₦airaland Forum

chrisooblog:
Based on HERE and NOW of which you're the chief proponent Nottingham Forest is playing dour football. They could start playing sexy football this next match day but until then my opinion stands.

I didn't know you have started writing works of fiction because where have you seen me ever give excuses for Nwakali? I will take it you mistook me for somebody else.

My comments are not specific to you but in general to what is often said here.

Nottingham play what you call " dour" football not exactly sure what you mean. But I presume you mean unattractive football.

Well Burnley did that for almost a decade and had a good run in the EPL.

Fulham played on the deck sweet football in the EPL a few seasons ago but got relegated.

Teams will rather play ugly and win than on the deck sweet football and Lose.

AndSunGorilla:
Please try to get Onomah, Aneke, Onyedinma intobthe segunda using your connections sir.

Segundo division cannot afford any of them, well certainly not Ponferradina FC which is essentially bankrupt.

Just Tega alone his weekly wages is over the entire Ponferradina squads weekly wage budget .

Finally they would not descend so low when they can go to English league one and two and still get more money.

codemaniacs:
Nwakali is 5'11 and aggressive, there is no way he would be bullied..

Height is not speed, strength and or physical resilience with stamina and endurance.

Ngole Kante is probably 5"5 maybe less but he is one of the best midfielder in the world.

In all honesty Nwakali would absolutely struggle in League two

fabyom:
Nwakali is the only player right now that can play the Iwobi's role! Believe it or not. Passing, shooting and all round solid football techniques. He will make that great move to a big club next season. I promise you!

Since his exceptional exploits in the 2015 World U17 cup, that's near 8 years ago.

We are still waiting, Why are we still waiting for nearly a decade, is every coach in Europe blind. And only the NFF have � � two eyes❓ please explain, since you know more than anybody else.❓❓

Arsenal signed him on 2015/16 on a long term discovered " bad market" didn't let him stay at Hale End.

So tried to recoup and do some padding he went on loan to Maastricht in Eerste Divisie, 2016/17 did average he moved up to Venlo in the Eredivise 2017/18 but failed to convince anybody and January 2018 was unceremoniously dropped back to Eerste division with Maastricht who at the end of the season were not interested. He was essentially very poor.

2018/19 he had the indignity of having to play youth football with Porto B and was struggling to get game time.

September 2019 ,Arsenal found a get out clause and dumped him with Huesca , essentially the 4 year contract was up and he was let go.

2019/20 Huesca found him to be wanting in the low level Segundo and loaned him out to a even lower club in January 2020. He finished the season at Alcorcon quite anonymously nobody in the league was interested 2020/21

2021/22 he continued at Huesca with the ignominious accolade as lowest paid player in the team bar one player, he played 7 games or thereabouts for Huesca and even ended his contract prematurely in April.

This is the player you are calling outstanding.

Somehow and someway inexplicable he found himself with a career of mediocrity in the SE for the AFCON.

He has played 7 games for Ponferradina FC his new club 2022/23 and he is already getting accolades as being the next this and that and put on the same level and even better than Iwobi by some here.

Let's put things in context I truly believe if you brought some of our outstanding players from the NPFL they would stand out in this poor quality league.

If you brought teenage boys from the EPL academies they would stand out in this league and even generate interest in January transfer window and be gone.

I have been biased and unfair in dismissing several Nigerian origin players as being not good enough for the SE.

If we use the Nwakali bench mark it's not a question who will be selected for the SE but who will not. If you put Onyedinma, Onomah, Oviemuno, Aneke, Amos, Bashiru, Oko-Flex, etc, etc. In this Segundo league they will all look outstanding and way above this league.

So get things into perspective I will not talk about money that will be over kill. But a slight reminder Iwobi wages per week are double the wages of entire weekly wage bill of Ponferradina FC
.

charlesemeka85:
nwaka wetin? If he was in this game the Algerians would hv bullied him like a toddler playing against men

Agreed without question and or hesitation.

chrisooblog:
Like Andrew said you're over simplifying the issue.

Wages though a determinant is not the only way to judge a team's quality or lack thereof.

Everyone knows that teams in Spain outside the top 3/4 are financial lightweight so you can imagine how poorly paid teams in La Liga 2 are.

Compared to Championship clubs who enjoy huge financial windfalls. Most of the time they are able to buy a legion of players.

Look at Nottingham Forest for example despite buying almost 20 players during the transfer window the quality of their football is still dour.

I can bet the quality of La Liga 2 will still be decent quality in comparison to wages received.

Don't get me wrong Nwakali still has a long way to go in his career but sometimes learn to appreciate people's small beginnings. Didier Drogba and Jamie Vardy didn't enjoy the greatest starts to their respective careers but look at where they are now.

