₦airaland Forum

TheGoodJoe:

Let us stick to coverage and blockage. Leave out experience, trusted, tested etc.

From general assessment and the way we play, I will not feel shocked if Rohr drops Onazi for Ndidi. Our build-up play is vital to our system and if we build-up better, we will not need that much blockage.

I agree with Mickael2 that we need to keep the ball better to cause the Algerians havoc. Ndidi takes it for me.

Like I said, you understand my points a lot

lakesidepapa:
He could have said that way. but we are saying about coverage and blockage here. Experience, exposure and tested and trusted wise, Eddy beats him hands down.

Ndidi has more experience than Onazi, do you think that is easy to play in the Europa league, remove experience there. meanwhile go and check what I told, Onazi's average rating is 6.3 while that if Ndidi is 7.5,how can you even start comparing that at all??! not to mention that Onazi has scored only two goals all season long while Ndidi has scored that amount in the Europa league alone, go figure

safarigirl:
experience, how?

You think he hasn't learnt enough on the sidelines from his club coaches and watching other goalies? How can he have experience on the bench?

You people need to break down this your experience talk, are you telling me a person who has been on the bench for a team in 13 games is more experienced than one who has played for same team in 5 games? Is the bench the latest point of experiejce? Cuz I was led to think actual playing time is what gives a person experience

yes, a person who has played five games is more experienced than a seasoned bench warmer but the problem is that Alampasu isn't a starter is he? he hasn't started five games so the bench warmer in this case is better than him by far. Akpeyi also has a number of games under his belt for the super eagles so there is your explanation.

experience isn't something you watch on tv, if it is then I have enough experience even more than a lot of professionals because I watch more matches than they do

safarigirl:
experience also cost us a spot in AFCON....if Siasia hadn't dropped Iwobi and Kelechi to play 'experience', maybe we would be preparing for Gabon 2017 by now.

It's overrated

Kelechi played the first leg and he wasn't outstanding so he didn't really merit anybody there. and besides who replaced them? Aminu Umar isn't really an experienced replacement so they are all the same thing

TheGoodJoe:

Experience is overrated. Best is all that matters. Enyeama lasted that long for the Super Eagles because in all those years, he was the best. shogz89 puts it perfectly well. The best keeps. If there is no one better, you can use experience to select.

experience cost Nigeria a spot in the quarterfinals of the 1994 world cup. it is not overrated

lakesidepapa:
Are u telling me Ndidi doesn't commit fouls in dangerous as well? If u found it ridiculous and think im wrong, could u expatriate why Ndidi is better than Eddy?

read your comment again, you used that as a low point for Ndidi, am jus telling you that Onazi is worse in that aspect.

please, do yourself a favour go to whoscored.com or transfermarket.com and check their stats, their is absolutely no comparison there not to mention that Ndidi is playing for not just any low level team, but one of the top teams in the Belgian league while Onazi is playing for a low level team in Turkey AKA the retirement league. in fact if you make that comparison on whoscored.com they will tell you that it is ridiculous

shogz89:
I don't understand all this back amd forth argument, akpeyi should be chosen if amd only if:
1) he performs better than alampasu in training
2) they both perform well in training and you choose experience as criteria
3) they both bad in training and you choose based on experience

But if alampasu performs more in training there is no reason he shouldn't start ahead of him... There's no point calling him when you know he won't play no matter how better he is to other goalie in training..

there actually is a point for calling him even though you know he won't start and that point is EXPERIENCE and it is vital in the long run, I a not saying that he should start or not but just trying to explain it to you

lakesidepapa:
Hey hey.!!! they should leave Onazi at the blocking role with Mikel, there combo have been great and they keep understanding themselves. Ndidi can replace Onazi as a Sub or when Eddy is injured. Besides, Ndidi is NOT better than Eddy.! Yes.!



