₦airaland Forum

TheSuperNerd:
Nerdie returns on page 15,000.

Iconic. 🤗💥💥

Meliforme... thanks so much for your short yet beautiful analysis on the game. It was only yours that truly captured how we really played and approached the tie vs Sao Tome. It was indeed a 4-4-2 or let me say in its truest essence, a 4-2-2-2 approach because Lookman and Iheanacho operated more as false wingers and attacking midfielders through the half spaces.

Yes, It is Sao Tome... we were expected to win no doubt. So we should not scream "Eureka" because of the result. Like Joebie said, we beat Sao Tome 10-0 and felt on top until Algeria and co brought us back to reality.


But the difference this time lies in the personnel coming through for us and in how we moved forward in attack.

Ndidi's forward plays, Boniface's easy-on-the-eyes understanding of the withdrawn striker role (#. Iheanacho's false winger role from the right half space/right channel... Bruno Onyemaechi's understanding on the overlap and underlay... Lookman's inside forward swagger... Osimhen's dominant box performance and ability to shift outwide to accommodate a fellow CF in the middle and Chukwueze's hybrid role as a half space operator and true wing force.


The midfield still needs a few tweaks and the defence isn't there yet especially centrally but the Fullbacks options has fine depth now.

LB - Zaidu, Bruno, Collins and/or Bassey

RB - Aina, Osayi-Samuel, Ebuehi

JPes gotta just get the CB pair right and finally get the midfield balance that will instantly make the Super Eagles true Afcon Favorites.

Time will tell.

Kog45:
Sir Joebie,are you saying Lesotho and Zimbabwe are not great test in WC qualifier.

TheSuperNerd:
Hands still dey pain you? 😏

Amedino99:
I thought countries are allowed to play a friendly or two before the start of afcon.

NwaIdeato:
I'll put my neck on the chopping block by insisting that Iheanacho will really thrive in that #10 role if he's given the chance to realpt grow into the role. I know it was Sao Tome but I've always seen Iheanacho as a very cerebral attacking midfielder type of player who can play off the shoulder of our #9s (Awo, Osimhen, Boniface and Gift). When Iwobi returns, it becomes a question of how we can fit in all this plethora of attacking options (that will be Peseiros biggest puzzle and I don't envy him one bit). The dynamism of our attack is such that we might have to play more of a 352 formation to really bring out the best of our forwards.

And to think that Nathan Tella and Chuba Akpom haven't even joined sef.

Ndidi is finally growing on me, that new role he has been playing under Enzo Maresca as this ball progressing #8 has unlocked some crazy beast in him, his passing both on-and-off the ball looks so assured, even God knows we badly needed this Ndidi revamp cause he's a very solid player that needed the right coaching to unload his abilities and express himself fluidly.

Boniface, Awo, Osimhen and potentially Gift Orban will do some serious damage at that AFCON, with Ademola/Nathan Tella and Chukwueze on the wings.

I like Frank Onyeka's game, solid pivot in that midfield with very good attacking abilities as well, him and Ndidi will form a solid anchor, Aribo is still decent. We definitely do need 2-3 more midfielders to be finally complete in that department.

Our full back depth is really GOOD- Aina, Ebuehi, Bruno onyemaechi, Osayi Bright, Zaidu/Collins.

Center back pairings still a work in progress so the jury is still out on what the likes of Bassey and Jordan Torunarigha will offer...but veterans like Ajayi, Ekong and maybe Omeruo will be trusted to bring some stability to that backline at the AFCON.

I think we're few midfield tweaks away from being ready for the big stage, maybe Peseiro should look the way of either Fisayo dele bashiru, Kelechi Nwakali and perhaps one of the U20 boys.

solonnachi:
Why Jpes no play Jordan now?
Have we gotten an option to Iwobi in that midfield because I saw Iheanacho and Lookman doing a good job today?
Who will Jpes pick to AFCON from Osayi, Aina and Ebuehi for RWB?
Who will Jpes pick to AFCON from Sanusi, Bruno and Collins for LWB?
We need quality friendlies before AFCON.