Nobody is saying you shouldn't give your honest opinions on a player but learn not to be absolute when judging how well a player will turn out.

First of all l lay greater emphasis on the HERE AND NOW in context.

When we say Lukuku, Kane, Vardy, Aubmyang are top strikers the word consistency is at the heart of It , because for over a decade they have been consistently outstanding, that's why they get paid outrageous Sims of Money.

Football is a short term career, so you have a very limited time span to prove your quality. First season can be excused, second can be compromised and third possible forgiven but at the fourth season. You are essentially written off until proven otherwise.

At this stage other players come into the equation for consideration. On the Here and Now principle in context.

On this Forum I once talked about Chuks Aneke, Fred Onyedinma, Tega Onomah, Moses Odubanjo, Dominic Iorfa, but I havent talked about them for maybe 3 seasons or more. Because they have not done anything of substance to merit a call to the SE, for a catalogue of reasons including injury and poor performance.

Which some of you here keep making reference to irrespective of how many seasons ago that was.

However, in comparison you give every excuse for Nwakali under the sun. You give undue preference, you even change the goal posts to accommodate him. You deny reality for fantasy. You create a unit of measurement that pertains to him alone, you enthrone mediocrity over quality.

After 7 years of football ⚽ your talent can not be hidden, it should be proven.

There is an intrinsic linkage between a players quality and monetary value that you cannot make irreverent. Once again because it's Nwakali.

You anchor ⚓ your deduction not on substance irrationality.

Last season Nottingham Forest with far less quality players in the Championship were able to beat Arsenal and flog Leicester city 4-1, in the FA Cup.

Do you think any Segundo division team could have beaten Leicester city and or Arsenal, l for one for one do not think so.

But you are quick to dismiss Forest as a team that plays poor quality football. Your prejudice had blinded you.

Finally I am not absolute about any player only God can do that. Nwakali may become the next Pogba but until he does we should stop the delusional fantasy.

Utonwanne:
There's no way his name will not pop out if we are to name 8-10 SE midfielders

Thars because there is blatant hypocritical shameless double standard that is prevakent here.

There was a time if l mentioned a Championship players so many would go up in arms. And scream bias and they are not good enough.

But here we are talking about a player who has done nothing of substance for 7 years

andrewbaba44:
Th financial capability of a team got nothing to do with footballing abilities ,so please be calming down okay .

Wetin concerning financial bankruptcy and Wetin nwakali fit do for pitch ?

Please stop being academic and get real

The core motivation for players is to get the highest pay available in what is a very short term career.

Good players cost money there is no way you can get around it.

This club Ponferradina FC is essentially bankrupt, weekly wage bill for the whole club is €37k with a €400k deficit in transfer fees. Who will you sign of quality with that kind of budget.

What you will get is poor quality free agent's, loan youth players ( not the top quality ones) and players with failing or retirement careers.

Bruv you get what you pay for. Na beta money kill Soup.

Imagine a whole squad of players weekly wages €37k, dothe the mathematics and reason it. Divide it among a bare bones squad of 22 players. Some will have to have part time jobs. Which better player can you buy, it's peanuts.

You are literally moving towards semi professional wages in England.

That kind of budget is reflective of English league two lower end clubs.

charlesemeka85:
tomori is the best English centre in europe this season so far. I see no reason why he isn’t starting for England of not racism

What % of players are BME � in the EPL. ❓

43% of all the players in the EPL are BME (Black and minority ethnic) Szymanski Report.

What % of BME players are at the top indices of performance indicators. Overwhelming numbers.

But consider this how many black players are team captains, even with black players in the far greater majority.

This is a reality in Europe and in general all countries that are not black .

Racism is intrinsic to society you cannot be escape it irrespective of your endeavour. You just have to frustratingly live with it .

Otherwise what's Maguire and Dier doing in that team and Tomori and Mings excluded.

Joebie:
After 42 games in La Liga 2 Nwakali would have played against all or most of the teams. There will be no questions about it then. Which is why I said we need that top quality he has shown so far to be maintained.

Nwakali is playing for a very poor level near Financially bankrupt team relying on loan moves and free agents.

The statement in bold is highly assumptive.

If Nwakali is doing exceptionally well and way above this poor quality level. Come January a La Liga team will come in for him or even a Bundisliga, Seria A , maybe even Championship team .

If he is not, he will remain there no amount of padding and Super delusional hype will get him out. In reality if they can survive the league they would have done well.

When your in a poor club , surrounded by poor players in a poor league. The reason you are there is you also are POOR. So when you're performing averagely within such mediocrity it's not progression.

