forgiveness:




This is spot on in regards to our team under Keshi but this present team has improved with better players and the way we play. The wingers now defend unlike before and our wing backs also has the potential of joining the attack from the flanks though not like we see in other big teams like Brazil, Spain and Germany that has better wing backs.

However, the bolded put to rest the false information that Ramon Azeez was not spectacular for his club that season and he can't face physical players. Lies every where.

Yeah you could say we have a bit more creativity on the flanks with Iwobi/Simon replacing Musa, but the middle is still the same thing. We still have highly energetic players who cover for Mikel's lack of mobility, only difference is Mikel plays in front of them instead of behind. I'd even argue over buildup play then was better than now because Mikel played deeper.
I still think a 4-3-3 with Ndidi - Mikel - Iwobi/Etebo would do us a whole world of good. Mikel would probably conserve more energy being behind instead of having to drop deep to help with buildup play.

kennysville:


Question is if we were to play 3-5-2, must moses play?

He is our most potent forward. Rohr has mentioned that too.

This underlines my stance that we have to adopt a formation that best optimises our strength.

Actually, I wasn't talking about their positions, I was talking about their natural abilities. Hence, I used the word "naturally".
If you watch the Argentina friendly, you'll realize that Ebuehi overlaps much more than Shehu and also have the ability to track back effortlessly. As a matter of fact, that's the area where I rated him much more than Shehu.


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MetalJigsaw:
Bro, sometime positions don't really determine their attacking abilities

Icon4s:


Rohr is not playing Moses as a WB in the WC. This is the Super Eagles and not Chelsea football club. We need him more as a Forward.

Bro, sometimes I just feel like requesting for your account details. You always spot on and reason the way I do most of the time. Thumbs up.

why u nor day take Gulder na?

There are certain players who, baring injury, are sure starters on this team regardless of formation. They are: John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses.
And you can throw in Wilfred Ndidi into the mix as well. All the other positions are negotiable.


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kennysville:


Question is if we were to play 3-5-2, must moses play?

Bros, do you need my account details too? I am sure that my bank account would definitely appreciate that golden touch of yours.

Abeg, lemme know ASAP


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MetalJigsaw:
Bro, sometimes I just feel like requesting for your account details. You always spot on and reason the way I do most of the time. Thumbs up.

why u nor day take Gulder na?

Oh please! Keshi who is so lazy that he barely takes time to train his team. I watched Keshi's pre-world cup preparations in Philadelphia and it was a joke. I could do better a joke. After what I saw, I told my friends that our team would lack fitness in Brazil ... and boy, did that show

Comparing Keshi with Rohr is like comparing sleep to death.


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Certitude:

Keshi, to me, would perform wonders with this crop of players.

Aina rugged wetin Komekn u and I know say na only Echiejile Aina fit compete with for that team. U can’t even lie that he’s been outsounding this season.

komekn:


Agreed he is not as rugged and physical as Aina or Shehu.

He will struggle against physical players.

Icon79:
There are certain players who, baring injury, are sure starters on this team regardless of formation. They are: John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses.
And you can throw in Wilfred Ndidi into the mix as well. All the other positions are negotiable.


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Abeg tell them o. Because you want to play 3-5-2 they want to drop Victor Moses. Bascovanveli even proposed Moses plays WB which is even more acceptable than Dropping him to the bench.

Iheanacho earned his first invite and demonstrated that he is an important member of the team, that’s why he can hardly be dropped. Ighalo still has to translate those goals to SE before we can’t start talking.

komekn:


100% correct

MetalJigsaw:
Bro, sometimes I just feel like requesting for your account details. You always spot on and reason the way I do most of the time. Thumbs up.

why u nor day take Gulder na?

...you just feel like.... But you have not requested.

Add Ekong and Balogun.

Icon79:
There are certain players who, baring injury, are sure starters on this team regardless of formation. They are: John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses.
And you can throw in Wilfred Ndidi into the mix as well. All the other positions are negotiable.


O pari

Moses as false 9, Ebuehi as RWB.

kennysville:


Question is if we were to play 3-5-2, must moses play?

