₦airaland Forum

TheGoodJoe:
Kante keeps it simple but also pulls some brilliant long balls too. Ndidi also can pass long but can nit bring it together in the form of Kante. He needs time to develop that aspect of his game.

Balogun and Ekong are also good passers but not in the class of Luiz.

We need Mikel. He is an asset. A big one.

Kante does not have long shots like Ndidi has. this is a matter of tweaking here and there, in Chelsea Kante hardly plays the long passes anyways so can Ndidi replicate Kante's form? probably not but he can get close to that level and that is good enough.

let me ask you, what if Mikel comes to the world cup and starts playing like he did at the 2014 world cup? So what will we do without a plan B?

TheGoodJoe:
Mikel will cut it in an attack midfield role in a top team. His intelligence is enough to tell you that. We are talking of a man who reinvented himself into a quality long-serving defensive midfielder.

What does he lack to make it? His brilliant passing and intelligence is key. Mikel is also strong on the ball, retains it with confidence and is quick in finding gaps to pass into.

After his performance against Spain, it is impossible to accept a claim that Mikel would not have done well in the attack midfield role.

Also, the reason you are saying that we should change formation is because deep in your heart, you know we lack a midfielder with the class of Mikel.

do you think Mikel will cut it as an AMF in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Frannce? these are the top teams. Mikael can cut it as a DMF in these teams for sure but as an AMF absolutely not. I am not arguing that he could have done well, the point is presently he won't cut it as an AMF in a top team.

it's as if you didn't hear what I just said, I said we should play to our strengths, of course I did agree that we lack midfielders that have an eye for a pass hence the need to change formation

TheGoodJoe:
To start with, you are totally mistaken if you think Ndidi can pass like Kante. Ndidi passes well but not in the class of Kante. Also, keep in mind that Chelsea last season had David Luiz behind the two defensive/central midfielders who also did lots of dictating of plays with his passing too.

We have good midfield players but we lack quality passing. It was very obvious in our game against South Africa. We need Mikel for now until we get a player of such class.

in Chelsea Kante keeps it simple, if you think Ndidi cannot keep it simple then I don't think you know Ndidi at all. besides I don't think that Balogun is such a bad passer anyways so I don't think we have an issue there. Ekong too isn't bad, watch the Olympics. I know both if them are not on the same level with Luiz but together they can reach something close to that level which is a plus.

TheGoodJoe:
Sentiments aside, we do not have any player in the class of Mikel in our team. Maybe in the future our young lads will carve their separate niches to excel but for now he is the only one who can bring that exceptional touch to the midfield.

His attributes of reading the game, both offensively and defensively, his simple but highly intelligent connective passes, his positioning and through passes is one of the assets of our team.

For now, no one from Esiti, Ndidi, Onazi, Ogu, Aluko, Ajagun, Ifeanyi Matthew, Nwobodo, C. Nwakali, K. Nwakali, J. Obi etc.

From the whole pack, we lack a player close to Mikel in intelligence and touches. I agree with safarigirl on this. We stand a better chance with sixty minutes of Mikel than none at all. He is a special player.

I can't believe you just said this. not every team needs a controller for your info, Chelsea last season had absolutely no controller in their team for most of the matches they played, now let's take a critical look at that team.

can you tell me that Ndidi cannot do what Kante does for them? can you tell me that Ogu, Azubuike, Agu, even Onazi cannot do what Matic used to do for them? Can't Victor Moses play our very own Hazard role? the problem with the SE lies with the coaches, we employ coaches with a limited skill set, a coach who only has one tactics in mind, no in game tweaks nothing nothing. currently we have a golden generation of wingers coming through and attackers but our defenders and defensive minded midfielders are dwindling why then can't the coach just adopt a formation that will suit wingers and attack minded players? when you keep on attacking your opponents for ninety minutes will they even see the ball to harm you? our problem is in our over insistence on playing two DMFs, I doubt if there is any modern national team that plays with two DMFs not to mention that we are spoilt for choice in other departments but we continue playing two DMFs. why can't we just play a bona fide 4-4-2 because of the attacking options we have? We have like six ever good wingers off the top of my head, when we only need two midfielders we will see that we are spoilt for choice there, Ndidi and Mikel seems like the best option right now, I don't see why the two can't hold their own against any team coming at them if they have good wingers that can take the pressure off the centre of the pitch. and in case of any eventuality we have Joel Obi and Ajagun and even Iwobi to replace Mikel, we have Ogu and a whole host of others to replace Ndidi but our problem is that we insist in playing that blasted 4-2-3-1 formation that requires a lot of through passes. the simple truth is that we do not have such players in our team at all and even Mikel that we celebrate will not cut it as an AMF for other top teams so Wyeth can't we just play to the strength of the players we have

bossto:
15 days to go...
squad list shoukd be out already!!