@He doesn’t commit foul around the edge of the box or in dangerous position.
I can't believe this, Ndidi committed a fowl against a Atl bibao player in the 18 yard box and it was a penalty. We should just stick with the Onazi-Mikel.

so Onazi does not commit fouls in dangerous areas? I can count the number of matches which Onazi has played without earning a yellow card, not to mention his recklessness.

the bolded part is so ridiculous that I won't even reply that bit at all

tbaba1234:
If he is not back in form then perhaps he should play right back.

He needs games though so this is still good for him.

he is at least 100 paces away from being in form, he has been slow. well we still have roughly two weeks, if he starts the weekend game on the bench then it means he isn't back in form and we should start considering that option

Leon meanwhile isn't having a nice game at all. isn't it time we started considering playing him in the RB position instead of Omeruo? he is coming back from an injury, granted but if he plays like this against Algeria then Mahrez will be licking his lips

if Onazi starts ahead of Ndidi it will be a criminal offence

goldfish80:
My first comment on this thread was a call for Kayode Olarenwaju to be called up. Beats me why he's neglected honestly
He is a fighter. We need guys like him in the SE.

you need to be watching this match to understand how correct your statement is. he is literally the only one leading their lines, he is marking alone and playing alone, he has already committed two Roma defenders and one of them came out with a yellow card, the other was lucky not to lose possession in a dangerous area. the boy is good and he has the strength and he can beat his marker unlike Ighalo and Ideye

olarewanju Kayode has just scored and against Roma too, beats me why he was invited, hopefully he gets a look in next year

forgiveness:
.

I be no wan talk before but since you brought up this, I Concur.

He is not good ooooooo. He was never the best when he was invited to the National team but we know na.


If he keeps, no guarantee. Person wey keep like dis when he dey play regularly how em go come take keep when em never keep for 2 months.

He was invited to share bonus with the.... No bi me talk am ooooooo.

thank you! Femi Thomas and this other Enyimba goalkeepers are all better than he is. the guy isn't even close to being average tankless of world class, just like you I no wan talk before sha, but baba don open the stage for us

tbaba1234:
Ezenwa is not very good... He is poor on crosses and is often in no man's land from simple crosses and corner kicks... Look at the goals conceded against Malaga and Valencia. He has decent reflexes but terrible technique. He does not cover his near post adequately.

Emmanuel Daniel and even Alampasu will do a better job.

God will bless you my brother, if I say that we need Enyeama now people will say that it's because I don't like Mikel's captaincy. the simple truth is that we don't have anyone who is good enough, it's not as if Daniels is better anyways, he is so tensed all the time even in an U23 tourney. sure he is a good penalty stopper and has nice reflexes but we need more than that, right now we do not have any backup option a all

TheSuperNerd:
He hasn't even played a game for two months so what do u think I was trying to do when talking of heroics against la liga teams?

I'm only pointing to what he's capable of.... Right now he's not even match fit.

So chill... Saying we're in trouble doesn't help anybody or help matters at all.... This is not the time to be negative.

We only got ten days before the battle of Uyo.

We have a game and we must play with a goalie and whether we like it or not, it's likely to be Ezenwa unlessss...... (Enyeama miraculosuly shows up or Akpeyi who I don't trust makes a super quick recovery from injury).

So I ask... Do you have any suggestions for the goalie role?

Ejide or Aiyenugba, seriously sha Alampasu, or if we could look up other nigerian goalies doing well.

Talking about goalies, do you have any idea where Vanzekin, Ajiboye and Paul are? I mean those guys were good GKs, very good infact so what's up with their progress?

TheSuperNerd:
I watched Ezenwa star against Atletico madrid, Malaga and Valencia (I think) when the NPFL all-stars played friendlies.... He was quite impressive I must confess.

Ezenwa looks like starting in Uyo unless........

what he did then, he did in a friendly game, this is a world cup qualifier, tension everywhere. We once had a good goalkeeper back then, but when we got to the state finals of the Principals cup, he couldn't catch a simple shot, we had to start throwing our bodies on the line, so what he did against Athletico won't determine what he will do now, not to mention that he has to gain the confidence of the defenders so that he can be able to direct them and control their movement, when will he do that? We are in trouble sha, big trouble
PS: fingers seriously crossed about Victor Moses case. I see Conte withdrawing him in the 89th minute when they might have won already then come declare him injured during the post-match press conference only for him to return immediately after the international break.

tbaba1234:
Not true, he has played more games as a CB. He only started playing DM when the new coach came.

