edi287:

Probably an IPOB guy. You know how they think everyone else in Nigeria are animals and in a "zoo".

Reason why you will always form alliance with forgiveness. Co-tribalists

edi287:

Is Joel Obi his brother? When he was calling for his inclusion in the team, why didn't you call him a tribalist?
Is Ebuehi his brother?
Is Josh Onomah his brother?
Is Fred Oyedinma his brother?
Is Mikel Agu his brother??
When he was saying Vic Moses can be as good as Salah under a coach like Klopp, why didn't you call him a tribalist??
If you haven't been here long enough, don't say something you're not certain of. It's talk like this that actually spoils the thread.

Oga stop being a devil's advocate. Don't try to cover up what we know already.

Tell me how far he goes in defending those players you listed above. The intensity is always different when he defends his Yoruba brothers.

Just a mere mention that Aina's father will influence Aina's selection and he comes up with talks that Iwobi and Ebuehi's fathers are in camp too. What do you call that?

That guy is drunk in tribalism.

forgiveness:


Shehu Abdullahi is a mediocre player. He's is never the best RB we have.

Where is Sunday Mba today? Late Stephen Keshi played oligarchy system to the extreme to the extent the best players in Europe where left to fade away.

He thought he could raise most of those players to world standard. Can you please show me one player Keshi turned to world class not to talk of average players?

Kelechi Nwakali flopped in the Eredivise and did not blow away minds with MOTM, TOTW or player of the month even after he was demoted to the lower division, did he?

How are sure the ones that MOTM, TOTW etc in a better league could have done better than Kelechi Nwakali yesterday if given the chance?

Did Kelechi Nwakali did something exceptional to had deserved an invitation in the first place?

Where you among those who justified the invitation of Simy siting performance in a better league?

So, exceptional rules is used for certain types of players while performance in a top league is the bascis standard measurement used for certain types of players in a country like ours!?

If you are for the good of the Super Eagles then you should have realised that many clubs will no longer be interested in Nigerian players once they discovered that they can't get into the National team no matter how good they are because they want players that good enough and marketable for profit.

You don't expect dem to buy mediocre players.

This Oligarchy structure of inviting certain players from a lowly leagues and bench warmers association has been trending for many years now

Like I said, with this two faced double standard measurement used, I don't think there shall be peace in this country.

"Certain players". Just come out open and say players from certain ethic group.

You don't think there shall be peace in this country then start a riot because your kinsmen were not picked for selection.

Icon4s:


I knew Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins and Ifeanyi Ideze personally. I got Akin Martins's (we knew him as Akin) progress from his elder brother Ladi Martins. Ifeanyi Udeze finished from a secondary school about 15-20 minutes bus drive from our neighborhood. He used to play at Air Force base close to Mile2 in Lagos. They both finished secondary school in 1997. Ify was born in 1980. Meaning he finished secondary school at 17.(age cheating check). He played for our 1997 U17 at the first ever meridian cup. Which we won by beating Spain 3-2 and he was a standout performer.

I used to see Udeze some times when he came around from Europe to play with his old pals. He was in Kavala of Greece. So I had one on one discussions with him. I made him know I was writting for Complete Football so he gave me all the attention.

Other players I got bit by bit info about them from more established media houses and put up write ups on them more on they being prospects for the national team and how they can solve certain problems in certain positions.

It was not easy then but the passion kept me going.

Yeah I remember that Meridian Cup.

That Spanish team was really good. They came to Nigeria 2 years later and won the 1999 U20 WYC.

Now I know where your interest in youth football spans from.

Icon4s:


The Nigerian league IMO has majority of the blame.

To develop a playing style you have to start from the home front. But unfortunately the playing stlyes of our local clubs are nothing to right home about. Plus also majority of our national team players play abroad. Apart from major events like the WC and the AFCON the team typically spend 3,4,5 days together. That is also a challenge.


Jelisavic Tihomir aka Father Tiko, a Yugoslav, was Nigeria's first ever foreign coach from 1974 to 78. He was saddled with the responsibility of qualifying Nigeria for the 1978 WC. We were on course until Godwin Odiye's own goal in that final qualifying game. He brought the European flavor to our football. Yugoslavia (and Today Serbia) are known for producing quality coaches. Yugoslavia was a major footballing force in the 70s and 80s.

