₦airaland Forum

TheGoodJoe:
Eddie Howe is a small boy in coaching compared to Rodgers. Onyekuru will be better under Rodgers than Howe.

TheGoodJoe:
First of all, Congrats to Arsenal for a hard fought win. Wish them the best at the final.

Sad for the disallowed goal scored by Sterling. Watching the replay was heart breaking knowing the ball did not go out of play. My call for Video Assisted Refereeing continues.

I commend Guardiola for his hard work because the team played well today. Amazing Stamina, great build-up plays and confidence from Bravo. Superb ball playing skills. I must confess, very few can do it like him.

Missed so much chances, especially hitting the bar twice but I hope the players do not sulk too much. They should keep working on their game and the goals will come. Sad we lost Silva early also.

As for Iheanacho, big props to him for getting a chance. Shows the coach still believes in him. As for the earlier switch, Arsenal were pressing us at that time and the midfield change was perfect. It swung the game back to City's control. I already knew it was four subs and expected a last Nacho change.

Nacho fluffed the first chance he had to control but his second touch where he controlled the ball and spread it to his left was breathtaking. (I know the Nacho haters will not see it, as expected). He looked sharp but his mistimed run was bad. Shows with more clear chances, he will cause havoc. (I know also, the haters of Nacho will not notice that it is difficult operating in a compact defence when a team with a lead is sitting deep).

Advice to Nacho:

He should stop waiting for your teammates to find hin. He should find the ball. Watch the build-up plays and move towards the ball, not away from it. Be part of the build-up plays.

Keep working hard.

Impressive point:

Was his improved mobility. He used the wings well.

Wish Nacho the best.

#TeamNacho

Very good consolation post.

tbaba1234:
No game time is making him deteriorate. He needs a full season of constant football.

Icon4s:
I have seen how much Iheanacho has improved on the 'Drilling' ground.

Zero impact. The only time he got into position
his first touch (his major negative) set him back.

I am waiting for the TheGoodJoe to come and give us those his usual analysis oh how Kelechi pressed and moved each and every muscle in the game.

tbaba1234:
Lionel Messi?

TheGoodJoe:
Sincerely, grasp simple concept. The bench did not destroy KVB and Lukaku. As soon as they left, they were performing. Which means the routines at Chelsea kept them in condition and they kept improving. It is how hard the player works whether they are getting playing time or not.

So simple.

TheGoodJoe:
So you think it is a fluke that the likes of Lukaku and co. left Chelsea and started doing well immediately.

You can have talent but in the wrong environment, the talents diminish. The competition in Chelsea is high and it takes a lot of hard work to stand a chance to make it in the team.

As I said, even without regular time, KVB could walk into the starting line-up of Wolfsburg. It means a player can not have regular playing time and still be on top condition. The point is plain. I wonder if you understand what happens on the training pitch.

jamel9:
No mind am joor. Anybody wey won follow Thegoodjoe argue must get full battery and a powerbank, because that person is in for a long ride. So abeg, Thegoodjoe na mistake i take quote you ooo. Forgive me and save me from this ride, lol.

No be small thing.

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
By Pius Adesanmi.

I was fourteen years-old and in Form Four when I first encountered the Greek philosopher, Plato. No, I did not encounter him in the classrooms of Titcombe College, Egbe. I encountered him through Baba Adesanmi’s disciplinary regime: a hybrid of Roman Catholic, African-traditional, and Spartan colonial disciplinary methods.

Depending on the gravity of your offence, if he spared the rod in favour of a long-winding sermon (pure torture for us at the time), then you were in for two hours of philosophies, wisdom nuggets, and anecdotes drawn from a vast arsenal of Yagba, Yoruba, Christian, and Greco-Roman resources.

Your rebuke was delivered in an admixture of Yagba, Yoruba, and Queen’s English interlaced with a lot of Latinisms. As appropriate, Baba would pull out books from his vast library to support a point.
Baba Adesanmi was a bibliophile who built a vast family library spanning many fields of knowledge, notably literature, history and philosophy. He had supreme contempt for the unread mind.

Bola, you were not born to disgrace me.

(Silence for effect)

Bola, se o gbo mi ye? You were not born not to be able to stand out from the pack if your conscience and broader knowledge convince you of the rectitude of your position.

