₦airaland Forum

Great goal.

But we shouldn't get complacent need more composure and control the game better.

We should not so jittery and nervous particularly in defence.

darkelf:
Why are some of you bent on starting Mikel.

Someone who just came back from injury and may not be fully fit. Someone who has shown how much he has regressed. Why na

We didn't really miss him in our last game. Pet him come of the bench for now please

It's not that l think that Mikel is greatest but Iwobi doesn't inspire enough confidence.

If Mikel can turn back the clock and play at 80% of his known abilities, l will prefer him to Iwobi. Then when Mikel is exhausted we bring in Iwobi if things go to plan.

It's making best use of what we have.

Earthquake2:
Iheanacho is back at Leicester training ground

Kole Toure really nice guy now assisting Brendan.

BascoVanVeli:
Look at your comment. Didn't you say you can't get a top championship fullback with that type of money?

Na wah 4 u sef.

Which football school u go?

A top championship full back, implied in the descriptiive terms means tested and proven.

Most expensive full back in the Championship is Ryan Ssegnon, a bid for £30 million rejected by Fulham from Liverpool 2018.

Is Mahrez a full back for goodness sake Haba.

Was he tried, tested and proven in the EPL before he came to Leicester, even lowly Kilmarnock rejected him In Scotland.

In comparison Awaziem was tried, tested and proven in the French league one over a whole season and found to be worth what ❓ Doesn't that tell you something about his supposed OUTSTANDING QUALITY .

But you will with blinded biased sentiment argue something that is not underpinned with the facts on the ground.

But then you are a true fan, fanatical to the core but devoid of rationality.

Jarus:
My biggest fear going into the game vs SA is our error-prone defence and goal keeper.

I think Ndidi and Etebo need to up their game and provide solid cover for the defence. I think Ndidi should permanently sit deep and not go forward.

Something tells me Musa will be our joker today. He has shown it before. I believe he can rise to the occasion again today.

I think Nigeria thrives better in games like this.

Our best formation of things go to plan for me is the 3-5-2

The three man defence of Omeruo - Balogun - Ekong

Two wing backs of Simon and Aina

Midfield trio of Etebo Ndidi and Mikel furthest forward.

From three of Chukwueze - Ighalo - Musa

Chukwueze will have to quickly learn team formation discipline, team play and END PRODUCT to support your other forward players.

Etebo and Ndidi have diesel engines they can run and cover ground all day to support the much slower Mikel who has to bring his A game as the Odogu.

Wing backs should attack when possible but keep thier shape and not be drawn in by the intricate midfield play of SA.

Ighalo is our Drogba, Musa and Chukwueze better learn how to cross with accuracy.

My prediction 3-1 to the SE.

However if things get tricky we can take off Mikel bring on Onuachu to combine with Ighalo and let's go dogs of war police game and get physical in a 4-4-2 formation.

May not be pretty but l don't mind winning UGLY.

BascoVanVeli:
Tottenham bought Trippier for the exact same amount.

What's your point

Mahrez came from Le Have to Leicester city for £400k.

What's the direction or purpose of your comment, what principle are you highlighting.

ChrisKels:
U mean the kinda speculations that have made Iorfa and Onyedinma rot in the abyss of the championship and league 1

Your depth of insight, understanding and wealth of football knowledge is startling indeed you are an icon.

Our two best Midfielder arguably in the AFCON play in abyss of the Championship, Mikel and Etebo. What a wonderful abyss it must be.

Please we need to encourage more of our players to come to this Abyss as it does a world of good for thier careers it seems . I know even Onazi tried to leave Turkey to get here but it sadly didn't work.

Danielnino00:
Oga..do ur findings well...Nantes wanted to sign him permanently after his loan deal expired...Porto were asking for too much... And they refused to let him leave on loan unless he signed a new contract which he did in January..

his case is just like.Lookman's

I know Porto well and a lot of the top clubs in Portugal all these clubs have a business model and it includes selling players once they can get a good price.

Ademola Lookman is a player that Everton still want otherwise they would have accepted the CONCRETE OFFICIAL OFFER of £28 million. In addition there were multiple offers from a duplicity if clubs for Ademola.

Nantes is not a big club in the context of Financial muscle, they offered what they thought he was worth £3.5 million if I'm right. Who else wanted him❓ The price offered tells you his rating by the club after a season in the French league one. That should tell you something as well.

You cannot get a top RB on the English Championship for that money.

TheGoodJoe:
That is to you. Speak for yourself, not everyone.

I used the diction to me, that means IMO.

OMANBALA1:
Rohr team is star studded.....EOD.

Very simple comparison with unit of measurement being quality of league and clubs as well as level of experience of the players.

Compare the club's and league Keshi players played in including those excluded.

And then compare to Rohr current team and even those excluded if you like.

If you do that you will be forced to zip your mouth � in confirmatory silence.