Nope, he has a long history of playing as a DMF whenever they play a 5-4-1, in fact, in the piece posted here about him, the writer of the article duly mentioned that he has been playing as a DMF before he was moved into a CB position

edi287:
Well he has had a few average performances this season, but last season, he was at a level that Omeruo could dream us.
Omeruo is good but let's us overhype him now. He has regressed since 13/14. I'm glad he's picking up, but he's too inconsistent and hasn't really performed at a world class level before.

thats me, I deal with current form, he hasn't been in such great form so his 'beast' title needs to be put on hold.

Omeruo has regressed but because he has a black sin, nobody could have told me that after his performances for Nigeria at the world cup that Manu wouldn't be pricing him for atleast 30million but since he is black, they'd rather buy an average defender for more

edi287:
Bro, forget stats, Koulibaly is a beast!!!. I watched a couple of Napoli games last season and damn that guy is insane. Omeruo has potential, but he's not yet on Koulibalys' level.

a couple of Napoli games against Chievo and Bologna right? Great teams, because I watched him against Juventus this season, he was solid but far far from a beast. See, the simple truth is that Omeruo is just as talented as Puyol and plays almost exactly like him, no nonsense guy. If Omeruo had a white skin, he would have been the first name on the chelsea team sheet, aint nobody who can tell me that Luiz and calamitous Cahill are better than him

tbaba1234:
An interesting comparison of defensive stats of called up defenders shows Uche Agbo with very good stats. Second only to Ekong.

Based on stats, Ekong, Agbo, Omeruo and Balogun in that order.

See below..

you have to consider that Omeruo and Ekong has played more games than them, stats tend to decrease with an increase in game time.

goldfish80:
I think Omeruo is better suited at right back than Ndidi. He started out at Ado den Haag as a right back and was excellent...
Judging by his current form, he is statistically Nigerias best defender currently. If he plays RB, I can guarantee you, whoever Algeria field on the left will not have a sniff all night long.
I matched his stats with Eric Bailey's and discovered he is almost on par with Bailey.. infact he edges Eric Bailey in some aspects....
Example, omeruo's pass accuracy is stands at 81% from 54+ passes attempts per game. Bailey attempts just 34 passes with an accuracy of 87%...
In there defensive dashboards, there is nothing in between them, however Bailey edges Omeruo out marginally in interspetions, tackles and clearances with the odd 2% while Omeruo leads in blocks. It must be said Bailey have played 2 more games than Omeruo. This could influence the little +2% he gets over Omeruo in some aspects.

Reason am comparing Omeruo with Bailey is because Bailey is rated Africas best CB. So am matching Omeruo with the very best....

Omeruo must be starting against Algeria as a RB or CB

am not even including Ndidi here. I am judging this between Leon and Omeruo. I would rather have a hustler as a RB and I doubt if Leon plays like that. Omeruo's pass stats like you aptly mentioned is great, Leon's own is not so good, a good fullback needs to be able to pass the ball well and Omeruo is there. Also Moses has the tendency of losing his discipline whenever he plays for Nigeria, and when it comes to one on two marking, Omeruo does it better than Leon so Omeruo can cover his lapses, that said it has to be Omeruo starting there

goldfish80:
I totally agree with you. We should be looking at internal solutions at the moment.
Onazi can tuck in at right back, also Omeruo.

I just checked Omeruo's data since after the game against Zambia. He is indeed the most inform /improved Nigerian defender currently.....
His all round defensive stats have almost doubled.... From tackles to interseption. His passing improved from 74% to 81%. The Zambian game have served as a spring board for Omeruo of old to re-emerge.. .

Omeruo must be starting the game against Algeria in whatever capacity, in my opinion.

right now, I don't even know why we are looking at that boy at all.

