thunderous shot in him. His form in front of goal could be key for the Eagles as his absence was clearly felt in the Confederations Cup.

TALENT RADAR KEY YOUNG PLAYER

Kenneth Omeruo (21) | The 21 year old Chelsea defender has been a regular starter for the Super Eagles since their successful Nations Cup campaign. A physically imposing player for his age, he is strong, fast a very good tackler and interceptor. If he can brush up the technical side of his game and add a bit of maturity, the sky is the limit.

Ramon Azeez (21) | The 21 year old central midfielder had a good season with Almeria, during which he showed the potential that won him plaudits at the 2009 Under-17 World Cup. A capable defensive or central midfield player, he offers decent playmaking ability among other players that are more physical. But he also doesn’t shy away from a physical confrontation. He is certainly a player to watch.

Ogenyi Onazi (21) | The Lazio midfielder has proven himself to be Nigeria’s most frequent ball winner. Combining his wonderful dynamism and work-rate with decent tackling and marking abilities. He has become a main stay in the Nigerian team.

Ahmed Musa (21) | Pace, trickery and dribbling skills; those are the attributed to best describe CSKA’s Ahmed Musa. The winger is well capable of providing moments of sheer brilliance on his own.

EXTRA

There is a lot of hope going into Nigeria’s World Cup campaign. They have already showed that they are capable of going toe to toe with the best in the World at the Confederations Cup. Bar any spectacular capitulation, and as long as they can brush up on the finishing, they are in with a shout to make it out of the group. The fact that they struggle against deep teams may not be a factor as I fully expect that most teams would come at them and try to attack, which will play into their hands.

This article was written by Ismail Bello. Follow him on Twitter @BiasFootball

http://outsideoftheboot.com/2014/06/09/world-cup-2014-tactics-analysing-nigerias-tactical-approach-formation-and-set-up/

Not much changed but Keshi's team was better of in the keeping of possession.

Keshi's team kept possession and hit you when and where you don't expect.

Rohr's team are always too quick to hit the ball forward even when the man up front is not in the best position to get the ball. Too many over hit balls. Thank God there is Mikel in that team we for no dey see goal score. How many goals have we scored in games where Mikel did not feature?

TheGoodJoe:
I have written an epistle on it and that is from me reasoning. I say we make the team B a serious affair, play quality friendly matches building the team B and also holding series of camps with the team B until we have a formidable young squad to go with the Super Eagles.

This will do more to the development of our other potential quality players and give them the necessary exposure they need. There are other approaches but the worst is folding our arms.

Be explicit on the name "Team B". I know what you are referring to but don't you think the CHAN team is also referred to as our Team B?

A better name would have been an U21 team whichis what i have been clamoring for. We need that class to harness players who are close to breaking into the Super Eagles. That is where we can do the Norturing and organizing top friendlies for them. Not to just pick one or two players and keep in Rohr's camp for training purpose.

Humility017:
big bro...me don't understand you at all..
are you after the eagles win or you just want to see your claim best players in the field of play...?
it is only one who don't know modern football tactics that will berate this 3-5-2 formation....

it is a strategy that we should adopt on sensitive matches...when need be.... especially when we play a team like Croatia.
you're talking of choking the midfield...that's the best formation to choke the midfield and same time bully the crots via wings...

The best formation for a team is that which best utilizes the potentials of the team to achieve results. And we need to maximise our potentials to get results in this WC. It is not about my alleged best players.

Someone is talking of playing Moses as a wing back if we adopt the 3-5-2. Is that Moses' most potent position in this current team?

TheGoodJoe:
A little from our side will help one way or the another. Better than folding arms and doing nothing. Even if we do a few, it is better than nothing. The point is too simple to comprehend.

You make me laugh.

Salisu is the U23 coach. They should go make themselves available for selection with their age mates. Any players from the pool that excel will be promoted to the Super Eagles. Simple as that.

jihday:
bros I saw the game highlight on Sunday, the second half was atrocious, some Emenike speculative shots aside, we barely had a sniff while they really pummeled our defence

We are saying the same thing. We dominated in the first half. Creating the better of the chances.

