₦airaland Forum

charlesemeka85:
Afolayan scores for St Pauli against Hoffenheim

kennysville:
E reach to be fatigued na! Pep matter don tire my good friend.

All in all City played well

ChrisKels:
An English league come easy for Nwakali pass his time in the Portuguese and Spanish second divisions. What happened? 🤔

jihday:
Lucien Favre won’t be bad at all

Goke7:
Nigeria or the current national team players? Abi you wan go the davido way? 😜

minfelix:
imagine super eagles finishing the group on second spot…they will now start another rigorous round of World cup qualifiers 🤣
Playing a mini tournament with all the groups second best and if they manage to win the mini tournament they will go to play another inter-continental mini-tournament against other countries outside africa..
long walk to freedom

TheSuperNerd:
Christantus is my actual 3rd choice to be tried there in the sense that I know Akinsanmiro won't be called up yet and that KN will need a fine season to show us he is back for good.

Christantus could work there but that would mean another lad to take up the CM role with Iwobi stationed as the wide creator in this setup.

elyte89:
Give me d job and I promise you the ticket

AndSunGorilla:
Any chance we can get him?

EEGA:
Your first line-up will bring out the best of our forwards.

TheSuperNerd:
On Italian-Nigerian fullback, Michael Kayode

TheSuperNerd:
But when Iwobi is the AM. Then the pick on the right naturally shifts towards Chukwueze or Ejuke or Tella.

Lookman keeps his place ahead of Simon on the left.

Then supporting Iwobi in Midfield is Christantus Uche and Raphael Onyedika.

A Power Playing Yaya-Profile, a Proper CDM profile and a visionary creator. That's a sweet balance.

MF backups based on tactical tweaks and cover for positions will be Onyeka (great in a midfield 2 and midfield 3 with complimentary personnel), Alhassan, Fisayo, Ndidi, Ojediran, etc....

TheSuperNerd:
Not picking Fisayo as the AM in this setup because I need an AM who can also hold the ball and combine effectively with a wide creator like Iwobi.

In ball striking, Akinsanmiro and Nwakali are just as good. Ball striking is not the only thing I need from an AM.

TheSuperNerd:
Lookman on the left obviously. Corresponding LB will be Bruno thanks to his crosses and due to Zaidu's long absence (Zaidu can also cross).

The AM is the conundrum in this setup with Iwobi on the right but I have a few candidates in mind. Will throw in Akinsanmiro or will throw all caution to the wind and throw in Nwakali. Why? because either lads can easily combine with Iwobi's wide but inverted creative approach in the half spaces and even interchange from right to central and vice versa.

Uche Christantus is a workhorse alongside his ball carrying and technical skills so we are covered in ball winnings alongside Onyedika's CDM profile and Nwakali's improved defensive shift.

But Akinsanmiro is my number 1 pick for the AM role for now before a rejuvenated Nwakali because he is the perfect blend of CAM and Mezzala (a side creative MF). Nwakali is a CAM/CAM/DLP profile but not a mezzala hybrid profile like Akinsanmiro.

TheSuperNerd:
I agree on one of Lookman or Simon starting and truly if we nail our picks right across all positions, Lookman gets the starting nod everytime. Simon is an impact player who comes into a game and does his crossing and takeons to devastating effect.

And having Iwobi wide is actually not traditional wide. He won't operate as a touchline wide operator. He would act as a wide creator that inverts centrally allowing his corresponding fullback to overlap and eat up the space close to the touchlines.

The idea of Iwobi wide like we see at Fulham is likely to take advantage of his Vision and between-the-lines operation in the half spaces in the final third.

TheSuperNerd:
Yes, Christantus. Please keep on him. I assure you there is something there. I might be exaggerative but we have a Yaya profile in that lad.

And just imagine such a profile playing in tandem with an iwobi-visionary profile (either at CAM or Right AM) and having a bona-fide CDM in Onyedika sitting deep and connecting the transition plays from defence to attack through the middle.

The craziest thing is... with all 3, we could still have one more slot for a creative head if we push Iwobi to the right to act as a wide creator (right AM) same way he operates at Fulham.

The Super Eagles haven't been lined up according to its true talent pool strength from a balanced personnel perspective.

Options abound but picking them right and knowing who to bench and bring it at strategic times and for tactical situations is just the problem.

Onyeka, Alhassan, Fisayo, Ndidi, Ojediran, Onyedika, Iwobi, Christantus, Aribo, etc etc.. are all solid materials for the Super Eagles midfield. But among them, few are bona-fide starter materials coz they bring the right balance to our middle game plays based on analytics and their attributes while the rest are Solid but important bench materials who can become starters in some games depending on Opposition strength and tactical need.

TheSuperNerd:
This is part of why I miss you on this thread. Your relational/juxtaposition approach to any football matter finding a way to bring it homewards to what can make our Eagles better.

You are right. Rodri's absence at CDM and KDB's fitness issues which leaves Man City a bit less dreaded offensively are the two biggest factors affecting this City side.

There are others like the structure of their rest defence.... but it is still tied to Rodri.

And indeed like Man City currently, the Super Eagles are missing that balance that can truly get our team going and firing on all cylinders consistently. Until we get in the right personnel, we would keep on trying and failing.

TheSuperNerd:
Man City 3-0 up till 74mins and then Feyenoord woke up and realised that they can make it 6 losses for Pep.

They almost succeeded. Ended 3-3. Pheeewww...

Close one for TheGoodJoe's Cityzens.

EEGA:
His chances of scoring in every game is at 90%.

EEGA:
Fisayo was nursing an injury(a knock) that kept him out of the Benin match, hence was not fully fit for the Rwanda game.

A fit Fisayo would've scored against Rwanda.

Oganigwe:
Victor Olatunji, Kparobo Ariehi, Ehibizue, Vince Osuji, Nwaiwu, Torunarigha, Uduokhai etc are all doing well...they should be called up.

TheSuperNerd:
Mehn, would be sad seeing you lock up away from Super Eagles matters but I understand. It is well. I trust the US elections outcome meet you well. 😂 Just take it in your stride.

And to your question regarding today, I will be honest.

Fisayo - Not good.
Onyedika - Good.
Alhassan - Good.
Onyeka - Decent.

It is well, my good man. More power as you face your projects and other pressing matters. Indeed we have stuffs more important than football anyway. 🤝🏻

P.S: Hope to see you come around at least at some point again and again.