₦airaland Forum

A forward with very low goals return will not act uncharacteristically in the World Cup. Club form is good but I would rather look at national team stats when it is most appropriate..

andrew444:
Una don start? Fine ighalo played badly,but why calling sadiq umar? You think say world cup na childs play?

What makes you think sadiq umar will do better.

Oga make una wait after the world cup abeg,you dey call sadiq umar,a player who is yet to play 20 club football games in his career.

Make una take una time for this thread,i just dey look all of una yesterday dey laff,i made a post before the match that if we loose we go see different coaches and now you are one of them.

Mexico is a team you would always sweat to beat. If you like be Brazil

Mujtahida:
una see the way mexico dey rush and swamp germany? this thing is not a matter of quality. its a mind thing.

Thank you sir!

Modified
Not counting that Congo DR game, which was more like testing the pitch for “ grazability”

Kog45:
Joebie not from England game but Poland.

Oga they were counting shots at goal. I’m not talking about midfield o. How many goal threatening chances did we create against England in the 2nd half? NONE

Mickael2:
but they said we dominated England in that second half and that Rohr was keeping his cards close to his chest.

Since the England game I opined that we lack the creative edge in the final third. We are not threatening at all upfront. That has been our problem. We are sure to concede a goal or two , but how do we respond, or will we ever take the initiative to go ahead first?

Icon4s:
Honestly speaking, overall the boys played well.

Our midfield did excellently well to match the Croats.

The own goal was unfortunate. No fault of either Etebor or Uzoho. It was just bad luck.

Ekong's foul is what I would not accept for a player in a tournament like the World Cup.

I hope Rohr does not start Ighalo again.

Iceland are very beatable. They will come out to claim 3 points against us and may get exposed.

Somebody should tell the boys that the fashion parade is over, and that the World Cup has started.

''It's difficult to explain, we knew our weakness, two goals, two set-pieces, difficult,'' Mikel told reporters at the mixed zone after the game.

''We have to keep going, try to improve on our set-pieces and try to keep improving our defense, this is four goals now we have conceded from set-pieces.

''We try everyday in training to correct it, it is difficult o explain.''

My answer is simple. You have to be good at converting set pieces yourselves at training. Else you won’t be able to accertain, if you are making improvements in defending them.

GBAM

komekn:
Sorry one player doesn't press alone it's an exercise in futility.

The team press as a unit not as individuals it's hard work but that's what makes the difference.

Unfortunately, HARD TRUTH Mikel can not press too slow and has no stamina. In this regard he becomes a liability.

The game was lost by team selection & formation.

I see Oliseh smiling at Ekong

WNRealm:
Watch the highlights Nigeria lost their opener to Croatia (2-0)

Nigeria lost their opener to Croatia


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01s8n66UWHc


Mynd44 Dominique Lalasticlala

Africa how market?

Experience together as a unit

Goke7:
Oga forget tournament experience, na lack of tournament experience make moses and, mikel play rubbish today? Has iwobi not played in the champs league? Was ighalo not setting EPL on fire some seasons back with goals, which experience are you talking about?

Lol.. I don already tie the pig. Remain to slaughter am. After the Iceland match he must enter my pot. Abi na 3 points we wan use take qualify?

safarigirl:
In defense of the pig, we don't know what it predicted for group stage games

The pig only predicted a semi-finals spot for Nigeria. It did not say Nigeria will not lose a game at the group stage

Kai... see wetin I see o

Oga.. so many IFs o.

You are on point but there is one thing I can tell u for sure. You and I should be able to predict Rohr’s next lineup. Expect no surprises.

TheSuperNerd:
Firstly I will call out Rohr.

Rohr did make some silly decisions.

After we fell a goal down, you know we needed goals and you had a goalscorer on the bench in Iheanacho. Why wait till we conceded a second off an Ekong error before doing the needful. We needed more movements upfront... We needed a player who can shoot even with a half chance. Nacho came in and did more in those 20mins than what Ighalo offered throughout the time he was on.

To be fair, Ighalo did make some nice touches in the first half but mehn... He didn't threaten enough. We needed more menaching movement. Nacho came on and alongside Musa we saw some better urgency. Even Etebo at a point started outshining Odogwu Mikel.



To the errors....

1. Yes, Etebo cause us an own goal but it was really an unlucky event. It was hard on the young man. He was one of our best players on the pitch today and did almost everything right save for that costly error which was not deliberate.

How did it happen? He left the post he was supposed to guard and went in early to try stop a mandzukic header that was already going wide off the mark. If only he had been slow to react... But how was he to do that? What if he didn't react and the header went in... Won't we all still be calling him out for not charging his man down?? See? So I won't blame Etebo much coz he put in a string shift in midfield today and gets my nod to keep benching Onazi.