But the injury to Onazi in the second half changed things. The team was not as poor as you made it sound.

BascoVanVeli:
U talk potential but what about the untapped potential at the RWB? Iwobi and Iheanacho were strikers not false 9s but all the same those positions are stacked and I believe Victor would derive more joy running on the flanks than having to fight CBs all day.

Untapped potential at Wing back?

We have wing back options that can still do the job. Moses is key in our attack. He is our most potent winger and that is where we need him most.

On Iwobi and Iheanacho against Argentina you may chose to say they were strikers in that game. But I see them as false-9s.

EEGA:
The 4-2-3-1 remains our best formation.

Good you have come realise that.

This is the formation that best maximises the strength of the team.

BascoVanVeli:
Oga don't make it seem like I am against a certain player but where else would you put ViMo in that system?

Moses is our major attacking threat. I would play him as one of the two false-9s.

Putting him at RWB in the SE is just a waste if his potentials.

charlesemeka85:
hmmmmmm tough question i must confess

That is a major reason I don't like that 3-5-2 formation. We will not be utilizing some of our best players.

TheGoodJoe:
Are you not the same person talking about age grade players flopping? I am talking of a solution that can give our young promising talents the chance to blossom to stop the flopping. You are still talking age grade competitions.

It is not enough, we should do more. Rohr has given examples.

Finito.

You think the 3-4 days maybe about 3 of 4 times in a year a young player spends in the Super Eagles camp will stop him from flopping if he is bound towards flopping?

So you will now pack all the young promising talents and put in the Super Eagles and say you want to prevent them from flopping?

EEGA:
Moses is our best forward.Can we get the best from him by playing him as a WB?

Lovely question. So where do we fix him in a 3-5-2 formation?

BascoVanVeli:
He deployed himself there? Who played on the wings then? Are u saying Rohr decided to leave the wing empty, who tracks back and covers for the full back?
It wasn't Iheanacho's best game and I am sure even he would admit that but he worked his socks off for the team so u can't say he didn't show to the party.

Please go back again and read the comment you quoted to make this your comment. Read the sentences that have question marks carefully.

TheGoodJoe:
I am not talking about K. Nwakali and Osimhen but our young promising talents. Nurturing is a big reason why quality young talents Flop. We need to do more for our Young promising talents.

Rohr working in camp with Osimhen and C. Nwakali is a good example of a coach looking into improving his quality young talents.

"Doing more", "doing more", what do we have age grade teams and competitions for?

Or what else do you tag as "doing more"?

BascoVanVeli:
I think that was one of his best performance in the WCQ. The passing that day was some of the best I have seen from the super eagles and he was the maestro. Not Just with the ball, he made a tackle in the box that I can swear was a goal. I think he only played like 70 minutes but he was effective. This does not mean he is better in that position but that is very much an option. Just like Victor Moses @RWB in our 3-5-2.

I know you will easily want to drop Shehu but you would rather drop Ebuehi for Moses to play RWB?

EEGA:
Am even thinking of where to place Mikel in a 3-4-3.

You see one of the major limitations of that 3-5-2?

We will not utilize some of our players in their best positions. Victor Moses is a starter so if we must play 3-5-2 tell me where to fix him. You don't feel like dropping Ebuehi and play Moses at RWB right?

charlesemeka85:
siasia discovered who? hahahahahahaha

It was a slip of the fingers. Henry Nwosu discovered Mikel but was sacked after the qualifiers and Eguavoen took the team to the 2003 U17 WC. No be so?

BascoVanVeli:
Then why didn't he start in those matches? Rohr said Iwobi was free to roam from the wings. He didn't deploy him there.

Also when you are a striker it will not always be above scoring goals you have to put in work and sometimes get kicked for the team. Iheanacho was not lost against Poland we all saw the effort he put into duels. This might be why Rohr has been skeptical of playing Iwobi there he is scared he won't be able to cope with the physicality.