Earthquake2:
Did you watch the Cameroon game, Aina switched off and was bypassed for the goal

It is not new knowledge

From beginning to end.

And that's not true.

Omeruo had a routine long ball directly in his pathway the Cameroon striker was in front of him, he then mistimed his header and what was elementary defending became a big gaff. He got bullied and lost the ball.

Aina rightly so anticipated that it was a ball that Omeruo should deal with very comfortably. However he did not, and Aina had to backtrack and try and salvage the situation from Omeruo big gaff.

That's why he nearly conceded the penalty in his attempt to tackle the Cameroon forward player.

The diction you implied that Aina always that means continously looses concentration. And as a result Awaziem is much better than him.

Can you give several incidents because you have not given one yet. Or remain negatively biased and prejudiced as you have not substantiated your position just shown your shameless bigotry.

forgiveness:
Keshi had more talented and experienced players than Rohr.

Agreed without reservation

charlesemeka85:
oga you lied, keshi gave iheanacho conditions to sign with his management team before will grant him a chance in the chan team.

martins was doing very well in laliga and continued with the same form when he moved to the mls but was only invited once in a game the team performed poorly.

odemwingie was in top form in 2013 but was snubbed by keshi citing indiscipline, same goes to taiye taiwo who was a mainstay in dynamo kiev that had haruna lukman and brown ideye.

what about the case of inform youngster imoh ezekiel?

do you know keshi almost dropped yobo and odemwingie from the 2014 worldcup list if not for the intervention of the then nff chairman?

why did an inform sone aluko who was hot in the colors of glasgow rangers in scotland prior to the 2013 afcon but wasn't given a chance?

at the time haruna lukman was a regular and aside mikel,onazi and i will say to an extend igiebor was the most inform nigerian midfielder in europe but was never given a chance by keshi.

what about john chibuike who was doing very well for norwagian giants rosenborg as of the time?

Most people don't want to hear the truth it's too BITTER for them to take in.

Small correction; lt was not the NFF chairman who intervened for Yobo it was actually Goodluck "J". With regards to Sone Aluko (who was in the EPL with Hull), a particular Bullish NFF assistant coach demanded that he change his agent and use his agent then go to Turkey ☪ of course Sone refused. The result frozen put of the SE.

Danielnino00:
Awazeim shouldn't dull himself o...He should follow Aina and Omeruo footstep and cut ties with Porto...He don't lack offers if he does...though I think he signed a new contract this year....

Speculation and concrete offers are not the same thing.

If a club really wants you they will pay the price to get you no matter what it is.

Awaziem had a whole season in the French league 1, if he was outstanding as some have said here. He would have had concrete offers not speculation in the media.

Why do you think he ended up in Turkey ☪ because he was too good for the French league.

Sometimes people here like to fantasise and not face reality.

Icon79:
h my goodness, I have NEVER seen a coach who bash his players the way Gernot Rohr denigrates his players. First it was Iheanacho and now it's Osihmen. Even if you have something against your player, do you have to broadcast it to the entire world? This man should have been fired immediately after the Argentina mach.


O pari

I would not describe that as player bashing.

We asked the question why they have not been selected and he described thier individual attributes and why those attributes don't add anything to the team.

He saying what everyone who has eyes can see.

TheGoodJoe:
Aguero, Suarez, Forlan, Tevez, I will take any day over the likes of Lukaku and Balotelli.

I like Pounded Yam you like Spaghetti, Quarell No deh.

Oyibo man lol

Earthquake2:

This may be a blessing in disguise Aina has concentration issues and Collins is a better defender

We need to be on our toes against SA wingers

Where, When , How substantiate your position otherwise you are being blatantly prejudiced

darkelf:
In fact, the part where he says the National team isn't a place to build career got to me

So, Onuachu playing in Denmark is better than Osimhen playing in Belgium.

The only worthwhile argument is physical strength and height which Onuachu may have better than Osimhen but apart from that, I don't see any other better quality

You have brought two separate issues into this discourse.

I will go back to my proposition adage which I have stated time and time again, i will remind you. "It is better to be a Lion in a lower league and club than anonymous mouse in a bigger league and club"

Both players have earned their call up to the SE, more of a reflection of lack of quality strikers in the SE comparative to years gone past than actual outstanding ability.

However, Onuachu has been consistent for near 5 seasons of professional football in the Danish league playing for arguably their best team FC Midtjylland, he has been if you like their "Star Boy" ended up in the top 5 goal scorers in the league. In comparison Osimhen has had his first full season of competitive first team football and ended up in the top 10 scorers in Belgium league.


It is superficial subjectivity to assume that because Osimhen plays in the Belgium league he is therefore better than Onuachu it is not so simplistic.