Look at weekly wage bill Ponferradina FC in this division and that in itself tells you a story of the level of players.

Utonwanne:
So who would you like us to include in midfield department.

Every body who has done better than him should be considered on a balance score card no sentiment and then the best selected and tried.

zuchyblink:
you have already said my mind. At least for now they ain't going no where with Tchoumeni and Camavinga in Midfield same with Spain with Gavi and Pedri. Denmark were average at the last mundial,Serbia were below average at the last mundial, check the records.
It was during pre-Euro,Euro and post Euro that Serbia and Denmark started making significant improvement.
Lastly,Naija will go no where with Okoye and Uzoho between the sticks

Maybe it's time to look at at Arthur Okonkwo on loan at Crew but Arsenal player.

Joebie:
If we can mention Harland etc any naija player can be mentioned here o. Nwakali has started the season very strongly. He only needs to maintain it. Statistically, he has it, but we want consistent top performance for once. Truth is no one can argue for any other midfielder that is available and a regular, besides those already in contention for spots in SE.

If your team is well below mid table in the Segundo that's not a position of competence but failing.

You cannot then say you are doing outstanding in a low level league. And use that unit of low performance and competitiveness to determine quality thats mediocrity.

It's like saying Ndidi and KC are doing exceptionally well when, they are at the bottom of the EPL table. After 7 games it's somewhat a bit too early to make conclusions but they've not win a single game yet and have lost 6, they look like candidates for relegation.

In assessing players quality you need to look at the quality of club and league.

Ponferradina Nwakali club, is in Financial peril they cannot afford to buy players it's all loans, free players it's not a good benchmark for quality.

Philosopher1979:
iwobi and nwakali will be like Okocha and Kanu to use a Nigerian reference.
The two of them can combine to break any defence.
Besides if nwakali is not liked
fisayo dele bashiru
Ovie Ejaria
Alhassan Yusuf
and others
There are even players in our local league.
The problem is that these players are not in the top 10 leagues of Europe and so we dont
want to try them our but then we dont have many players in the top 10 leagues of Europe that
are midfielders.
Most of our midfielders have average careers in Europe and so in that
area we have to lower the criteria out of neccesity

By including Nwakali continuously on this forum, the bar has dropped to the floor. A player who has done nothing in 7 years.

If he can be considered then every Nigerian player in any second tier and or back water league should also be considered. This is not irrational.

Aribo came from league One to the SE has progressed consistently and is in the EPL. Nwakali has just gone been very consistent in doing the opposite REGRESSION even with his SE call up he has gone nowhere.

Therefore it is justified to consider every Nigerian origin player playing in any low level league and or club in Europe. That includes English league one .

But we dont, instead we have a fixation with national youth players , youth football is just indicative potential it's nothing to anchor ⚓ selection upon.

Napoleon55:
There is nothing like eye test.
These days are not like the days of
Ronaldinho,Okocha,Denilson,Robinho,
Ronaldo9,the young C.Ronaldo7,etc.

I think you are very wrong.

You are being very assumptive in your view.

Players who have the outstanding skill, flair, technique and dribbling skills of the likes you have mentioned abound in the game.

However, football has moved on, there is so much at stake. It's become a lot more disciplined, structured, strategic and physically taxing.

These players were known apart from Okocha for partying hard women, drinking, clubbing and even smoking etc. You cannot try that now you will not last two seasons and your finished.

They played to the gallery in those days sometimes selfish and tactically naive and very blasé and little discipline.

Players like Mahrez , Raheem, Gabriel but you try all that show boating and unnecessary skill, you will chop bench for two weeks. Pep will not tolerate nonsense.

It is the same for most clubs now team discipline and strategy are very strict.

Even the Brazilian no longer do all that show boating s the used to . You could say football had lost its soul and become too strict and structured and not so much fun.

I have a nostalgia for that type of football but it's gone now and machines like HAALAND are dominating.

elyte89:
D reality is we need nwakali seriously till we have a better candidate,forget where he’s plying his trade at d moment..,dt AM/CM position needs serious backup...from write ups here,Alhassan is also a destroyer

Here we go again SERIOUSLY �

Mujtahida:
Talent was for old football with its emphasis on flair and beauty. Today's football doesn't require much talent. Just know how to run and be intelligent with passes. Dazzol

Say that to Saka, Smith Row, Pepe, Mbappe, Neymar, Zaha, etc etc

Maybe you should get an eye test because it's apparent you are not able to see properly.

gannod:
Honestly, these home-based keepers are better than these foreign based. Unlike these foreign based that got into the Supereagles on a platter of gold, the home-based work very hard for their call-ups. I will put part of the blame in the NFF. The goalkeeper of the 2015 victorious u-17 should have been monitored by the NFF. He should have been helped in securing a good club in Nigeria and made an understudy in the Supereagles since 2015. By now, he would have been exposed to top-flight football.