Keep soaring Super Eagles!

Kog45:
When a coach agreed to pay cut then something was wrong….J Peseiro na dem dem coach nau.

AndSunGorilla:
Well Adebayor got both.

jihday:
oh, to play yes he’ll have plenty of it, I thought you meant opportunities to achieve things in football

elunico:
What are his chances of playing in the World Cup with Togo?

jihday:
this one na lie o

jihday:
mtcheew

Kog45:
Rohr na one dem dem Oyibo coaches that just need Africa countries to boost their CV,nothing more.

Cecco90:
This opportunities might only come in qualifiers. They ain't likely to come at the big stage like in AFCON and World Cup proper

komekn:
If Bendel insurance and Warri Wolves are playing and your get the player statistics of the game. It's essentially pointless 😒 because the football quality is very poor. Will you then say because the stats are good in that game, that player should be invited to the SE.

Do you think 🤔 if some teenagers scores 10 goals in local Sunday league of game, Chelsea are going to immediately run🏃🏿🏃🏿 to buy him⁉️

You need to see matters in objective context 😞then make an informed decision. You decision is emotive preference not quality objective appraisal.

Finally believe it or not many NPLF teams like Enyimba, Awka Warriors will flog Chavez FC. That's the perspective.

charlesemeka85:
Nwakali’s stats no Dey today?

solonnachi:
NFF may have removed the clause on inviting 3 home based players if not Orban and Boniface may not be in the team
My two major concerns are that midfield and GK. Why not invite Chiamaka Nnadozie

chrisooblog:
To be fair we have a major tournament coming up in 5 months time with only two international windows including this one we're entering available to assess players. So experimentation will be limited except in areas we have a pressing need. Admittedly midfield is a pressing need that needs addressing so Yusuf and Nwakali if they they keep playing consistently will I think get eventually invited if not for the qualifiers at least for the final afcon camp.

Nwamazi8:
Which fighting are the likes of Yusuf and Nwakali not doing right compared to Aribo and Ndidi? Yusuf is almost a regular for the Belgian champions Antwerp,Nwakali has been consistently playing well in Portugal...what other fighting can they fight? abi make dem use armored tank before they earn a call up?

I like how my question remains unanswered about a flat midfield completely devoid of creativity.

Nwamazi8:
A dead rubber game much less against Sao Tome (with due respect to Sao Tome) would have ideally been a perfect time to experiment with new players especially in that midfield, but here we are to another day of Ndidi, Aribo and Onyeka with the exception of Onyedika (who is a very welcome and much overdue invitation), but the frustratingly over-asked question remains- why the fu*k do we always have a thin-bare midfield? with no Iwobi where will the creativity come from? same old same old...and this is why I was very uncomfortable with the re-hiring of a donkey like Peseiro.

Even in attack we don't need Iheanacho and Moses Simon, I doubt Osimhen will honor the invitation cause I'm hearing he suffered a knock yesterday, Simon and Nacho are just needless, would have preferred trying for Nathan Tella. But I'm glad Boniface and Gift are finally in the mix.

Defence, Ekong and Ajayi are absolutely not needed, glad to see Ebuehi back, Jamiu Collins? not sure about that one tbh, was never impressed by the lad.

Overall the same consistent and recurring problems still exist even with the encouraging invitations of Jordan Torunarigha, Onyedika, Gift and Boniface etc

Koboko99:
List of invited players. No Musa or Shehu.
Zaidu Sanusi and Alex Iwobi are also missing

Marjoribanks:
Today na my birthday. I just say make I inform you! Omo, I don hold small oo!

Kog45:
Kai and we are finding it hard to have quality national team

Kog45:
And Nottingham signed Agbado in Awoniyi and Aina….Oga Charles I go fine you o.