₦airaland Forum

TheSuperNerd:
For a winger, what he has done in Scotland is basic. Nothing spectacular at all. He needs better figures and performances than that to get noticed.

Even Moussa Dembele of Lyon was in Scotland once and tearing things up but he never got the attention. He left for France and lad is now in the true eyes of scouts.

I am indulging you today because you just told a big gaff about Dembele. I need to set the record straight before you mislead the less informed here.


That's entirely and completely untrue the bold .

I have known Dembele for quite a long time. He has been the best youth player striker l have seen with my eyes up close and personal.

I have gone to matched with heads of recruitment of EPL clubs not top 10 clubs who simply said they could not afford him but would greatly desire to have him.


During one January transfer window Chelsea once offered £50 million for him but he and Celtic refused.

Before he went to Celtic he had multiple offers from EPL clubs. When he was playing U18 Manchester United wanted him he declined.

He was always thinking about long term progression and development not immediate monetary gains.

With regards to Ojo Newcastle once offered £10 million for him but Seyi and Liverpool refused.

What he has done is not basic, it's not just about the league but the club as well. Rangers as a club just like Celtic have a higher rating that exceeds thier league.

Don't forget that the darling of this threads club Villareal struggled against this lowly Rangers in last season UEFA cup.

Before Sone Aluko came to the EPL he played for Rangers, that should tell you something.

safarigirl:
the way that guy misconstrues every jocular post made with Tammy's name woild be funny, if it wasn't annoying.

He pours vitrol on Nigerian pkayers with ease, butvis quick to jump on any post about his English boy. Fake Warri boy, like Tammy. At least Tammy na omo ale with him full chest.

I want to presume you intended to say vitriolic.

Once again l will challenge you to quote just one post with vitriolic rhetoric against any Nigerian player.

But of course you will not you will go EVASIVE and hide.

You can make any assumption you like about me that's part of the entertainment of this forum.

With the same rationality on which TRIBALISM is based you have now decided who is a Nigerian and who is not. That's sad.

Earthquake1:
The English FA sponsored them through many age grade tournaments

True or false?

It is possible that my university sponsored me on multiple seminars across the globe. Am I now the property of my university for life. ❓

First of all it is the the club's that sponsor youth players to multiple youth tournaments from age 8 upwards.

From the outstanding performances in your club you get the honour to play for your country on a few you tournaments each year.

But the hard work, training, welfare, education and investment is done by the club's not the English FA, they only reap the benefit by taking the cream of the crop.

Bolowolowo:
Now, it's time for Osimhen to break little Tammy's legs.

See BAD BELLE completely uncalled for.

Tega Abrahams is a Nigerian too it seems your prejudice has made you forget that.

isan:
If na iheanacho or Kayode scored brace against Madrid we won't be able to keep up with the pace of this thread

100% correct the unbridled euphoric hysteria that will pervade the forum. You will think someone won the lottery and decided to dash 30 people on this our particular thread £10,000 each.

Earthquake1:
Agbolanhor, Solanke, Jordan Ibe,John Fashanu @ the bolded

Also these guys were born in England and raised in England, The English FA sponsored them through youth training and different tournaments.

We should be respectful of ourselves enough to have our own production line and not be seen as vultures that poach only when the talent has been groomed

First question is what makes you Nigerian ❓ Your place of birth? Your parentage?? Or where you were brought up.

First of all the statements you make in bold is totally untrue. Clubs invest in players with the intention to use and or sell them hopefully for huge profit.

Then you have players like Aribo who climbed up the arduous ladder of non league to Charlton like quite a few others.

So the idea that we are poaching i.e. stealing players is completely erroneous and without any substance.

Nigeria had the chance to cap Ademola and Ejaria as teenagers but what did we do Then most recently Eberechi Eze and what have we done .

My view the best players play irrespective of where they were born and or where they had thier football education.

Godsfavour78:
I said tackles and interception

yeah kante is better than him because kante is more handsome . Since you can't give me your reason with stats that back it up.