yeah and yet nobody is even moving, this is part of the reason why so many players turn us down

TheGoodJoe:
I did not say stay at Manchester City all his career. A year or two and absolve the technical understanding and Discipline of the game. After that seek for game time. You can not unlock knowledge. This is about gaining deep understanding and applying it. Improving his attributes.

For instance, if he learns to play as fluid as Gabriel Jesus or Firmino, a coach can not unlock that.

this is the ONLY time you mentioned that he should learn from Firmino and check that date, that was on the 8th of April and that was in a bid to support Pep's decision to always leave him on the bench, feel free to read Sir

TheGoodJoe:

Oh, Blood Of Jackie Chan.

Please read the follow up of the good game I beg you before posting this kind of thing of me being first.


There is no way you can say he had a poor game when he did not have good service. He made the most of the situation.

Did you read you can not say he had a poor game? Ha.

First you said you criticised him, you never did.

Second, you said you pointed out that he should learn from Firmino, you didn't do that either, you only said he did his part that it was the defenders' faults that Iheanacho did not score(can't stop myself from laughing)

goldfish80:
Nobody was attacking Kelechi. You first came up with the sentence that he had a good game.
People started reacting to that sentence. Please don't twist facts.

Sir, should I also dig up the post just so that we can totally destroy him this night? I am in the mood

TheGoodJoe:
That is me explaining that Iheanacho did not have a poor game. With the venomous attacks coming in and me seeing the young man's efforts, I explained to people like you the things he did right.

As I said, I am not ready to start digging post of me telling Iheanacho to drop deep and be part of the game. Or when I repeatedly called for Iheanacho to study Firmino.

At least you can see I did not praise Iheanacho.

but you just said you criticised him after the game, I searched through 5 pages before that your comment and five other pages after just to be sure you still had a little credibility when it comes to Iheanacho but ofcourse.

Here is a hint, click on 'search', type 'Iheanacho should learn from coutinho, theGoodjoe', and tell us what you saw(as my friend I am advicing you not to). You only started pointing out that Nacho should learn from Firminho when Pep stopped playing him entirely, ofcourse that was just a move to justify Pep because I don't really know if you share the same bed with him so you were only open to criticising Nacho if it means praising Pep

TheGoodJoe:
If that is what you want. Fine. A striker who will not score almost a year for the Super Eagles. No wonder you prefer Etebo.

Me, I will always want a clinical goal scorer leading the line.

Also, cancel Algeria because even their coach pointed Iheanacho as the reason they lost. Whether you like it or not, you can not bend the truth. In South Africa, our final balls let the team down. Not Iheanacho.

if our striker does not score but we win the World Cup will you remember it 10 years later, if our striker scores and we lose all the matches in the group stages will you even remember the strikers name? Who scored the goal that took us to the 1998 world cup?

TheGoodJoe:

Iheanacho had a good game. There I no way you can say he had a poor game when he did not have good service. He made the most of the situation. Created a clear scoring opportunity for Gundogan, won a clear penalty that was denied.

The question is, how did you not see any of these and asked for one thing.

What of the clear build-up plays by Nacho when he dropped deep?

So, which if these did you see?

Yara Yara, bring my Bullet proof vest. Someone is shooting point blank.

Goldfish here you go, seems like theGoodJoe is trying to implement the 'changing the goal posts' skills he learnt from Pep's training sessions, this is a comment you made after the match against Leicester, feel free to click on it and read all you said then

TheGoodJoe:
AND CNN goal of the week. Then people want to tell us that Iheanacho is not clinical or what I do not understand. Many of them forget fast.

do you even know the name of the player that has won the Puskas award for best goal for the last 5 years? How does scoring a fantasitic goal qualify you as a clinical forward?