But first of all irrespective of league or club what can they bring to the table, and what is needed on the menu for us to have a good chance of winning in the AFCON. First, ingredient is physicality which Osimhen does not have. In terms of skill and technical ability there is no over all leader between them, the only attribute Osimhen has is speed i assume over him, i am not certain.

Let me give you something to ponder, if you put Onuachu and Osimhen in the very physical and intense English Championship who would have the advantage, do you think and or perform better We can extrapolate further and ask the question if Onuachu was in the Belgium league would he be among the top 5 top 10 or simply not be good enough What do you think

Celtic is in the Scottish league rated 20 in Europe but they are regularly able to sell thier players to the best top level clubs in Europe. So although Celtic is in a low level league the club it as a club is not so low. With the same principle in mind, consider the lowly pedigree of Danish Superliga and the performances in Europe of FC Midtjylland compared to the much higher placed Belguim league and Charleroi, which then is the better club


Just to get you to think with a bit more depth, FC Midtjylland is ranked a very lowly 75 among the top 100 clubs in Europe , however, Charleroi does not even make the list. However, these ratings are far from conclusive they don't reflect the here and now but past glories over the past 5 years plus. At best indicative and food for thought.


As it stands in conclusion, for the purposes of AFCON and the team managers strategy Onuachu brings far more to the table.

TheGoodJoe:
Ighalo is a good striker and brilliant in taking his chances. I feel we have sharper options if we play possessively with purpose and intent.

I think in a more adventurous system where we require more of clever play, explosive forward movement and quick tempo finishing, we have other strikers who can offer more.

However, Ighalo fits in Rohr's system as a glove and with a bit more bravery of the team, he excels.

WE DONT HAVE ANY STRIKER BETTER THAN IGHALO RIGHT NOW so the possibility that of offering more does not exist to me.

OMANBALA1:
So, Osimhen did not earn game time?? Remind me the league where Osimhen plays and Ighalo. The only reason Ighalo is starting ahead of Osimhen is based precisely on super eagles experience. It has nothing to do with club form.

You jumped in without understanding the context and to whom my response was directed too.

darkelf:
I am also been realistic too.

Ighalo playing almost 90 min every game and then bringing in Onuachu all the time while not giving Osimhen a chance to come off the bench in't helping his career. Same with Onyekuru. These guys deserve at least 15mins/match due to their club form

Reality Check he dies not deserve anything, you earn game time. It is not a RIGHT

The SE is not the place you build your career.

The SE is recognition of outstanding quality performances in your club and league.

Thier club form reflects the requirements of the league and club but not the requirements of the SE and in this AFCON.

charlesemeka85:
hahahahahahaha! ighalo have distinguished himself in robust and physical leagues like the championship and the epl so there is no way you can compare oshimeh to ighy. with all due respect the belgian league is a good enough league for upcoming talents but as a player you will only be taken serious if you move to perform in tougher leagues.

rohr at this stage of the competition will never try such gamble to start an oshimeh when there is a lot at stake and if he tries such you guys will reap him apart if it backfires. i have nothing against oshimeh but to be sincere he wont be a handful for defenders in the african terrain for now.

if inconsistency should be determined with ighalo's form in the national team for the past one year then i prefer deploying inconsistent strikers if i were to be rohr

Agreed without taking a pause to chop my Banga Soup and Pounded yam.

jihday:
Top Drog was pacy tall and strong, his strength was one of his key attributes and helped him bully defenders in the epl. Rhor wanting osimhen to be strong is for his own good, imagine Osimhen against that Senegal defender who plays for Napoli that one go pocket am na

When the suggestion came by some who lack understanding of the game to have Osimhen to lead our attack.

I said then that Cameroon go take Osimhen do Suya. My view has not changed just been confirmed by the national team coach of the SE.

chrisooblog:
i'm a big fan of mathematical but this is wrong especially at this time when we are in the thick of competition. ok what if rohr coaches the team to victory what will he now say?

everyone has different temperaments and coaching styles if big Seg were a coach he would know this

Agreed and totally unnecessary at this time. Particularly considering his standing in Nigerian football such behaviour is not helpful.

ChrisKels:
Osimhen is fitter than Tammy Abraham. Now I know why Tammy has always failed in the Epl

Look at the infantile response you have given now if you were in elementary school it would be understandable.

You really show the depths of your prejudice and unrestrained bigotry.

What has Tega Abrahams got to do with this discussion.