Not forgetting the main job of a DM

Stats don't tell you the complete picture they are indicative but not conclusive.

Fot instance in a weak team that will often Park the bus in a defensive stance against a much stronger offensive team.

You will find thier defenders will have more interceptions , blocks and tackles than the offensive team. Meanwhile the offensive team was expending energy and effort attacking.

I am sure you have seen games where one team had 28 shots on goal and the other team just 2/3. With the defensive team having all the stats for defensive actions.

For example do you know that Sol Bamba Cardiff city had better defensive stats than Virgil Van Duke. Is he Bamba therefore better than Van Dyke❓ So you see its not just about stats but overall influence and impact on the game.

See link https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-van-dijk-bamba-cardiff-15409190

Icon4s:
Today is my Birthday.
Wish me well guys

Happy blessed new year of your birth.

With thanksgiving to God and expectations for even better things to come.

May your sons play for Arsenal and the SE.

Not sure if this is true.

What is true is that these forgotten players are climbing thier way up to recognition with outstanding top performances for club and league.

charlesemeka85:
stats don't lie

Stats are not conclusive but highly indicative.

Essentially what l am saying is that stats tell us a part of the story but not the full story.

andrew444:
A good thing for Adekanye

I hope he want to play for naija sha

He made his commitment probably about two years ago.

Good move for him to go to Lazio otherwise he would still be playing U23 with zero chance of playing in the first team.

Essentially stagnating.

He speaks Yoruba fluently, l discovered this much to my embarrassment.

charlesemeka85:
Zouma is better but tomori is not far behind. Lampard knows tomori better cus he did a great job for his team last term in the championship.

Tomori has the potentials to metamophose into a beast of a defender in the future.

Zouma is a muscle bound top rated ENFORCER

However he is not technically astute and can't ball the same way Tomori can. Tomori fits the pattern and style that Lampard wants to play.

It's not a question of who is better

andrew444:
Lol

I said he can become better than Zouma

At least e don dey bench am

For the system and style of play that Frank wants Tomori is the better defender.

However, if you are looking for various muscle bound no nonsense ENFORCER then Zouma is your man.

Sometimes the question is not who is better but who best fits the requirements, structure, style and philosophy of the team and manager.

Eleniyan15:
Yes it obvious, I just love the way he play. Doesn't want defenders to catch their breath always ready same goes with chuks!!
I wish we can have a very good midfielder that can make us play 3 forward upfront

Eberechi Eze

timay:
The difference btw Ighalo and Osimhen is like day and night. Ighalo practically waits in the box for ball to come to his feet, while Osimhen make runs thereby create spaces for someone like Iwobi to pass the ball into for him, he also drops to the middle to help build up play, which is one of the hallmarks of the strikers of this era of football. Gone are the days that a strikers job is to stroll and wait in the opposition half, waiting for wingers or fullbacks to deliver ball to his feet to score.

A lot of Nigerian football fans indeed suffer from amnesia.

All the exploits of his 35 caps and dont forget the highest goal scorer in the just concluded AFCON.

Your diction is disrespectful, disdainful and makes it seems we football fans are shameless ingrates.

No wonder he retired he had enough of the HATE and RANCOROUS RHETORIC that was thrown at his person by our so called fans.

Well done.

Earthquake1:
Chris Houghton is a step down from Marco Silva

They are looking for Mourinho, or a foreign manager

I disagree look at Chris Houghton record over the years. He will bring much needed stability to the club without having to break the bank.

Mourinho is only successful when he has a huge amounts of money to spend.

They have had three foreign managers in recent times and they have not been able to exceed David Moyes.

Theu need stability and consistency they are never league contenders. However if they are not careful they can easily end up being Relegation contenders.

charlesemeka85:
How many matches did vardy start for england?

He played about 27 games not sure how many he started.

Opportunity gives you the ability to make a claim for more permanent selection. When you have positive impact then inevitably you claim position.

The starts are not that important. How many games starts or substitutions you have dint really matter it's what you do with them.