TheGoodJoe:
That is my point. You guys would support Etebo to play the nine role because he played there in his club. I mean over Iheanacho who we know has been quality for the Super Eagles in recent games. Men.

Thank God Rohr does not think that way. They will go to camp and let me see Etebo pull better stats in camp of Iheanacho when it comes to finishing.

Against Senegal where was the quality? MIA

against Algeria? MIA

Against SA? MIA

so where is the quality in recent games? Do you remember the story of this big American at Sunderland....can't remember his name precisely, who didn't score for almost a year but was still a regular because of his output?

TheGoodJoe:

Sorry. It is not impossible but unbelievable. It highlights why he I our most clinical. He is the most to do things like that consistently.

So is Etebo a better option than Iheanacho to lead our attack?

well Goldfish is the one rooting for Etebo and he has made his points and quite frankly, he is ahead of Iheanacho for me. The game is barely 15 days away and Iheanacho has only played 30mins of football since our last game against SA, there are other players who have been playing and banging in goals who deserve that spot better

TheGoodJoe:
Try a skill during match and it worked is luck. As you can see from your comment, Thierry Henry did not develop the skill there because he could not grow from it.

Practicing on the training pitch and developing is what can be replicated regularly.

the difference between a great player and an average player is in their ability to take risks during games. If you can't improvise during a game then you are average at best, and if you have only one skill-set you become predictable. Great players try out different things during a match because they are confident and confidence comes with game time

TheGoodJoe:
How can the player try a trick on the field he has not tried before? The coach minimizes showboating. That does not mean the players do not practice developing themselves as players or do not find themselves in tight positions during training.

the point is they do not 'practice' these skills during training sessions, they either practice them during their own personal time(this has nothing to do with the coach) or during a match proper.

And yes, I can instances were players just thought up a skill during a match and it worked. The wonder goal Henry scored against Manu, he said he never practiced and has never been able to replicate it ever since

TheGoodJoe:
Na wa. Iheanacho has not scored goals from impossible angles in actual games. Where were you when Iheanacho scored the screamer after a corner kick routine for the Super Eagles. Ha.

do you even know the meaning of an 'impossible angle'? The goal he scored against Tanzania was in no way an impossible angle

TheGoodJoe:
Story. During matches, it is hard to have room to practice skill development. What you work with is what you have developed on the training pitch. You pull of the tricks on the field or try to pull them out on the field.

However, to learn an master the skill is done on the training pitch. Not 33 minutes.

there are some skills that you can learn during the game proper. Remember Sam Allardyce said Okocha used to tell his players to express themselves during the match proper, some coaches do not like showboating as you know so in training you are not allowed to do it(Like I heard Sean Dyche doesn't allow that) but during the game proper, rather than lose the ball you can try out a trick or two, confidence to try out these new tricks come with constant game time

TheGoodJoe:

'He's a very, very good player. He's sharp and quick and he's definitely got an eye for goal,' Wes Morgan said.

'We did a round-robin tournament today and he was on my team. He popped up with some great goals from impossible positions, which is refreshing.

Do you think Etebo would have done better than Iheanacho when it concerns scoring goals from impossible angles? That is why I said as long as Iheanacho is in the side, he is a preferred choice over Etebo to lead the attack.

how many goals has he scored from impossible angles in actual games? Zero from what I can recall. Etebo has one goal he scored from an impossible angle, can't recall if it was at the Olympics or the qualifiers for the olympics

TheGoodJoe:

In recent games, tell us the most clinical finisher for the Super Eagles. We are talking of Etebo and you are talking based on a 9. The point is who is our most clinical finisher in recent games. It is Iheanacho. So he is the preferred choice to spearhead the attack over Etebo. Or do you disagree that Etebo is a better option.

I am not here to argue on behalf of Etebo alone, but the question is,how many other options have we explored in that number 9 position in recent games? How then do you know that they will not perform better than Iheanacho? Who knew that Etebo could play the box to box role until we played him there? Also everyone used to think that Etebo can play the Amf role but we saw that he is whack there, so for me, we should try other options because Iheanacho is just not working

TheGoodJoe:
Do you think Asensio's growth has to do with the 33 minutes each game? My point is not about Iheanacho but the notion a player's development hinges on game time.