(More silence for effect)

Bola, have I ever told you about Plato? Then he broke Plato down for me like an alo - a Yoruba folk tale. Baba Adesanmi taught me about the Greeks and the Romans by breaking down material from their history, philosophy, and literature into abridged forms and then narrating them to me like my usual Ijapa folk tales.

What did I do to deserve the punishment of Itan Plato (Plato’s story) for nearly two hours as a teenager who would rather have spent that time playing football set with his peers in Form Four?

There was some disagreement between me and some of my peers (the boys) over some issue in R.L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Mr. Medaiyedu, our literature teacher’s test, was coming up. In the ways of stupid teenage boys, we agreed that if question X ever came up, we would answer it in a particular way. I had read and studied Treasure Island under Papa Adesanmi’s supervision at home long before it came up in Mr. Medaiyedu’s syllabus so I knew that the group answer was wrong.

Question X did come up. I answered it in solidarity with the group. I did not have the courage to shine the light, to dare to be different and right, because I had been to other spaces of that book and seen things they hadn’t seen courtesy of my father.

Obviously, Baba Adesanmi was scandalized that I nearly failed a literature test. Stupidly, I confessed to him that I knew the right answer but was afraid to go against the group, to open the eyes of the group to a superior reality, to take them beyond the limitations of their circumstances.

Instead of getting a few strokes of Baba Adesanmi’s dreaded pankere, I got a long talk about Plato and his allegory of the cave. And I was made to read an abridged version of it.

A lifetime of extensive readings and studies in literature, philosophy, classics, and other fields would, of course, later take me deeper, much deeper, into Plato and other philosophers.

As I gained awareness of the fact that Plato’s allegory of the cave is one of the most significant metaphors of all times in the history of Western philosophy and thought, as I discovered, during my undergraduate and graduate years, that many of the canonical figures of African liberation and thought such as Frantz Fanon, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ousmane Sembene, Amilcar Cabral, Eduardo Mondlane, Patrice Lumumba, and Thomas Sankara saw their own theory and praxis in the light of Plato’s allegory, I would wonder what in the heck was going on in Baba Adesanmi’s mind that he would expose a 14-year-old boy to such philosophical depths.

So, what exactly is this allegory of the cave? It is the most famous segment of Plato’s most famous book, The Republic. I will only offer an elementary sketch of it here for our purposes. I will omit details that are not central to our didactic purposes for Fatherland.

Plato imagines a group of prisoners chained to a wall inside a deep, dark cave. They have been chained to this wall their entire lives. Chains and darkness – that is the sum total of their experience. The only reality they know. They have been in the cave and in chains since birth.

Behind them is a fire and before them is a raised walkway. Outside, people pass by the mouth of the cave, carrying things on their head. The prisoners can only see shadows of that reality. The shadows they see also become part of their reality of darkness and chains.

Eventually, one of the prisoners escapes and goes outside of the cave. He is absolutely shocked to discover the world outside of the cave. He cannot believe his eyes. So, he has been living in ignorance his whole life? So, all the things that he and his fellow cave dwellers believed and thought about the world was wrong? So there is even a sun? And there are trees and animals? And there is civilization? And there are ways, much better ways of doing things ‘outside there’ than the only reality that he and his fellow cave dwellers have ever known?

His discovery of the sun is the most significant. Think of everything that Plato dumps into that metaphor of the sun. This man is coming from a cave where nobody has ever been aware of the existence of the sun - of light!

This painful discovery of the world beyond the limitations of his entire life leads to a resolve: he will go back “home” to the cave and take the truth he has seen and discovered to his people.

When he gets back to the cave and informs the other prisoners of his discoveries, letting them know that there are other possibilities to life, other realities outside of chains and darkness, when he tells them stories of reality and tells them that all they have believed their entire lives is false because it has been limited by their chains and life inside the cave, they do not believe him.

They abuse him. They call him names. They threaten to kill him if he attempts to set them free. They accuse him of insulting their world. They tell him they like it just like that. Did they complain to him? What is all this talk about a better life and a much better way of life he has seen elsewhere. It is not his fault. Shebi they are the ones even listening to him after he has betrayed them by going out.

Plato surmises that the cave dwellers will try to kill anyone who tries to free them from their ignorance.

What Plato’s allegory teaches us is that there is no alternative to education and enlightenment. He who acquires education and enlightenment is also a danger to the body politic of ignorance.