We should try clearing those aerial balls at first sight... And not allowing it to cause mayhem which can lead to mistakes within the 18 yard box. Balogun, Ekong and Mikel even Ndidi should be first to those aerials from set pieces with also about two of them super alert for second balls after first aerial challenges.

Set pieces was our biggest undoing today again but I saw a few improvements to have hope. But mehn... Iceland are set piece and long throw kings too... We will face hell on Wednesday trust me... A hell we must try walk out if unscathed. But I still stand by this team. It is not over yet.


2. The fear of conceding another set piece goal made Ekong wrestle Mandzukic to the ground and sadly the ref spotted it and viola, that was the moment we lost the game.
Ekong knew that he should have done better. It is sad. The boys matched the Croatians but were undone by two errors which killed off our chances... We cannot afford any more of those against the Might of the Vikings

It was always gonna be hard coming back against the Croatians from 2 goals down. This is a game we could have drawn or even won but that second goal killed our changes big time.
Just minutes before that second goal I was desperately hoping Rohr brings in an Ebuehi for Shehu, and Iheanacho for Ighalo. Etebo was still ballling and Mikel and Ndidi still gave us a fighting chance in midfield. We needed those changes to push our adventure further and try nick that goal to get back on level terms but lo and behold, it was not to be until another error buried us for good.
Nacho came in immediately after that goal went in but it was already too late. Etebo kept fighting... His driving runs, skills and ball winning saw us win more freekicks in midfield but we needed that killer touch upfront... Nacho did spark some fires upfront a bit with Musa but it was already too late.

I hope Rohr understands that with two games left, now is the time for rugged and brave decisions to salvage our World cup. We have the players to thrive in a formation that can hurt teams but our conservative approach by accomodatijg Ighalo's goal drought and Shehu's non-adventurous style is seriously holding us back. We need our very best... Not our most capped players in the WCQs... Our very best to get the job done is what we need.






[b]At least Rohr was brave enough on this one count to bench Onazi... But Rohr should have taken his bravery further by also realising that an Attack being led by Ighalo won't yield much goals compared to a twin attack led by both Nacho and Iwobi... See how quiet Iwobi was in the game save for a few moments he got on the ball and had his goalbound shot blocked. Iwobi didn't show up today as he did against England and Czech and we needed that Monster Iwobi version. Maybe the occasion overwhelmed him a bit.. His first world cup game but mehn.. Those Icelandic Norse lords didn't give a sh*t and gave their all. It will be hard against them... Really really hard. That is a tougher game than the Argentina game.

Also, Rohr should have gone with an Ebuehi but started Shehu. Now Shehu put in a decent shift but offensively he was as flat as a concrete floor. On few occasions when he joined the attack to offer us outlets of penetration, he was not adventurous enough. On two occasions he could have easily crossed or ran into the right channel as an overlapping fullback will do, he hesisaltated and chose to turn and pass... He was scared to cross and be adventurous. YOU DON'T WIN WC GAMES NY BEING TOO CAREFUL ALL THE TIME. THERE ARE TIMES FOR MAD ADVENTURE. I need Ebuehi in this team. We need results... No more time to honor or play loyalty or longevity. This is the time to honor and play THE BEST and MOST GOALS-ORIENTED EFFECTIVE Talents FOR EACH ROLE.[/b]


I will surely tip us to cause another twist in this group against Iceland but we (Rohr actually) must be brave in our selections and be ready to stand up against those giants called the Vikings and their defensive DOOR (Halldorsson).

I could say so much but fact is we have lost and it is time to move on to the next game. Whinning and lamenting for so long is for wimps.... We don't have much time. We must rise from this. After all, we are not out just yet. Our destiny in Russia still rests in our hands.


#SoarSuperEagles

Me sef follow. At least we still get Golden Eaglets when we dey use take comfort ourselves from time to time.

Mujtahida:
Hahahaha hahahaha. Omo make we laugh jare. But Joebie national team football is the thin thread tieing me to football. The game is boring to me. It's like I've outgrown football.

Kai...

Bunique:
Rohr has done well for us let's not forget. we did very well aside the errors we made. we only need to build from here, i would say we retain Rohr and let him continue the building of the team.

Hahaha u don enter Farrah market.

Mujtahida:
Noooo I have not given up. Not at all. My problem is that the team lacks believe in itself. Without faith in themselves no tactics will help them.