Capital YES! Ok invite a doctor who is a full-time lecturer in a university to come and perform a surgery after 30 years away from the field, he knows the procedures and everything but he is rusty and even the NMA wouldn't allow that, he will not be in charge of the surgery no matter his previous experience.

Now you will agree with me that there are some tricks you pull off in the training ground but when you get to the main pitch you find it hard to do right? That's where game time comes into play, if you try such tricks continously you will eventually figure out how to implement it during a match proper so yes I think the game-time(the 33 minutes) afforded him the oppurtunity to implement those skills he learnt

TheGoodJoe:
You are too stuck on Kelechi Iheanacho. I am talking of Development of young players and the notion of players stagnating on the bench. Without regular playing time, we are watching the rise of a top quality footballer. It means without regular playing time, players can develop. Finito.

for the record, Asensio made 33 appearances for Madrid last season totalling 1077 minutes, which means he got to play for an average of 33minutes in each of those appearances, if Iheanacho's total was anywhere close to that would we be complaining? Abeg Asensio has been seeing plenty game-time

TheGoodJoe:
As I said before Etebo is not a good choice to spearhead our attack when we have Iheanacho in the side. When it comes to selection, it is best to have the most clinical finisher ahead to make the most of the chances.

Most clinical finisher here, most clinical finisher there, isn't it the same Iheanacho that missed chances against Corsica, Algeria and even Togo? How is he more clinical than the lot we are yet to parade in that position? Based on his performances as a 9, he isn't the most clinical striker we have take that to the bank

AndreTAyodeji:
Brilliant write up sir! This write up prompted me to go watch kayode`s past season highlight on the tube and i can clearly see why Pep wants Kayode.The way kayode reads the game is one which shows his intelligence,his mobility,his off the ball movement, his workrate, his on the ball skills and techniques, his versatility as he can play CF,RF,LF,WF, his ability to drop deep and hustle for the ball shows he is a Pep typo player. Wish the young man the best of luck!

You see that's the thing many people do not want to acknowledge here that with that move, Kayode's career trajectory might just be taking a turn for the better(no Best!). For the match against Cameroon I'd rather have him or Onyekuru as the CF, but Mikel seems to do a pretty good job at AMF currently does it better than Iheanacho and for Iheanacho to play as the Amf then Etebo must be benched but we can't afford to lose Etebo's work-rate. In the matches that Mikel has played, once he gets tired the team starts playing like crap and comes under severe pressure but against Algeria we never came under severe pressure because Etebo never stopped running even when Mikel got tired he was carrying the midfield alone, so for me he has to start.

On the wings, there should be zero reason for Iwobi or Moses Simon to start there, it's as if we have a truckload of wingers who can do serious damage, but the problem is that when the team list will be released, the same sentiments will be applied

tbaba1234:
What Pep will like about Kayode is his high energy style. He keeps running all game. He will fit into the pressing game of Pep but what about other aspects of his game.

Well he is more clinical than Pedro for example and he is 24, besides 24 goals in a season isn't bad, put him in City and he will return up to 25 goals I am sure.

Also you know City creates the most chances, if he presses in and around the 18 yard box, saved shots will continue to fall for him to tuck home, I mean that's the definition of a fox. I actually see a bright future for the lad, and I think Man City want to keep it lowkey to avoid top teams hijacking the move because honestly if you get Kayode for 15million, that's a bargain

tbaba1234:
Why Man City though? Even if pep called him.

Is this not about money again? He would have had the chance at the premier league. Instead, he will be battling relegation with Girona.

And the fact that he is not a big name signing will make it hard to break into the Man City team. He will have to score 15 + goals and save Girona from relegation. Even that will not guarantee him a Man city spot.

At first I thought this was a bad movie but when I sat down to think about it I figured out some things.