Omeruo right now should be our starting RB, it's not as if the position is new to him, and one thing I love about the lad is that he is NEVER out of position, a vital trait for a RB which Onazi lacks totally. Our defence line is almost already set, Omeruo-Leon-Ekong-and a mystery guy. Seriously that RB option isn't even a problem, Omeruo should have that tied down permanently and then he will free up one of the CBs slot for Otigba and Ebuehi can go to HE....wherever he wants to go to with his agent. I mean what is the essence of using Omeruo as a backup when he can play as a RB perfectly well and when we also have other great back-up options in Agbo, Alimi and Otigba? Ebuehi, Musa and Idowu should be fighting for the second RB option or they might go over to the left wing and fight for that spot, besides Azpilicueta is right footed

TheSuperNerd:
But you're actually taking a lot from City by saying what you just said.....

City played without Kompany also. Without Bravo and even without "Energy man" Sagna.

No Clichy sef. Looollll

Bro... BARCA HAD THE DEADLIEST TRIO Possibly IN THE HISTORY OF SOCCER, The MSN present and super fit.... Give it to Man City joor....

so the deadliest trio will take the ball from defence to attack and then score too and also come and defend their post? They scored the first goal and should have scored 2 more atleast then that lack of control in midfield led to the second one and the third. With Iniesta in the game, that 3rd goal would not have happened, Messi is hardly the last man in midfield before Busquets, but in that sequence of play, Rafinha moved into the box leaving Messi exposed and we all know that Messi plays a high risk football

TheSuperNerd:
But you're actually taking a lot from City by saying what you just said.....

City played without Kompany also. Without Bravo and even without "Energy man" Sagna.

No Clichy sef. Looollll

Bro... BARCA HAD THE DEADLIEST TRIO Possibly IN THE HISTORY OF SOCCER, The MSN present and super fit.... Give it to Man City joor....

all these people you named aren't even part of their first team on a good day.

Zabeleta is their captain don't forget that, I can't remember the games he has missed when he is fit.

Kolarov has been starting many of their matches albeit as part of a 3-man defence but still.

When was the last time Kompany started a match? These 3 persons are not integral parts of their team, if they were missing De Bruyne and Silva and Fernandinho then you can compare

krattoss:
werent aguero and de bruyne missing in our first leg? coupled with a red card...?

bro ain't no excuse for failure

no bro, De Bruyne started and Aguero came in. The red card was what transpired inside the match, not an external factor, it was either a red card or you go down 2-0, entirely different

terzurum5:
From what I have noticed from Barca's pattern of play, if you want to beat them, just forget about their ball position.

Mark them tightly with pressure.
Dwell on their mistakes and punish them.

Was so pained about the first goal Mancity conceeded. It was purely a school boy difensive error.


Am a Chelsea fan though.

its not as if City didn't do thesame thing in the first leg, there were just 3 differences... Iniesta, Pique and Alba.

I don't need to tell you that Iniesta is our midfield right? If he had started that match, we would have easily controlled the game or atleast play solely on the counter, he was missed like badly.

Pique is the defence leader. Just like it would happen to any team, you are now left with 2 left-footed CBs and none of them is actually the ball playing type so the connection between defence and midfield was slow talkless of the connection between defence and attack and actually Barcelona bypasses the midfield in most of their goals, direct pass from Pique to Messi and he creates a goalscoring oppurtunity.

Alba is the width they have. Digne wasn't doing a fantastic job, coupled with the fact that he was on a yellow, not that I am looking for excuses but they ought to have lost that game, and it means nothing for them anyways, they have already won the group, they have better matches to prepare for against Sevilla

TheSuperNerd:
Meanwhile.... I wanna point out that with what I saw from Aguero today added to all he's achieved and done so far..... I think it's settled

SERGIO KUN AGUERO IS WORLD-CLASS INDEED.... You cannot be "just a good player" and produce this kind of performance against The world's most dreaded side, FC Barcelona.

Take it to the bank, to the moon, to The end of the milky way, to wherever..... He's world-class and there's nothing we or anyone can do about it.