Otto Gloria, a Brazilian, took over from Father Tiko From 1978-1982. Otto Gloria to me laid the foundation of modern day Nigerian football. He brought with him the "Samba" style of football which saw Brazil dominate the world all through the 50s to the 80s. Nigeria adopted the Brazilian style of play which also to a very large extent worked for us. Growing up as a young footballer then, we were thought to play the samba style. This requires plenty of ball possession and dribbling. It saves the team plenty of energy and wears out the other team. Here the ball does the running and not the players. While your opponent will be busy chasing the balls.

In no time all Nigerian clubs adopted the Otto Gloria's Samba style. Even kids on the streets.
Stephen Keshi was a product of this style which he was able to largely infuse into his SE team.

Other Green Eagles coaches of the 80s like Festus Onigbinde and Paul Hamilton tried to maintain that style that brought us to lime light in Africa. Look at the 1980, 82, 84 and 88 AFCON teams how they played. You would see the Brazilian flavour.

However, in 1989 came Clemence Westerhorf, a Dutch. For those that saw Westerhof's 1990 AFCON team you will obviously agree that they were a lot more athletic and faster paced than the 80s team. They played plenty of counter attacking football. That was the beginning of the European style of play. Plus a good number of our players started moving to Europe: Belgium and Holland mostly.
Nigerian players of that era played with the Brazilian kind of skills and the Dutch type of athleticism. Every Nigerian footballer then was thought the trickery of dribbling your opponent one on one. If you don't know how to dribble you have not started.

Jo Bonfere, another Dutch, came in and continued from where Westerhof stopped.

All through the 90s Nigeria played with a blend of the Brazilian(innate) and Dutch style (adopted from our Dutch coaches) .

Bora Milutinovic, a Yugoslav, took over from Bonfere, and continued with the European flavour. Going into the 2000s, Nigeria began to adopt more of the European system, besides, the Samba was no longer as efficient as it used to be.

Onigbinde, Chukwu, and Amodu all tried to sustain our adopted Dutch system but they struggled.

Lars Lagerback did not add any value to Nigerian football. There was also a Philippe Troussier


On came Stephen Keshi who to a large extent was able to reintroduce our system of play of the 90s. May his soul rest in Peace. Ball possession and athleticism.

Samson Siasia seemed not to have raised his coaching style from the youth level. Typically known for adventurous football with not much efforts to fortify his defense. He typically comes our with high scoring and high conceding teams.

Sunday Oliseh's reign was too short to effect any meaning style of play to our football.

Gernoth Rohr has brought a different dimension to Nigerian football. We have never had a German coach. Rohr is the first German. German football thrives on compact midfield and efficiency in the attack. They typically choke up games creating little space for their opponents to create chances and hitting them on the counter when they have the opportunity.

It is left for us now to see how this system would work for us in the WC and in the coming years if Rohr remains.

Hmm.. so much understanding of Nigerian football.

You have really reveled a lot about Nigerian playing patterns over the years.

Honestly, you deserve a place in the NFF Technical committee. Most of them their don't know what they are doing.

Icon79:
Oh please, give me a break! If he's not a tribalist what is he? Can you name a single non-Yoruba player that either Forgiveness or his alter-ego Komekn has ever promoted on this forum? Please name one! The man is a tribal chieftain and I will tell him that to his face if I meet him. I don't give a rat a$$. He and his ilks are the problem with Nigeria today!

I totally gave up on this dude when he kept promoting Dele Alampasu. Someone who has never played even a single game for his clubside. Someone who's been given an invite time and time again but failed to impress. Now, on what basis would any sane human being keep hyping him here, as if he's Nigeria's best goalkeeper since Emmanuel Okala

Now, the flavor of the month is seems to be Olarenwaju Kayode. I practically watched ALL the games Kayode played for Girona this season and I can tell you without any fear of contradictions that Kayode is an average player! There is NOTHING special about him and he's way below several other players in the pecking order. It just staggers my imagination why an intelligent guy like SuperNerd would decide to engage Forgiveness. Are you that bored or something


O pari

O pari master, na una get time.

Me wey never read better posts finish e come be....

daveP:
We need those kind of players that can hold their own against the world's best like Chelsea's starting 11. Huddersfield can preach survival better than most preachers, MOGs and speakers with their performance yesternight. I was overwhelmed. That's how you play in the epl and get an ovatory call up. I hope Rohr is watching though. Top performance from him.