This is a brilliant move for the player and for the Super Eagles. While Pep is selling Iheanacho(and putting his buy back clause at 50mill which we know no European team will pay for an African), Pep is making a direct phone call to Kayode. Players like Kayode have always been an integral part of Pep's strategy, players of average height who can press like 2 men so that his main man can conserve his strength and do damage at specific times, Henry pointed this out long ago. In Barcelona it was Pedro, when Ibra came it was either he or Messi was going to start pressing for two and Ibra wasn't ready hence the reason why he was sold and Pedro kept his spot all through. At Bayern he had Douglas Costa and when he wasn't around, Muller was instructed to press so that Robben can be free to attack and conserve strenght. But in Man City he has no one, Sterling is a fraud but he remains relevant because he can press, Aguero doesn't press, Jesus neither and both players would rather drop deep and help develop player. Pep did try to improve Iheanacho's pressing abilities so he can be the workaholic but it never worked out hence the reason why he was sold not loaned. Naturally if Pep still wants you, he will loan you to a possession based team( Rafinha to Celta, Borjan to Ajax etc). So him loaning out Kayode to a coach with a similar philosophy shows that he intends to use him so this is a brilliant move.

Joebie:
Own goal says that's the same reason why Rohr is considering Aaron Samuel. Go flog Rohr Na

Rohr isn't a top coach afterall

Joebie:
From Austria Wien to Girona is a good move. Girona just got promoted to La Liga. Newcastle may have been better. But he is still a Man City player regardless. And he may just end up with his parent club stronger.

I thought Kayode is in Austria Vienna? And no, it isn't an upgrade by any means, which one is a newly promoted team again? If it's mid-table teams then I may consider that but Girona?

Humility017:
I tell you my brother
a really good coach...will know how to use musa....for a team strategy of these long balls....the guy has the pace...to be set up upfront..and trust me he will deliver
just imagine....removing that Japanese guy all because he wanna defend a slim lead...
Africa players problems stems from using family members and friends as handlers....
because these set of folks know nothing about football other than their how much will be made....from deals.
just imagine kayode issue...should it prove true...

Musa yesterday would have offered a lot more than Mahrez but when you have a guttless coach that's what you get

Humility017:
I tell you my brother
a really good coach...will know how to use musa....for a team strategy of these long balls....the guy has the pace...to be set up upfront..and trust me he will deliver
just imagine....removing that Japanese guy all because he wanna defend a slim lead...
Africa players problems stems from using family members and friends as handlers....
because these set of folks know nothing about football other than their how much will be made....from deals.
just imagine kayode issue...should it prove true...

the day I heard about that Kayode issue, I honestly included it in my prayers. It's players like him that I fancy, they gradually develop themselves and then they storm the scene when they are around 26-29 but if he moves to Girona(I have never ever heard of that club before now tbh)that dream will come to a sudden end

Humility017:
you're blessed bro...
you just wrote the truth...
I really think that shakespear really messed up last night..
when it was obvious that vardy was already tired...he could not make the right changes...
also...why keep Gray on the bench that long...?
the naughty coach was hoping to defend his lead...against a team like arsenal

the coach is just what he is, a rookie and I never appreciated this move at all! West Ham would have been better, why move to a team with a poor coach? I honestly hope this does not affect Iheanacho. The fact that Mahrez played the entire 90minutes shows just how poor this their coach is, and don't forget that it was the players too who told him to ditch Ahmed Musa afterall, poor poor coach

Icon4s:
If Iheanacho is to be featured as a CF the number of games he would sit on the bench In Leicester would be worse than what it was at City. Sebi na when Aguero they get injure Iheanacho Dey sometimes see game. Vardy is always as fit as a horse. He plays almost every game for Leicester.
Okazaki is also in a blistering form.

The long balls kind of game may not particularly suit Iheanacho as he has issues with his first touches. He is also not as pacy as Okazaki. Leicester does not typically play short 1-2 passes something Iheanacho is good at.

Well, my own is if you cannot outshine players like Okazaki and Vardy at Leicester City then you are not worth the hype after all. Period!
This is his chance to prove his mettle.

I couldn't agree more. Well let's hope that doesn't actually happen but if it does, trust them to say that it's because he is black. For one he isn't going to bench Vardy, English quota system with an English manager. Okazaki is the likeliest of choices, not to forget that Slimani is still around the corner. I think the fact that he didn't fully participate in their preseason tour is going to keep him on the bench for 6-7 weeks of this new season, hopefully he gets going ASAP, thank you Man City