The basis for national team selection should and is mostly based on consistent outstanding top level performance in your club and league.

If you played youth football you need to transfer that skill set to the senior game it's not an be assumption.

In 2009 Nigeria played the U17 world cup at home, out uncle almost won it.

The Brazilian team didn't go far in the competition but thier players have like Coutinho and Neymar to mention a few .

Danielnino00:
Chriskels and thesupernerd have spoken about Lesley Ugochukwu here..He was mentioned a few days ago..
Where do you even get all these lamba from??

The way you're lamentating, you sound like everybody here is calling for Nwakali to be invited and given automatic starting shirt...

In comparison to Nwakali thats the central theme.

Of course he has been mentioned but not the way World class midfield maestro Nwakali stuck in obscurity for near a decade is continuously.

Emmy450:
I agree, undiluted fact. The lad is on an upward spiral, let's give him time maybe this full season, and then he should be eased into the national team set-up and subsequently the starting 11.

So also is every Nigerian player in Europe who has played half a dozen games for Thier club side.

So why should his case be given preference and prominence when he has done nothing for 7 years essentially.

What about the hundreds of players doing better and or comparable, not a word said for instance Lesley Chimuanya Ugochukwu.

Kog45:
Una don start Charles abi.... continue.

Fact remain,Nigeria have Iwobi,Ndidi,Aribo,Onyedika and Alhassan doing it in division one and Nwakili doing it in division two would make it difficult for Peseiro to invite him,reason I said Nwakili need a good platform to showcase but some said NO.Honestly so far[b],Nwakili this season is better than last season[/b],if he keeps the momentum on I see him in La Liga or any top league next season but if he misses out,then he should forget it,hope Onyedika can seize the opportunity against Algeria.

Outstanding quality remains quality it doesn't hide .

Back to my long standing proposition, "Better a Lion in a lower league and club than an anonymous mouse in a top club and league "

The blatant delusional double standard that surrounds Nwakali beggars belief. It is also hypocritical.

Dude has been swimming deep in mediocrity for over 6 years and he has a few games for a low level club in a low level not so competitive league Segundo. And some are giving him accolades like he is the new Pogba.

The Austrian and Belgium league are better but they are not in the top 5 in Europe.

There are several Nigerian origin players in Championship which is just as if not more competitive than some of those league. But not one word about them.

Since we decided to enthrone mediocrity why have we not heard anything about such players but we keep talking about a player who all he has is U17 youth cup glories. It's bewildering the level of emotive favouritism.

And many here were vociferous lambasting me because I talked about Oviemuno, Onyedinma, Onomah, and Chuks years ago.

But nobody talks about Championship players like Afolarin Alese, G. Osho,T.Iroegbunam, Rasheed Anjorin, Akpere-oghene Ekpiteta, Luke Amos, Bashiru, etc ,etc. l really do not think any of these players are SE quality.

But we have lowered the bar so low ,why shouldn't they all be part of the discussion if we can be talking about player who still hasn't done anything in 7 years.

People even talk about players in back water league of Europe with a 20 rating.

Cause essentially Nwakali may not be better than any of them , that's the double standard and hypocrisy.

Danielnino00:
. Another lamba .. just like the"Marko" gaffe

You have already been over taken be events and you are operating in past.

I made a mix up with AFCON and World Cup qualifiers which I've already a few pages ago, corrected.

You are now clutching at straws , how many years ago did we talk about Marko, a players I had watched in 2018 playing for the U23's at Liverpool with an atrocious attitude. And it was made clear to me then he was never going to play for the first team.

My opinion remains the same.

Onyedika, Alhassan, Tijani will not make the Arsenal bench in the HERE and NOW. If that's what you call false hood then you need to go back to school.

I noticed said Bundisliga and didn't qualify it with Austrain Bundisliga.

These are just minor omissions that could be considered ambiguous but FALSE absolutely not.

They are not material or pertinent to the main subject which is simply these players are not good enough for Arsenals midfield.

Danielnino00:
You know too well that Komekn goofed with his statement..He has made several false claims on this thread in the last few days, why didn't you leap to his defence in those ones too?
Because this one concerns Nwakali abi?

At the AFCON, Eguavon played 4-4-2 .. Ndidi and Aribo were the first choice midfielders... Would you have dropped your favorite Aribo for Iwobi? Iwobi was off form around that period,don't forget...He was dropped to the bench and came in the second half..