The coach didn't deploy Iwobi to the wings? Did he deploy himself there? He is free to roam from the wings is that not according to the coache's instructions?On Iheanacho putting in Duel's against Poland I cannot remember any through pass worthy of note as an AM in that game.

BascoVanVeli:
He was awesome in Zambia at that position. I am not too crazy about where the player plays I just need them on the pitch with the right attitude.

And he was not awesome in the other games he played as a number 10?

Note that what we played against Zambia in Ndola was a 4-4-1-1 more like a pseudo 4-4-2 and Mikel played behind the two strikers IE Ideye and Iheanacho.

EEGA:
we played a 3-5-2 against Argentina in the absence of V.Moses.If he were to be present how will we line-up?

Am thinking of a 3-4-3.


Uzoho

Awaziem Balogun Ekoong


Ebuehi Aina

Ndidi-Etebo

Iwobi Iheanacho V.Moses

What if we are to play 3-5-2 where will you place Moses. And show me how you will line up the team.

BascoVanVeli:
My point was that Etebo and Iheanacho have been played there way more than Iwobi. In Rohr's depth chart they are above him.

Haha. They are not. Just that Rohr likes playing Iwobi from the wings. Did you notice he deployed Iwobi to the AM position in the Poland game when Iheanacho was virtually lost for almost the whole duration of the time he spent. Didn't you notice the difference when Iwobi went central after Iheanacho was taken off?

charlesemeka85:
because of his age and lack of speed that's why he will perform better as a central/deep lying play maker. Mikel naturally doesn't have the pace to strive as an attacking midfielder but as been deployed as a 10 during his days with the Nigerian youth team and few matches international football. the attacking midfield 'role will be too stressful for him judging by his lack of pace to move tro and fro in a match. sitting as a central midfielder and having a youthful Iwobi in front of him who has the energy to burst forward and return when the need arises will be a plus tothe team.

Abeg when last did you watch Mikel play for the Super Eagles?

It seems you have not been following the SE of late.

TheGoodJoe:
It counts. It shows Rohr knows that we can not just count on foreign clubs to get our players playing at their best and thought outside the box. Sending trainers to them was a brilliant idea than folding arms.

So how does this relate to Osimhen and Nwakali?

realpoacher:
At bolded, i am terribly sorry if my post upsets you. I didn't intend it that way. I was only trying to be aggressive with my point,..

But if my intentions were read wrong. I hereby tender my unreserved apologies

No problems, apologies accepted. I was not in any way upset. Just guarding against comments that have led to frackers here in the past.

We have been discussing here for some few weeks now even though with intensity but no insults. We just need to maintain this spirit into the WC.

BascoVanVeli:
Has he ever played the role for Nigeria under Rohr?

Yes. In the friendly against Senegal.

charlesemeka85:
thats because the the lacks a proper number 10. if rohr can experiment a bit against england by deploying iwobi as the the team's number 10 you all will clamor for him to hold onto that position. believe you me mikel will shock the world in the upcoming world cup if rohr plays him as a central midfielder which will bring out his best for the world to see.

The CM he played at Brazil 2014 and was tagged a "slowbie"?

Oga, Mikel is our number 10 to Russia.

TheGoodJoe:
I wonder where you got send coaches to Osimhen and K. Nwakali. I just gave you an example of Rohr knowing folding his arms and waiting for international break will get us no where. We need to do more. One is to get the team B more active and a testing point for our top Potentials. Hold larger camps in this level and have unbiased screenings. Those that show real quality can have chances to train with the main team. These are just points off the top of my head. How it turned to just send coaches to teams beats my imagination. I just pointed out that Rohr has shown we need to do more.

So why were you now citing the case of he sending traininers to Uzoho? It simply means that example does not count here.

TheGoodJoe, see how I just dey look you. No be point wey I raise you dey butress so?

Anyways I Don talk my own Finnish on that matter.