₦airaland Forum

Tolulopefinest:
Chidozie Awaziem is very good.

One of Nigeria's most underrated defenders.

Just unlucky not to be playing for the big clubs in Europe

Thank you, for saying this .

TheGoodJoe:

I understand your point. However, developing his ball-playing skills will increase his value to us. Also, the reason of this argument is why top clubs skip Ndidi despite his quality. It has to do with his passing limitation.

The debate is on Ndidi's relevance to the Super Eagles midfield.
Maybe you have forgotten, below is the post that started the debate.

mostob:
I just pray his performance this season will be a stepping stone for Kelechi. The talent is there, he just needs to work hard more.

Call me whatever you want, I really wish to have Ndidi, Iwobi and Nwakali manning our Midfield.

But till then, Sultan, Onyedika and the likes should be invited for next friendlies.

TheGoodJoe:

Watch the passing ability of Kalvin Phillips and you will understand why Guardiola insisted on getting him. If Ndidi is to play with the big boys, he must transform into more than a destroyer.

He has the ability. He just needs to change his mentality to a passer and see his game improve by miles. Open for passes. That is search for space where his teammates can find him. Then pass to players in space. Study Xavi and Paul Scholes over and over again. The Defensive midfield role is changing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i77EsprjHE

I understood very well the view you just painted, the qualities you accentuated, are not just for DM's, it is for every player, but let's not forget that the point (up) is on Wilfred Ndidi's relevance to the Super eagles midfield.

I stressed from the beginning on the quality in our players and why Ndidi is important.
We have goalkeepers that make us cede possession whenever the ball is theirs to distribute. We have CB's that battle with concentration, we have forwards that doesn't contribute much to defense (Moses Simon is excluded from this, Chidera Ejuke is also not guilty). We also have players with limited passing technique, making us cede possession when we are not to. You see why we need an elite destroyer like Ndidi, to help us clean up, break up the opposition's play, provide a good defensive cover etc.

The W.I.N triumvirate is the way to go.

TheGoodJoe:

It is okay now, more like manageable. Did you watch Manchester City vs Newcastle? That was one hell of the fiercest pressing I have seen. That was Rodri and he literally found it difficult to build play. Rodri is one of the best in the World.

Now think of having someone like Ndidi in such system. It will prove Catastrophic. Ndidi needs to work on his passing and movement game.

That is why top clubs are overlooking him. When they check his passing stats, they don't stand out.

Good passing technique is a fundamental aspect of playmaking.
It is very clear that Ndidi is not a playmaker. He is a destroyer.

You talk about high pressing, questioning Ndidi's ability to cope. Do you believe Ndidi lacks the composure to cope with high press, have you seen situations like that? if you have, you can cite such.

What aspects of Ndidi's movements needs improvements, because a player's movement will depends on the team's phases of play.

TheGoodJoe:
Ndidi has the work rate but he needs to develop his passing. A deep playing pivot is becoming key if you must play possession football.

You need a deep player that can combine with the defenders to play out of the back. I am seeing potential in Samson Tijani for that role. Ndidi might have to fall to defence but his passing might still prove a liability.

Considering the quality in the players we have, Ndidi will always be needed in midfield.

Ndidi will keep it simple. He is decent at making short passes, which is the most fundamental. This doesn't prevent us from building from deep.

mostob:
I just pray his performance this season will be a stepping stone for Kelechi. The talent is there, he just needs to work hard more.

Call me whatever you want, I really wish to have Ndidi, Iwobi and Nwakali manning our Midfield.

But till then, Sultan, Onyedika and the likes should be invited for next friendlies.

Thank you Mostob.

You mean well for the national team.

TheLoneCitizen:
Tell me you didn't watch the match without telling me you didn't watch the match.

What exactly did i get wrong.

What made you think i didn't watch the match.

Dude for the records, i saw the match.
Attack the points i made. Prove them wrong. Stop assuming.

TheLoneCitizen:
Better goal threat.

Hit the woodwork.

More incisive dribbling. The big chance he made for himself saw him dribble from midfield to the box.

Ejuke's biggest highlight was when he went through four players before forcing a strong but easy save from Yan Sommer from long-range. Other than that, all footwork, no goalmouth action.

Better goal threat you mean?
This thread gives me a lot of laughter.
Both had only one shot on target. Lukebakio even missed a big chance.

Ejuke made more tackles.
Ejuke won more duels.
Ejuke made more accurate passes of the ball.

Ejuke was subbed off at 72 minutes, Lukebakio played all 90. I saw the game and to me Ejuke had more impact despite lesser minutes.

TheLoneCitizen:
Don't agree. Lukebakio it was.

Why so?

mostob:
He actually has a point. We finished that game with 4 strikers on the pitch, two of which are tall yet no crosses from the FBs. Addo, realizing we surrendered the Midfield for attack brought in midfielders and changed formation. He stopped chasing the game and started pulling us around. Egu really fumbled that day.