Tell me just one FALSE Statement not several .

A claim is not necessarily a statement of FACT but perspective and in this regard opinion.

kingphilip:
Which of the qualifiers please?

Hope it is not against Ghana?

Qualifying rounds of the group stages of the AFCON 2021.

In reality it was an ambiguity of misrepresentation with the term qualifiers.

charlesemeka85:
The same way iwobi suffered lost of form and criticism even some rated 2nd tier players ahead of him, some brandished shit with claims he is only opportune to play in the epl because he is English groomed but today Alex is proving many wrong and is recognized as one of the best CMs/CAMs in the league this season so far

Many we hyped/hyping will be fulfilled if they achieve half of what Alex hv achieved in a top league like the epl in their careers

Agreed without question

charlesemeka85:
mk una calm down for once, ndidi will bounce back

Injuries and lack of form are bound to occur in sports. He shouldn’t be written off just because is bad form which was caused by injuries he sustained last season

The same ndidi hv been consistent for the past 7-8 seasons from Belgium to England playing non stop until injuries slowed him down

I wonder if our some of our favorites languishing in obscure and 2nd tier leagues can boast of ndidi’s consistency and rating since he left Lagos for europe many years ago

Ndidi has been consistently outstanding with his particular attributes and skill sets.

However, injury has resulted in a downturn performance in recent times . He is isn't the same player, will he get back to form. I think he will.But it's going to be very difficult his team is at the bottom of the table. And Brendan looks like he is about to be sacked.

andrewbaba44:
Iwobi is really doing something spectacular

And he was dropped for a master midfielder with incomparable talent in the qualifiers. Who so good he stayed in the Segundo division and his club tried to end his contract prematurely.

Only the NFF get eye.

Utonwanne:
Life.

There was a time Mr. Kome. Kn no really allow us rest.

Iorfa
Fred Onyedimma
Seyi Ojo
Ovie Ejaria
Bobby Adekanye.

How time flies!

When was the last time I mentioned, Onyedinma, Iorfa, Aneke, Onomah ❓Second question how many times have I actually even talked about them.

With regards to Adekanye I never regarded him as SE quality just a possibility and I made just passing reference to Ojo.

You forgot to mention Carney Chukwuma, Fikayo, Lookman, Oviemuno, Adarabioyo, Folarin, Olise, etc

I make reference to players doing good in the HERE and NOW.

What I don't do is give continuous accolades and hype to players who have remained static and are doing little or nothing in backwater leagues of Europe.

The justification for selection has to be outstanding consistent exceptional performance not projected expectations from assumed talent.

Consider the ridiculous over hype many have given to Nwakali, who has done absolutely nothing in 7 years .

Yet the players I've stopped talking about are considerably better than him. Then some misguided person steeped in negative bias and prejudice claim I show favouritism to players of Nigerian origin born in the UK.

Joebie:
27 year old Dominic Iorfa in League 1. If he had chosen Nigeria back then it would have helped his career. We were in need of RBs at the time and he was a super regular in the Championship.

I don't think so.

He was on the verge of transfer to a EPL club and g of y by injured. He has been battling several injuries for the past two seasons.

Never been able to get long run of by games for sometime now.

charlesemeka85:
it won’t be bad having him in the mix

I really want us to hv few new faces in our centre back positions. The trio that deserves to be in that team based on form current are just bassey, ajayi and akpoguma

If Moritz and any of adarabioyo or uduokhai can switch to us it affords more options in that position for the head coach as well as quality competition. It won’t be bad having players doing it in bigger clubs and leagues in that position which will yield quality

Hv not seen the lad play before but had a glimpse of his playing style on YouTube and he isn’t bad at all. He can play with both legs, good aerially, decent tackler and passer of the ball. He is just 23 so the chances to improve is there

Imagine having centre back options as listed below

Ajayi- Westbrom
Basey- Ajax
Akpoguma- hoffenheim
Adarabioyo- Fulham
Torunarigha- gent
And maybe moritz/uduokhai- Celtic/Augsburg

That would be fabulous

andrewbaba44:
Lucky at molde
Lucky at Dortmund
Lucky at mancity

Lucky with those champions league goals at a very young age

Interesting

Please let us begin to coach luck so Nigeria can be lucky and win the World cup if we qualify.

Joebie:
Which is your top pick?
Modified
Even in Hungary, Esiti is not a regular.
Regulars only please that churn stats

Agboyi clubless since 2020

Luke Amos nor played since August.

My bro only Bright Osayi is a reasonable candidate to monitor

Osayi has always been a winger forward player from day one .