That boy is a Dane man..... I don't think Denmark are gonna let him go just like that.

TheSuperNerd:







Hope you saw Billing in Huddersfield's midfield... Wetin you think on am? And Nacho's pressing na him make Mavropanos panic come lose ball to Nacho with Nacho about to burst clean on goal but Mavro chop am down... Lol... and as last man wey bring am down, na red card be that...




@Bolded.... Loooollll.... Hahahahahahahahaha... I understand thee Egbon... No worry, take heart okay. I am sure Wenger have sent Conte the link to the whatsapp group for the Europa league with a book on "how to make semis in Europe" since Conte never reach Semi in Europe yet... Loolll

See their convo....

Conte: Hello Arsene... Abeg u fit hook me up with that Europa league group for whatsapp... Huddersfield don confirm our fate.


Wenger: Ahhh.. Pas un probleme due tout (Not a problem at all), will send it to your assistant's phone aiit... Gimme a moment..

Conte: Okay, thank you very much.... Grazie.

Conte's assistant: Ahh Boss, Pa Wenger don send am...

You mean Phillip Anyanwu Billing? Egbon no go look that side naaa. Of course you know.

TheGoodJoe:


I think he meant the red card. It is a slip of the keyboard.

Emm...Metaljigsaw, come see another one o. TheGoodJoe is in love with Forgiveness.

Printerscanner:
Nigeria is leading South Africa in net foreign reserves as that of the West African country hits $47.37 billion in March to beat South Africa which has $43.15 billion.

Nigeria which recently recovered from economic recession with less than $21 billion in foreign reserves has built up its reserves massively over one and half years. The increase in the country’s foreign reserves is reported to have stabilised its foreign exchange which had gone haywire in the past.

South Africa’s reserves fell to $43.115 billion in April from $43.384 billion in March, the Reserve Bank said on Tuesday. The forward position, which represents the central bank’s unsettled or swap transactions, was lower at 1.933 billion dollars from 1.996 billion dollars in the previous month. “The decrease of 440 million dollars in the gross reserves reflects the foreign exchange payments made on behalf of the government and the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against most currencies,” the central bank said. Nigeria’s new figures rose from about $46.2 billion realised at the end of March.

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced the new balance in the reserves at the opening of the 25th seminar for Business Editors and financial Correspondents in Uyo. Mr Emefiele, who was represented by the newly appointed deputy governor, Corporate Services, Edward Adamu, said the CBN hopes to meet the $50 billion target before the end of the year.

SOURCE: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/nigeria-leads-south-africa-foreign-reserves/

Crude Oil price influence no ni.

So when will the ordinary man on the streets start benefiting from the Rise of Crude oil price and increase in external reserves?

edi287:

The Way Juve played Madrid in the second leg should be a blueprint to how we play Croatia

The same Madrid that Realpocher said usually gift opponents the midfield. So who gifted who the midfield this time?

realpoacher:


What is wrong with you all?

Did i say that you should play to the sidelines and wings for fun?.... Or that the middle should be completely neglected?... Don't you all know that there is a reason why you have to play to the wings?

The reason is to stretch the Croats... Underline the word STRETCH!!!..

Croatia play a very compact midfield,.. How do you intend to break such a compact midfield?

By choking the middle with more men or attempting to outplay them through the middle?

I laugh in Mandarin...

I REPEAT, THE ONLY WAY TO BREAKDOWN A COMPACT MIDFIELD IS TO STRETCH THEM.. TO EXPAND AND CONTRACT THEM.... THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT THEM.

Midfield gifting and stretching is what we have been doing all along since Rohr came on board. And it has been working for us. Many times when we play matches, we rarely hold and control the ball in the middle, we are always chasing the ball and waiting to hit our opponents on the counter.

We have been gifting our opponents the middle because we always defended our half well... So i am only buttressing on doing what we have always been doing. This time around, we just have to be conscious of what we are doing and do it well. Simple...

We rarely hold possession and complete 3-4 passes anyways, so what's the fuss?

Against Zambia home and away we played and scored from the wings. Against Cameroon away we scored from the wings, against Argentina 2 of goals came from the wings. Against Poland, even our penalty was won from a cut-in from the wings... In all of these matches i mentioned, we never controlled the game from the middle, we never had more possession...

So i ask again, what is the fuss concerning my tactics?