If ignorance is the only world somebody knows, you have no right to try to bring light into that world and expect not to be insulted, abused, scorned, and excoriated. There is a reason that the said ignorance is framed as a world in Plato’s allegory. It means you are saying that the only world that Plato’s cave dwellers have ever known is false, wrong, etc. You are “insulting” their world.

That is why you must have the patience to bear the insults and be possessed of the force of conviction to persuade them with the empirical and superior evidence of the superior worlds and truths you have seen.

Plato says that the cave dwellers will attempt to kill anyone who tries to free them.

Plato says education is the only superior force that can free them.

If you are privileged to be a medium of public education and enlightenment, fate and destiny have chosen you for a solemn duty to your fatherland. You have lost the right to such statements as:

I’ve given up.
They rain insults on me any time I write to enlighten them.
They are in love with their chains.

It is Stockholm syndrome.

This is precisely the sort of fatalism that those who turned your Fatherland to a cave and stole money to buy the chains to imprison the people want to achieve in you. If they cannot buy your voice and your conscience, they know that they cannot allow the risk of your enlightenment to radiate through the land and connect with the people. The next best option for them is to get you to point of existential fatalism where you give up. Once you give up because of the daily insults you get from their victims, you clear a conceptual space for them to store up dollars in every apartment in Ikoyi and Victoria Island.

Over the years, Plato’s allegory of the cave has also lost geographic relevance for me in terms of the physical distinction between in and out, home and diaspora. It has come to represent for me the chains and prison of the mind and the escape from it.

Gani Fawehinmi is also Plato’s escapee but he never left the cave physically. He just left the cave of the mind. Tai Solarin, Bala Usman, Eskor Toyo, Chima Ubani, etc, never left the cave physically but they left the cave of the mind and tried to bring the sun back into it. Oby Ezekwesili, Ayo Obe, Ayisha Osori, Joe-Okei Odumakin have never left physically but they left the cave of the mind.

I am saying in essence that being physically outside is not a precondition for gaining the elevated consciousness and enlightenment acquired by Plato’s allegorical character just as being physically inside is not a basis of exclusion from that consciousness.

Whether you are inside or outside, the acquisition of that consciousness in the context of the Nigerian tragedy is a privilege that should be deployed in the service of the people without question.

It is important to remember that those insulting you are not the enemy.

Our only enemies are the owners of the cave and the financiers of the chains.

We must remain committed to their total destruction.

maidaboi:
House does kelechi Iheanacho has dribbling skills?
cc icon4s,thesupernerd,thegoodgoe,forgiveness,tbaba1234,joebie,jotey,komekn,terzurum5,safarigirl,bascovenveli,joseph1013

komekn:
Bros the way football is going if you have not showed promise at 19 there is a problem.

I watched Aluko's Fulham give Villa a football lesson and to add insult to Injury, Ryan thier 16 year old left back scored, that's 5 goals in 23 games exceptional for a left back, who is still only 16.

Tammy is 19 and he is making a claim for much bigger things, 25 goals in the championship is not a joke. the two Dembele's making waves in Europe are under 20, Mbappe is 18. But I'm being harsh he is not on thier level. However, Awoniyi came with great expectations that he has so far failed to live up too.

TheGoodJoe:
I hold and share your fears. Believe me, I am as well conscious of the dicey situation Iheanacho is in. However, we can not close our eyes to the fact that without playing time, we have seen improvement in players screened off the team by Guardiola.

Aguero's recent spike in his team play happened when Guardiola left him out of the team for Gabriel Jesus.

We saw remarkable improvement in Yaya Toure after Guardiola brought him back to the squad

Samir Nasri looked a revelation after Guardiola brought him in as a sub in the second leg play off against Steau Bucharest. So remarkable he got to go to Sevilla, got the ten shirt and became a key player.

Caballero who was awful with his feet before the arrival of Claudio Bravo is now rock solid with his feet and makes picture perfect passes when under pressure.

Fabian Delph is the latest of them.

My point remains that I am interested in the result of working with Guardiola than just game time. Despite Nacho having little to no game time, I have zero doubt that he is developing at a fast rate. When he gets a run, we will tell the difference.

Elparaiso:
LOL, I love asking Christians this question. Why couldn't God just forgive us without shedding blood? They always answer with, "He is a principled God who needs order".

safarigirl:
How come you guys are not reacting to the Tammy Abraham and England dreams news? Abi una no see am ni?