Farah the falcon don predict am jare. Lol

WhoScored ratings:

The problem is when you think getting out of a difficult group in the qualifiers guarantees u a place in the second round of the WC. Oga it’s a very different ball game o. The friendlies were meant to measure our readiness and plan to correct our mistakes. Truth is we never learned anything from our friendlies. Let’s stop talking about how we beat Cameroon as if they are in Group I.

BascoVanVeli:
I get where you are coming from but it was the same formation that got us to the world cup. I remember getting bashed by some for even mentioning 3 @ the back, boy has time flown by.

Hahaha.. u too give up early. Abi he talk say we go beat Croatia before?

Mujtahida:
Dem don slaughter Marcus sharperly ooo. Go cut your piece. Take udeme from the cellar and then come the loft make we tori under the stars jare.

Kai so all those ones when dem dey pray since dey sing, dey instagram na just to motivate themselves. Na Rohr no get believe. From the start he say our target too high.

Abeg wetin be that Nike number? I wan order Naija jersey size for Marcus.

Mujtahida:
It's not tactics!!!
Whatever the tactics Croatia would have won. The team has no believe.
Check out Peru v Denmark, Peru kept up the fight till the last whistle. That's the mark of a team with desire.

Croatia just blow us soft breeze, na so we fall yakata.

Kai I’m still rooting for Super Eagles. But let Rohr take the back seat now and let one of his assistants do the selection.

Hahahaha that cracked me up. My chest dey pain me before, but my belle pain don overwhelm my chest own.

barackodam:
Nigerians dey vex sha. How can you call Rohr white onigbinde?

Lol I said it at HT that if we were really serious on getting something out of this game we needed to take a risk and make our subs early.

komekn:
What a nonessential decision 3 minutes to and you bring on Simi. What utter Balderdash.

Mikel has been HOPELESS in this game meanwhile our most dynamic midfielder sitting a holding players where he can not effect the game.

This is a shocking display and it stemmed from wrong players selection and wrong formation

Our boys are young. Let’s keep them together.

Really the problem is I have faith in the players but I lost faith totally in Rohr as soon as the formation and selection was announced

Those who said he is very conservative we’re very spot on..

Na another friendly match we dey watch.

fabyom:
Please do not put your heart to it. At the end of it all, It is just a game just like any other sport. We are out. See you at Qatar 2022.

He played all his cards during the friendlies, and decided to play same cards again today ibabo!!!

kennysville:
Like say safarigal don know say na musa dey come in.... this our gaffer is both stubborn and predictable

On point.

kennysville:
Well considering all the hype about Modric, Rakitic, Perisic and all the sics....i would av thought they would av scored 4 by now. So in all seriousness, we matched them. My philosophy? It doesnt matter who scores.... teamwork should be the key and I am not seeing that in front

Kai we are still on individual performance ratings. This one no be friendly o

ChrisKels:
So far, Etebo has been so effective and we have managed to match their midfield but like I always say, playing with an ineffective Ighalo as a point man will never work.

Just like us, the Croats have had more passes in their own half than in ours. Our defense and midfield have been good so far but our attack ain't got no bite.

#My first have observation

By the way, Ekong is impressing his scouts, he has been commanding in the air

We probably have to risk making all our subs right away to have a chance in redeeming ourselves

klexycole:
[iFor me, the Crotian technical crew did their assignment well. They noticed that Shehu is our weak link at the right back and they've been utilizing that effectively.

They direct all balls to Perisic on the left, then outrun Shehu. We need Ebuehi in this game, then switch to our much desired and effective 3-5-2.

In addition, Ighalo seems to be weak in pace, he simply can't run to catch balls. Musa might be needed to over-run these Croats defense.

Ostensibly, I still very much believe that we can win this game. Second half would be much more different. Irrespective of the result of today's match, I solidly stand with the team.

Go Eagles! The Land is Green! [/i]

Kai..

Who else like pork? Na the legs be my best part. Who next?

Rohr keeps keeping faith in what has never worked for us since post qualifiers. Let’s keep our fingers crossed though. You can’t train to defend set pieces when you don’t have converting set pieces among your strength. Abi na angels wan test the boys for training?

Very predictable line up. Only thing I would have missed is Etebo partnering Ndidi

Modify #3. We won’t respect them too much.

ObaOni:
I believe Argentina vs Iceland result is a blessing in disguise to Nigeria. why;
1) Iceland might feel too confident facing Nigeria which can in turn shock them
2) Nigeria is now aware what Iceland can do, so they will approach d game with more seriousness.
3) we now know Argentina is not as tough as we thought.. we can still manage to curtail them

All those people when don dey already plan Messi obituary, he might just redeem himself in their last group games