Oga, go look at those goals we scored from the wings attack, the passes came from the midfield.
Mikel, Onazi and Etebo(against Algeria) worked themselves out in the midfield in most of the qualifying games. We were in control of the midfield for most of our qualifiers. The goals we scored against Argentina, we won the balls from midfield duels. You only saw the final product you didn't see how the balls were won at the midfield before releasing the forwards.

How can you get balls across to your forwards when you don't have the midfield play?

Icon4s:


Haha, the way some of us propose formations. You don't play 4-5-1 in game 1, it works for you and you win the game and next game you switch to 3-5-2.

Instead what one can say is you start with 4-5-1 in a game and end up with 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 depending on how the team faired during the course of the game.

National team coaches don't change starting formations per Match per match especially if you got a result with the formation for the previous game.

Talking also about bringing in Ebuehi when Moses burns out. I consider such more or less as a wasted substitution. You cannot be chasing a game and rather than making an attacking change like pulling out a midfielder, or a defender and introducing a striker or winger, you are changing WBs.

And if we are leading and you need to secure a result. You can pull out one of the forwards and introduce a midfielder or CB.

I can only change WBs, FBs or CB on the count of injuries or atrocious mistakes from the player involved.

And again on Moses, like you don't get our point. He is our most potent Winger. Why play him at WB?

Always on point baba.

Your possession of coaching certificate is always evident.

forgiveness:


Wetin do am?

I have watched Awaziem closely and I discovered he is also attack minded. In short, he knows how to shoot at goal and score with his head.

I think he is a box to box midfielder.

O pari.

realpoacher:


Bros calm down and understand my analysis...

My strategy is deceptive if you take it at face value.... If you literally follow the word "gift" then you will be lost. I think the word i should have used is "play through the sidelines and wings" whenever we have the possession.

Please try to understand the context... The context here is that whenever we have possession, we should take the ball to sidelines, from there we play to the wings before aiming for the goal. The key clause in my writeup indicates that we have to be in possession first before the idea of sidelines and wings come into play.

Now, i didn't say that our players should just stay put on the sidelines like stature while the Croats run riot.. No!!

But when we are not with possession, then we mark normally within the middle inorder to regain the ball.

Now if you read my first post about this strategy very well... You will notice that I suggested the formation that will suit this "gifting" of the midfield to Croatia which is the 3-5-2 formation. Naturally, 3-5-2 as a formation have already crowded your midfield by default, so your defense cannot be exposed when defending.

Also 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 formations are naturally counterattacking formations, which will favor very well "mas attack - mass defense" movement.

So you see, my strategy is well thought out,... You end up killing 3 birds by one stone.

If you try to play through the middle against an opponent stronger than you in the midfield, you will always meet brickwall.

Finally, i don't know why all of you riled up concerning my strategy because all the while we have been playing through the sidelines and wings, with mass attack - mass defense (which is the reason why teams struggle to play their game plan against us because we press them high up in their own half).

The only time tried to play through the middle by choking the midfield against Serbia, we all saw the results. We were beaten square and fair.

Oga, calm down.No be play station strategy we dey discuss here. Your opponent will always watch you as you move the ball to the sidelines? If you lose the midfield you also lose control of the sidelines.

Wake up! This is the national team.

TheGoodJoe:


I wonder who hyped Iheanacho the way you guys keep making such baseless and false allegations. There was a keyword hammered like a talking drum on this thread was that Nacho needs to "work" very hard to achieve greatness. I particularly hammered repeatedly that Nacho needs to stay back at Manchester City, even if it is on the bench and keep learning. If he was the best thing since Nicolas Anelka, will I advice that Nacho keeps learning.

Sorry but your point is not true.

We don tay for this thread o.

I was here when he was compared with likes of Aguero and Gabriel Jesus. The debate on who is better between him and Rashford plus Mbappe was also fierce here. Where is Iheanacho today compared to those other players he was being compared with. TheGoodJoe fear God o.

TheGoodJoe:


It does not count. We have even the likes of Toni Kroos, Fabregas, David Silva, Ronaldinho, David De Gea, Marcelo and many more become prolific after their U17 days. As long as Osimhen keeps working hard, his time will come.

"It doesn't count". That is how you guys hyped Iheanacho here. From the way you guys were going about it you should be heart broken that at this stage he is struggling for game time in a club like Leicester City.

I just dey look una those days. Na Icon4s get time.