I laugh in telugu whenever i hear that Eguavoen wasn't outclassed tactically.

Jojodjo:
Apt!!
I always liken Ejuke to Gray during his Leicester days.
Dribbles well yet is poor in making decisions.

Safe to say his football is yet to mature.

You don't watch him.

In the match against B. Monchenglabach, in my reckoning, Ejuke was the best performing forward of the two sides.

TheSuperNerd:
Good point LoneCitizen. But take into context that it is f**king Manchester City's Rodri. That team is almost always on the front foot against most teams (several of which are weaker than City) and Rodri's heatmap won't read that way much in some games against tougher and almost equally matched opposition.
Take the heatmap below... It is Rodri's as well vs Chelsea at the Bridge in 20/21. 3-1 win for City but Rodri didn't venture forward so much.


Meliforme, permit me to come in and say this. Citizen is right as regards you probably making use of a Better and more elaborate heatmap showing Iwobi's offensive propensity.. and you could easily reference heatmaps from 16/17, 17/18, 19/20 and last season as well.

In all, heatmaps aren't black and white. It still has subtle interpretations. One must consider the in-game phases throughout the 90mins or more.

There are certain things he is yet to make clear such as what he believes an attacking phase to be. Because that will determine the relevance of heatmaps.

He said he will give me the numbers that reveals Iwobi's reluctance to join the attack. I am waiting.

TheLoneCitizen:
TheSuperNerd broke it down for you, brother. Heatmap can be obscured by how possessive a team is.

Regarding Iwobi, eye test shows he isn't eager to join the attack but prefers effecting the game from deep. Even when he is player higher up the pitch.

That's eye test, sir, but I'll back it 100% with numbers.

I believe that you will come to grasp the good details revealed by heatmap.

It is important that you give your definition of an attacking phase, because there is a possibility that we have different views about it.

TheSuperNerd:
Courtesy of EaglesTrackerNG: K. Nwakali full highlights on his Ponferradina debut

Twitter link:
https://twitter.com/EaglesTrackerNG/status/1559888139216453633?t=pRF5j8_NSi5Wj7Qy2WdKIg&s=19

YT link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POg0Aslp3ws


I don dey laugh already. Lol


Note: YT Video may not play here thru NL due to La Liga copyright restrictions, but the video is still available on EaglesTrackerNG's YouTube page. If you are interested.

We see and discuss real quality while they are just busy gossiping about club affiliations.

TheLoneCitizen:
Then why are you using it, since he has been deployed as a holding midfielder in both of his appearances.

Why not use data from last season, where he was deployed as a winger to prove your point?

How can you be shooting yourself in the foot like this, my good man?

You as an expert should know that heatmap doesn't show attacking or defensive ability, just workrate and versatility.

This is Rodri's heatmap. From your deduction, he is an attacking maestro.

Let's stick to context you said Iwobi's propensity to join the attack is very low.
A player's heat map bears every indication to the player's role during attacking phases . So you mean to say that a player's heat map showing how well the player frequents places higher up the pitch has no indication on the player's role during forays of attack.

How do you even define an attacking phase?

Before i delve deeper into heat map interpretations, I will like to know the markers that informed your stance that Iwobi's propensity to join attacks is very low.

TheLoneCitizen:
Bro what does this map teach you? That the player likes to be high up the pitch?

It doesn't really show a preference to be high up the pitch, simply because of the position he is deployed, but it does indicate and very strong, Iwobi's involvements in advanced areas of the pitch.

It shows how well he is involved in his team's attacking phases.

Please give more engrossment to the heat map.

TheLoneCitizen:
100%, sir. Has low propensity to join attacks.

This is the Season's heatmap for a midfielder you believe has a low propensity to join attacks.

TheLoneCitizen:
The propensity of a player to join the attack.

The propensity of a player to join the attack, is that what you believe Iwobi lacks?

TheLoneCitizen:
Iwobi doesn't have the attacking aggression of an AM..
And just as Mourinho once said. You will be wasting a good CM for a poor AM.

To push Iwobi higher up the pitch at best will be a box-box, anything further than that is overkill.

To escape ambiguity, please explain what you mean by attacking aggression.
If you can do this, we shall come to know if Iwobi can truly function as an attacking midfielder.

TheLoneCitizen:
You ought to know, brother, as a self-professed analytical kingpin that three deep-lying midfielders cannot function in the same team without compromising balance.

What you fail to discern is that two out of the three listed midfielders are complete midfielders.

TheSuperNerd:
I have been avoiding suggesting this here until Nwakali hits 10 games this season showing same form and quality in the middle.... but the hint is this and I have long mentioned it as one of the options on twitter.

An Ndidi-Nwakali-Iwobi Midfield, with all in form, will be a near perfect mix of Steel and Complete cruise control. I know you have mentioned this too before (I just nodded at that post and smiled).

It is also similar to what I expect in an Ndidi-Alhassan-Iwobi MF Trio. Another near perfect trio from tactical POVs.