Cc forgiveness, icon4s, tbaba123, joseph1013, bascovanveli, thesupernerd

Danycrusoe:
Me with Peter Rufai after the NNL game between Ikorodu v Go round today at the MKO stadium abeokuta

TheGoodJoe:


I Made it simple my man. Not complex. Mikel = Sleek player.

Another way to look at it is smooth. If you look at Maradona and Messi play, you can not call their play smooth. Definitely, you can tag that to Mikel and Busquets.

You like going around in circles.

You say player A is sleek and player B is not. I ask how you know a player is sleek and another is not, you say you don't care about generally accepted definition of football terms and that your knowledge is through years of watching football and that you have no outright definition source you can give me deriding Google in the process. When boxed to a corner about register in football, you say other commentators refer to sleek players and that shows you're correct. I say fine, and told you that those commentators regularly say player B is a sleek player. You say they are wrong and that if I watch player B, I cannot say he is a sleek player.

Bros, have you eaten this afternoon?

TheGoodJoe:
Haba. Blood Of Malachi.

So if you are watching match, are you saying the commentator has no right to say, "That is a sleek move"?

Just say you do not know and move on. I have done my best to make it easy for you. Next time you are watching, you can tell a sleek move without waiting to Google it.

TheGoodJoe:
So after watching football for years, you still need to copy everything without having an idea to explain it yourself. Na wa.

Give me an example of a sleek move.

TheGoodJoe:
Why do you think I tackle goldfish80 on just relying on articles and stats? I do my best to watch and understand what is going on. I did not cook it but tried to make it clear. If you go through it, you can see the difference.

TheGoodJoe:
I just told you what a sleek move is. If you disagree, tell me what you think a sleek move is.

TheGoodJoe:

A sleek move is like When Milner charged to Messi in one of the Barcelona vs Manchester City game and Messi, stopped waited as Milner charged to him, he said the ball in between Milner's legs. That is a sleek move but that is not regularly how Messi or Maradona play. The play more with pace. Messi plays the ball in a more mobile style.


When you take Mikel for instance, he has come under lots of criticism for playing in a sluggish way. In Nigerian slang, playing with too much yanga. That Messi move was a yanga move but not Messi’s style. Just like Maradona, they play in a more pacy style and take on their players with pace.

Just as Mikel can make runs with the ball, he is not a pacy player. He is sleek. Just as Messi can make a sleek move, he is not a sleek player.

List of sleek players

Mikel, Busquets, Alonso, Scholes, Pirlo, Ibrahimovic, Berbatov and Nzonzi. We can not put Maradona and Messi in that bracket.

TheGoodJoe:
If we are debating on something and you watched it, it is okay googling articles to support the claim. However, I find it disturbing when you are googling to argue something you do not understand.

TheGoodJoe:
Who told you flair and imagination is sleekness? You can run from pillar to post. I have simplified it for you. Delph is moving from a Rakitic style of play to a Busquets style of play. This change has improved him. It is like Onazi trying to play like Mikel.

The concept is too simple. Either you learn or keep googling articles. That article proved nothing. You can see the hammer on energetic runs. That is what Guardiola is cancelling.

If you like, keep arguing.

TheSuperNerd:
Well.... like I have always said.... we cannot get everyone... and not all can even play for us. The NFF and Coach Rohr did their best. So let it be known it was he who said No to us. We wish Lookman the best. He has a bright future in the game. He has made his choice......
Note: I also saw this story carried by ESPN..... well... that is it shaa....
.......................................................................................................


Everton Ademola Lookman Tells Gernot Rohr – I Want To Play For England Not Nigeria

https://owngoalnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/image-68.jpg


Nigeria have been dealt a serious blow in their quest to lure Everton rising star Ademola Lookman to switch allegiance to the senior national team of Nigeria.

Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has succeeded in luring players of Nigerian descent born abroad to pledge their future to the Nigerian team but Lookman has turned down his approach.


While Ola Aina and Chuba Akpom have given their words to Rohr about representing Nigeria, Lookman who is also a youth international for England has confirmed his commitment to the Three Lions of England.


Lookman told Dan Ashworth, the FA’s director of elite development, that he wants to play for England despite interest from Nigeria.

He hopes to represent England at the U-21 European Championship, and also has high hopes that he will gate crash coach Gareth Southgate senior side before the World Cup 2018 in Russia.

* Daniel Martins

Source: http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/04/07/everton-ademola-lookman-tells-gernot-rohr-i-want-to-play-for-england-not-nigeria/