How many games did Yobo, Chukwueze have before claiming position, etc

zoboizee:
With Gernot Rohr, Nigeria's chance against Brazil is almost zero. You can't park the bus & play on the counter attack against Brazil especially when the space between your two center backs are so obvious that attackers keep running behind them( as we had it against Ukraine) every now and them. The old Rohr we know will probably keep faith with a defence of Awaziem, Ekong, Omeruo & Collins and a midfield of Ndidi, Etebo & Iwobi. The frontline will be Chukwueze, Osimhen & Kalu. Barring injury to any player.


Brother, i share your feeling. It irritate me watching Etebo play defensive midfield. I watched him at Warri Wolves, U23 Afcon, the Olympics & Feirense as an attacking player. The difference is so clear.

Agreed without reservation.

That's why it imperative that players take a step.back before joining a club and league. Then ask themselves a number of questions will I fit in with the football philosophy and strategy in this club. What happens if the Managers leaves❓ Is my style suited to this league etc, etc.

That is why it's possible to flop in one league and club than do much better in another. Slimani was essentially dead at Leicester has had a series of loan moves without impact. But he is doing good now at Monaco.

Joebie:
Aribo surprised Rohr.. But that only happened because of Ndidi's absence. Aribo won't have started.

For me that's the key issue.

Unless players are given opportunity how will we know that they are better or as good as the players already selected.

Another issue is that you may indeed be doing pretty good in your local club and league it may not necessarily transfer with same impact to the national team the SE.

Considering how good Vardy is with his blistering pace albeit very limited technical ability as well as skill. He has not been able to have the same impact in the 3 Lions.

Joebie:
Sentiments aside. Let's talk about complementary roles. Who compliments Ndidi better in midfield? We can count on Ndidi any day and time in terms of tackles and interceptions. Aribo has brought fluidity in the midfield and smooth transition to attack from what we have seen so far. So let's always talk about what new players can add to the team instead of pitching a player against the other. Can Zuby bring something new to the table? What kind of player do we need when Ndidi is not available? What combinations will work best and in what situations? Etebo has been more of the ball holder for us. I think we can be more progressive here if we talk more about the technical aspect of players, the chemistry, and how that can change the dynamics of our play.

I think you are being political correct and don't want to get tagged a HATER.

Nobody should be untouchable in the SE all positions should be up for grabs and competition that's how you improve IMO

Earthquake1:
FUN FACT

Iwobi is the 316th player to be subbed on and subbed off in the premier league

I didn't know that.

That's not a good sign it says the manager has lost his way and is getting desperate.

He is watching out for his termination notice at any point soon.

So bets on how long will Marco last before he gets
Fired 1,2 or 3 weeks❓ ❓

I speculate they are lining Chris Houghton to replace him.

Clementoke:
Esiti did well against Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa stadium. He helped quenched the attacking moves of the chipolopolo in the WCQ then.
My Opinion.

You know football is a very short term career you get few opportunities and little time to make use of them.

I looked at Esiti in the Ukraine game and what l saw was a player who was heavy and over built with muscle to me. He lacked fluidity, guile, anticipation and presence in those few minutes he looked like a liability.

Maybe he has done better in training and shows some quality and just had a bad game and or did not tune into the game quickly enough. To give him the benefit of the doubt. He got an opportunity but failed to make impact.

Now compare him to ARIBO immediate IMPACT that's how you claim position.

This is why I am so disappointed Eberechi Eze didn't play. It's posse hr could have flopped or blown us away we just don't know. He was not given opportunity.

jihday:
personally I'm not bashing him, I don't have anything against him but for someone to say he's better than Ndidi or he's some sort of Zidane-Modric-Kante in one body that's what I don't understand

It is impossible to discuss football without making comparison of players this is at the core of the discourse.

Comparing players deciding what attributes they have and can bring to the table of the SE. To then say that it's dislike, hatred and or player bashing is infantile reasoning in my opinion.

How else can you improve if you don't COMPARE. What may be disconcerting is when there is no objectivity but just sentiment. Or when people just make blanket statements without any substance.