But these will hopefully take place with time...

For now, I want to see an Ndidi-Iwobi-Aribo MF trio first. I know its couple of tactical imperfections but that is the midfield combo that, I believe, has earned a chance to be seen properly when next we meet for international games.


Eguavoen really messed us up at the Afcon. You talk of long balls yet kept Nwakali benched despite seeing what he could do in that 3rd group game...and then he kept Iwobi benched too and when he played him, it was wingwards towards the right for most of the Afcon tournament.
Ofcos Iwobi in turn didn't do himself any favors by flunking in that role. But it still all falls on Egu.

Thanks goodness for Lampard who got Iwobi going again and finally moved him centrally (as already suggested beforehand by me via twitter) for about 6-9 games or so before finishing with him as RB last season.

Before this new season began, the question arose on twitter about where Lampard should play Iwobi and I said, he should simply use him exactly how he did when Iwobi began playing under Lamps.... As a deeplying CM.

The best part is that Peseiro understood from the first moments he resumed the Super Eagles job that Iwobi is the man to properly oil the wheels of our middle game and keep things rolling from deep.
I guess he saw that we were lacking that deeplying conductor and it shows in the way we have been playing under him even though it is still early days.

Iwobi is our main central midfield playmaker and one who can also play further forward as a number 10 if another deeplying midfield player is assigned that deep conductor role.

What we have here is an opportunity to lift the face of our middle game dynamics. It is up to the SE crew to take things further.

Alright.

TheSuperNerd:
Video Clip: K.Nwakali's Assist

pic.twitter.com/JdHNYgMTcF

— Nwakali25 (@nwakali25) August 16, 2022

P.S: *For those interested abeg. Don't quote me saying nonsense. Thank you.

This is delicious.

How Nwakali and Alex Iwobi played second fiddle in Eguavoen's system that favours long balls is still an enigma.

Imagine placing this kind of long pass to any of our forwards.

TheLoneCitizen:
Etebo.
Bonke Innocent
Azubuike Ikechukwu.

You are there.

ChrisKels:
Because we dey hail am based on how he is keeping this thread busy for us, the kid come dey over rate himself.

He is not overating himself. TheSuperNerd is good, and that's the fact. What you perceive as a defect doesn't measure up in any way with the work he does here. Can we just kvell in the desirables.

TheSuperNerd:
K.Nwakali's first half for Ponferradina vs Cartegena

Cartegena 1-1 Ponferradina (HT)

1 assist (You need to watch it to understand how good it was)
1 chance created.
100% ground duels won (5/5).
3/5 accurate long balls.
8 recoveries.
2 interceptions.
2 tackles.
70% passing accuracy (23/33).

He's also the most fouled player in the game so far (2).

This is good

TheLoneCitizen:
Dessers topflight career so far:

82 starts
86 G+A = 64 goals + 22 assists

Are you ready, Italy?

This is massive.

I was met with controversy when i listed Chidera Ejuke as one of the players with the best passing technique.

Some of Chidera Ejuke's stats against Union Berlin.

100% pass accuracy.
100% Long ball accuracy (1/1).
4/5 ground duels won.
Wasn't dispossessed of the ball.

We are really blessed to have a skillful forward in Chidera Ejuke.
If we want to keep more possession of the ball in S.E, Chidera Ejuke should be in the conversation.

Alfryd:
amen thanks sir

You are welcome.

Alfryd:
family

I'm plus 1 today

wish me well

been part of this family forum is amazing
Happy to me

Happy birthday Alfryd, God's blessings abides with you richly.

Truidstar:
All the coaches in all the clubs he played and worked with him day in day out also failed to see this abi? Your statement is just based on nostalgia and sentiments.

The emphasis is on his quality, not on the ability to work with his coaches. If you think the quality is not there, then you need to look again.

JohnBullMySon:
Please never again should you keep Nwakali and Aribo in the same sentence. Nwakali's only talent is in creative passing. Other than that, he cannot play at a high level beacause he does not keep up with the pace. He is not just hadworking enough, gets lost on the pitch, loses his man, makes poor tackles.

If you think talent only is what is needed in the premier league then you're mistaken.

Very yes. Nwakali and Aribo shouldn't be in the same sentence as far as the midfield is concerned.

Aribo is the very definition of a player who doesn't keep up with the pace or flow of a game, sorry to say this, you honestly think that covering every blade of the grass on the pitch is being in sync with the game. And you talk of getting lost in games and Aribo is not on top of your list.

Place the same Aribo closer to the 18 yard and you will see a maestro. Aribo is direct, he is good with dribbles, he has eyes for final balls and has a good shooting technique. Quote me as i tell you that Aribo has the potential of becoming world class if deployed correctly.

Regarding Nwakali, i don't think his problems are what you just mentioned. Nwakali might be one of those lads whose brilliances are an obstacle to their progress. But we need his quality in Super Eagles. And i pray he matures faster to live up to expectations.