Icon4s:


Iwobi's Hamstring injury too

Watch as someone will seize this opportunity to start shouting "Ajagun and Aluko" up and dan

forgiveness:


Hahahahahah! You see me for ya dream today?

Wetin dey pain you?

Na you know wetin dey pain you.

Your masturbat!on just came to a premature end because some people came to safari's rescue abi.Baba Icon4s and co don spoil your fun.

The blow wey she give you a couple of months back still dey pain you. Loz!!!!!!!!

forgiveness:


My good friend, after looking at it with deep Perspective, I arrived at 'nonsense.' Trust me.

He's one of those encouraging insults and lineage yapping... yes... hence the need to bring it to his attention that his double standard is nonsense.

I am sorry about that. Just have to set things straight.

Egbon, but why this thing dey pain you like this?

Back to observer's mode.

more.

Some of the other comments did not attach.

From these few posts we can see who has completely blamed Mahrez and completely exonerated Iheanacho of any blame. And we have seen who has blamed both Iheanacho and Mahrez.

more

more

safarigirl let me help you out

Tbaba1234 and Icon4s, the way you guys don expose Uzoho's weaknesses, make his village people no carry Una name go Orkija shrine o.

Icon4s:


And let me chip this in again. The friendlies will determine a lot of things but will not be the sole decider. Let me also say again that not all the goalies will be tried during the friendlies. Some will be dropped without a trial. Sounds unfair right. But that is the game for you.

As for Nwakaeme, he blew up his chance with that game against Algeria. That was the very day I personally dropped him from my list.

Oga, you often sound so Authoritative and confident of some of these things you say. Or is there something you are not telling us?

Icon4s:


Definitely nothing is cast in stone. It is no law that you must execute all your 3 group games with 100% same players. Neither is it law that you must make changes to the starting list for each game.

A team goes into a tournament having first choice players for each role.

But several factors can lead to alterations in the starting line up.

1. A regular performer might get injured in the first game and may not have recovered fully for the second game.

2. A first choice Striker may fail to hit the back of the net only for the second choice striker to come in and score goals. In several of such cases the original first choice will not start the next game. Just also like another outfield player may not have a good game and his backup comes in and the game changes.

3. A first choice goalie may have a bad day in the office and the second choice brought in to replace him in the next game.

4. A team may get whipped and the coaches may need to sacrifice 1,2 or 3 players just to switch tactics.

5. A player may get suspended. Or a key player may be at the risk of missing a potential crucial next round game. That player may be rested in the 3rd group game and another player starts in his place.

6. A team may have qualified for the next round with one game to spare. It may be time to rotate the squad.

Typically, for national team coaches, when you execute your first game with your first choice players and none of the conditions I listed above took place. And your team played well and won handsomely. You may want to start that next game with the same players and same formation 100% irrespective of the strength of the next opponent . One of the basic rudiments of coaching is "you don't change a winning team".

As you rightly quoted football is dynamic. There is a high chance of one of the 1-6 situations above happening in a team which means teams hardly execute the games with 100% the same lineup.

Hmm.. coachie.

komekn:


In the English game apart from timing you need real physical strength or you will get bullied.

I remember being at Blackburn when Yak was there and I was shocked to find boys of 14-18 benching heavy weights. Totally misguided but reflects the over emphasis on physicality by some clubs who intend to fight thier way through games.

There was a Nigerian striker there U18 he didn't make it. but is in the Bundesliga 2 now. Forgotten his name but his origins are from Edo state.

All players young or old need OPPORTUNITY how you get that is where all the Maradona posturing and manipulation takes over.

Oga, this your English thing no dey tire you?

Na wa o.

Icon4s:


No be when you get wetin to push out?

Let Mikel, Moses and Ogu wear those jerseys first you will see the difference.

You for just kuku say the MEN of the team.

Never have I seen our WC Jerseys discussed and debated as I saw here.

Oga Icon4s pointed out many things that we actually either ignore or don't really consider.

The discussion even went into the physics of color and heat absorption and reflection. Honestly, this thread is rich

TheSuperNerd, you and your Dad, Icon4s need to work as consultants to some of those Jersey making companies. Your analyses were so top notch and professional.

Well done guys.

Oga Icon4s, the way you carry this jersey thing for head tire me o. Them don unvail the jersey already, there is nothing u say here that can change anything.

Me I dey go buy my own sharp-sharp.

Your points are valid though.