You really do have issues.

charlesemeka85:
they are terrains in soccer games where powerful and robust strikers strive and Africa is one of them. no right thinking coach will bench ighalo for a rookie like oshimeh in a competition like the afcon. oshimeh is a wonderful talent but does he have the mental strength considering his young age and frail physique to shoulder and the responsibility of spearheading the teams attack in a competition like the afcon? does he possesses the aggressiveness and physical strength to strive when deployed against opposing African defenders who are known to be aggressive,robust and powerful with a no nonsense style of play approach?

to be in the afcon is a good developmental route for the lad and the exposure will aid his progression in his career. he is primed to head the teams attack in the nearest future but for now he is still in the learning process. moreover he needs to move to another league to prove his self which will endear more trust in the heart of the coaching crew to hand him the responsibility to spearhead the teams attack in future engagements

Oleh ! Oleh !! OLEH !!! You be thief OH, you came into my mind and stole those words from me .

charlesemeka85:
every coach has the idea of players that will strive and suit their philosophy. kanu even with his lanky nature was a classy and intelligent player who didn't score much but decisive when it comes to delivering the final ball. no sane coach will ignore kanu's skills and football brains if he is blessed with such luxury in the national team.

there is no way you can compare onyekuru and oshimeh's issue in the national team to the great papilo who was far intelligent and skillful on the ball which made him to be a bit versatile ie can be deployed as a 9 or an 8.

na flair you want abi na winning? morocco and their flair where are they now? do you know super eagles are among the team that have displayed good football in the ongoing afcon?

Agreed without any iota of reservation.

Kanu himself no say he know hold ground, so he devised away to avoid physicality, CRAZY SKILL and DECEPTION

ChrisKels:
Lukaku is the opposite of everything u wrote there, maybe younger but lanky Lukaku wasn't. All what u wrote best describes Osimhen, younger Lukaku and Baloteli of inter

Maybe because you dont know Lukaku, i do.

From age 12 he has always been the biggest and strongest started playing under 16 at 12, played first team football at 16 in the Belguim league and killed it. Lukaku has always been big and strong it hampered his development because his touch is not that good. None of the players i mentioned were weak and lanky.

you could argue that Yekini seemed a bit lanky but he was as strong as an OX.

Earthquake2:
You forgot that Wingbacks stay basically in the midfield, a long ball eliminates them from the equation and it will be South Africa attacking trio versus our defensive trio

Go and watch Cameron's second goal Aina was in a wing back position when the goal was scored

And Omeruo didn't deal with a very basic elementary long ball clearance, that he should have cleared, instead he mistimed hi header and got bullied, then Aina was running back to cover for the mistake made.

Clearing long balls from central defence is the bread and butter aspect of defending for a CB its a basic requirement, but against Cameroon Ekong and Omeruo struggled. This is cause for concern, SA will be studying those matches and will single out Awaziem as a weak link ( no pace) among other things. And our inability to deal with set pieces and long balls comfortably.

Balogun has his own problems an in and out season in the EPL has left him match rusty, but i may prefer a trio of Omeruo, Ekong and Balogun, with short head Simon ( This his shortness is not an advantage) as a RWB and Chukwueze playing wing and on the other side Aina LWB.

The midfield picks itself because we have little or no options. Ndidi, Etebo, Iwobi. Ogu is just too slow to have impact in a fast paced game like this.

front three no contest Musa IGHALO and Chukweze as the front trio, i am sure Chukwueze can be tutored on the importance of team formation, and not being a maverick, the need to backtrack and correct decision making with end product.

If thing get desperate we can change formation 4-4-2 with Onuachu behind Ighalo and resort to police game as i think SA'S midfield is more fluid than ours, we will not out pass them but we can intimidate them. Warri jaguda Etebo must work hard.

charlesemeka85:
oga there is sense in what the man said. for christ sake oshimeh is just 20 and feather weight. in african footie he will be easily muscled. he is still a young chap who is still growing and will bulk up as he matures.

i bet you that oshimeh will be easily manhandled if he is deployed as a lone striker. the madagascar match was a good fixture to test him and onyekuru but things went south in the early minutes of the game and got worst in the 2nd stanza which made the coaching crew to throw in players they believed would have atleast salvaged a point.

oshimeh and onyekuru are one for the future and the but interesting thing is they are part of the team. for rohr to take both to the competition meas he rates them high

The very thing i said about Osimhen and Sadiq Umar i am talking years ago is that they both lack physicality. i went on further to say they would not survive in the English league one and i was labelled a HATER.

Now you are all hearing it from the horses mouth Rohr, please you can now all in your emotive prejudice label Rohr a racist HATER.

We love fantasy here not facts.

TheGoodJoe:


If Oga Rohr was coach of Brazil, Neymar and Robinho would never have gone close to the Brazilian squad.

Mbok do not turn Osimhen into a mechanic. I like my forwards light but full of pace.

Finito.

I like my forwards to be TALL, CLINICAL, SKILLFUL, UNPREDICTABLE, POWERFUL WITH BLISTERING PACE i love it when they DEMOLISH the opposition.

For example Lukaku, Balotelli, or going into the past Yekini .

NUFF SAID

Curtisaxel7:
Lol @ "falling down".

What about Onuachu that falls at the passing of the slightest breeze?

I expect more from you not to descend to this level of name calling.