If a player is better, comparable and or had some unique skill sets then explain with objectivity. Don't just say as some do here " l know he is better " but why and how NUTTIN.

Joebie:
Nwakali hasn't done badly with the U23s. However, he is not an SE material yet.

U23 is at best indicative of quality if you are 21 and you are still talking about youth football your career is on hold.

U 21 players these days are playing first team football if not at thier parent club then on loan.

Nwakali is constantly on the radar of so many fans here. There is no basis beyond old youthful glories.

Prectega:
Oshimen is slightly better than tammy

Na me talk am

How ❓ be substantive and not emotive.

tbaba1234:
Ebuehi played for just over an hour today for Benfica under 23. 62 mins.

Up from 45 minutes last week

Good new, however l know getting match fit and form take a lot of work. And it's not always immediate it's a gradual process.

realpoacher:
But you can be isolated when you are in a team that is performing excellently well... Abi?

Your double standards stinks to high heavens

It's still vice versa.

If you are in a good team and your team is doing excellently well you are not excluded from those successes.

In that context it's easier to assume you have good quality and be sold for big money. On the other hand you might be quite poor but your inadequacies camouflaged by the quality players in the quality club and league around you.

This is common sense vice versa approach you don't necessarily have to spell it out.

However, common sense is not always so common l guess.

Hence your preconceived negative prejudice is expressed in your comments. Not very sensible.

andrew444:
You dey find goal from full back abi? a guy of 25 years old, you no no wetin you dey find bros

There is no expectation to score goals because your first duty is to defend. If you can score it's a big bonus and will push you to the next level.

andrew444:
Agreed

But i am hopeful west brom make it back , i know its not easy and there are still long ways to go

The really good thing is that Ajayi is becoming a really good CB. This league is fast and physical and still technical, ball playing CB are like gold in the EPL. If he continues l see him in the EPL if not with West Brom then with somebody else.

Humility017:
Lol..
go check very well...
Everton always beat man city

You can't predict the EPL I watched Liverpool scrape a victory over Sheffield United. Theses carpenters fought like lions and it could easily have been lost by Liverpool.

Man city flogged Everton, l expected it because they have lost self belief and the team is in crisis.

My prediction is that if they don't win thier next 2/3 games Marco Silva will be sacked.

wayodude:

Premier league football will be returning to the Hawthorns next season, so Ajayi joined at the right time and has more than proven his worth.

Stoke will at best escape relegation from the championship. Etebo made a massive mistake joining them after having a decent world cup. On the back of a relegation near miss from the championship I worry what ideas his agent will come up with.

Simon Moses is unlikely to return to Levante. Sometimes it just doesn't work out for you at certain clubs, he will recognise that and stay away. If he doesn't then well, all the best to him.

Umar Sadiq needs a permanent home. Only then will we know if he is any better than what we've seen so far which really is underwhelming.

That's very very premature to make that prediction. The Championship as you probably know is extremely competitive.

How many clubs have been leading the Championship before Christmas and lost thier way by January. Leeds a classic example, Also Derby County, etc.

What's surprising to me is that two clubs jus recently relegated from the EPL are rooted to the bottom of the Championship. Meanwhile they still have the majority of thier players from the EPL.

Ajayi has found his true position in this team playing as a CB and not as a defensive midfielder for the SE.

chrisooblog:
the same mediocre weak link Collins lol I'm always happy when someone says something negative about a player almost immediately the player answer the person in the best way possible

Collins scores an absolute screamer of a goal

Possibly the third goal of his entire football career in Europe since 2013 it seems.

The modern fullback is expected not necessarily expected to score goals regularly but assists and defending are thier core delivery themes. Scoring is an added advantage.

Nonetheless, his team still got beat as was expected by Bayern Munich and they remain rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga.

He is still not outstanding in the Bundesliga and he still a WEAK LINK for the SE. NUTTIN change and neither has my view.

When your team is performing poorly unfortunately you are not as a player isolated from those failings. Although if you are outstandingly exceptional in your club and league then you may escape being tainted as lacking quality.