Sir TheGoodJoe.... Well done to you and the Cityzens. What a masterclass..... Indeed our own Iheanacho will turn into a super allround attacking badass by the time Pep is done with him in such environment where he's constantly exposed to world class players and coaching and also refined for worldclass awesomeness.

Pep came to City at the right time.... And Nigeria will be the better for it in the long run.

not taking anything away from City but Barca was missing her best CB and her best midfielder. It would have been an entirely different case if those two played. Iniesta would obviously control the midfield a lot better than Andre Gomes, and not only would Pique do a better job controlling the defence but he is also the defender who plays the ball out of the back for barca. And then Jordi Alba was out too, that's 3 first team players for an away tie, honestly I would have been disappointed if Barca won again and just like I envisaged, they lost.

goldfish80:
When I first saw benteleb in 2014 when he broke into the Tottenham team, I really liked him. There was a certain charm about his game that I liked, probably him being left footed has something to do with this.
Because in my ideal line up, I will love to have either of my CB left footed or the DM because there's a certain level of balance of passing having a leftie in these positions.

In my opinion, a combative DM is better suited in African football than a play making type. The league and opposition determines what kind of player is better suited.
In the premiership, if you go with a play making DM, you will be murdered. For all Alonso's play making, he needed a grafter like Macherano to hold his hands.
Arsenal have been criticised for having a soft under belly since Petit /Viera left, they lost a lot of points erratically because of this till the emergence of Couqline...
Shneiderin needed a Wayama. It goes on...

A Bouquet type of player would need plenty of steel beside him to prosper in African football or even the Premiership.

Benteleb though talented doesn't have the chops the dominate games in Africa, just watch and see how these Algerians will be booted out of the Afcon at the Quater finals next year.

i doubt if there is any part of what you said which I disagree with. So maybe being combative is better for you, that is great as well. But Onazi also has positional issues, when it comes to that he just can't maintain his composure for 45 minutes in fact

Certitude:
Sir Mickael2, i don't buy your African mentality talk. As for the new Algeria coach, he was talking tough until...maybe after watching the video clip of our last match, baba change talk.

you mean about Brahimi's loss of form?

BascoVanVeli:
I used to like Brahimi but last year he flopped and he started on the bench against Cameroon. Iwobi is more confident in front of goal for Nigeria he will shock people by how much he scores for us.

they have a new coach sha, more like a switch in position, also African mentality seems to be affecting him, he does not work hard anymore

goldfish80:
Apart from passing range, Benteleb is not far ahead of Onazi as you think. I remember the 2014 world cup against France, Onazi had Pogba and Matuidi in his back pocket all afternoon. It was an unreal performance...
Just watch how Onazi will press Algeria to death in Uyo. That guy is a big game player
I have never seen Benteleb dominate a game against a world class opposition like that.
If onazi can get his passing range together, he would make a monster midfielder with his all action pressing style.

Brahimi statistically edges Iwobi but when we look at both players critically, one will discover Iwobi is the player on the upward trajectory. He has the talent to surpass whatever Yacine have achieved in his career.

Onazi has a poor passing range, that's just the truth and that's what I have been saying since sha. If you are asked to choose between a DMF who can press like mad and one that can maintain a zonal system of marking with a good passing range which one will you choose? Benteleb plays more like Busquets, Busquets hardly wins ariel balls, has a low number of successful tackles, all he does is that he positions well to intercept passes and he is probably the best DMF in the world. Onazi not only lacks a good passing range but also tactical discipline to maintain his position, I would be a big liar if i do not appreciate his marking skills though, that's why I loved one formation that someone posted here which included a ball carrier, if we are employing that formation then Onazi will be okay since the ball carrier will be taking the ball from his feet literally thus reducing the amount of misplaced passes. Anyways it's all about personal choice, you might like a combative DMF like De Jong.

The bolded is what am saying exactly! Iwobi has the potential to be better in the future, but the future won't play football for you, based on current form there is just one winner, maybe next year the tide will turn