Joebie:
Moses as false 9, Ebuehi as RWB.

No matter the formation, as long as Moses is fit, Rohr will definitely accommodate him in the starting lineup.

#TransferRumors

Kingsley Ehizibue on the verge of joining a Bundesliga club

Even if na LWB sef, he would thrive

Icon4s:


No matter the formation, as long as Moses is fit, Rohr will definitely accommodate him in the starting lineup.

Joebie:
Even if na LWB sef, he would thrive

Just like Portugal not starting Christiano Ronaldo because they want to play a particular formation.

realpoacher:


Wrong strategy, you can't "match" a team in the midfield who is presently obviously stronger than you in that regard, that will be tantamount to suicide because they will definitely take the midfield away from you and punish you. Remember they are better than you as you said.

What you should do as a weaker opponent in the midfield is to gift them the midfield but limit their time ⌚ on the ball. How do you do that, its simple, spread or stretch them in the middle and at their defense line. If you can successfully do that, you make their midfield control useless.

How do you spread or stretch a team who plays possessive football in the middle?

- Best formation against such is 4-3-3 or 3-5-2

- Best strategy is mass attack - mass defense

Now with either of those formations with the strategy i spoke of, your players will have to gift the middle to their opponents, its not a contest, whether you gift it willingly or not, they will still take it by force, so it is better you gift it by choice and concentrate your energy where it matters most.

When the middle is gifted, your midfielders will spread out to the touch lines when in possession and keep the ball there, they will extend it forward to the opponents final third, to the wings, from the wings, your forwarders can easily cut-in, or pull out, or do whatever.

When out of possession, your midfielders will just form a wall around your 18 yard, such a wall would be very difficult to break, and when your opponent loses possession to you in such location, Bros trust me, your counterattack will be deadly.

Real live Simulation:

I have watched European matches alot to know what i am saying. Lets look at Real Madrid.

Their most used formation 4-3-3.

Real Madrid rarely play possession football. I mean, they are good in the midfield, very good, no doubt about that. But many times in the UCL, they have come against teams who are better compared to them yet they keep winning. If you compare player to player, most times, they fall short in ability compared to their opponents, but guess what,? They keep winning... For two years now!

Their secrets is simple, they gift their opponents the middle.!! Full stop!!.. They mostly outplay their opponents from the sidelines in the midfield, and wings from the attack. They spread you out in the middle, and wear you out. Make no mistake, if you dare to match them on the sidelines, they quickly switch to the middle because they can as well play from the middle too.

But many times you prove stubborn from the middle, they leave you to it and focus on the sidelines and wings. They combine this with a deadly counter attack too with C. Ronaldo leading the strike force. They use cutbacks alot alongside with pin point crossing. By the time you settle down, you are already a goal or two down. Such a demoralizing predicament.

From there on, your insistence on equalizing, the pressure, etc will make you increase your possessive play and also your frustration... Before you know it, you are exposed to deadly counterattacks at will for the rest of the match.


Against Croatia ��

Our Formation 3-5-2
Our strategy: Mass attack - Mass defense

We must resist the temptation to choke the middle with too much original DMs, Ndidi or Onazi alone will be okay. A double pivot AM of Iwobi and Mikel should be encouraged or A CM in Ogu and AM in Mikel should suffice. We must gift them that midfield and play from the sidelines inorder to catch them on the break(counterattack) !!

But if we decide to match them kick for kick, man for man in the middle then i am sorry, we will be whooped! No two ways about it.

Bros are you joking? We should deliberately give up the midfield to the opponents and let our defence suffer?

True. But that's because we don't have a lot of options in that CB position; because, to me, neither of those two should be indispensable. Don't get me wrong, Ekong and Balogun are both good players but they also have major weaknesses:
Balogun lacks pace
Ekong poor passing technique

In fact, I still haven't given up on Awaziem snatching one of the starting CB position in Russia if those two don't shape up. In fact, Awaziem should've become a starter before now if not for his pretty poor debut game against South Africa game.


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Joebie:
Add Ekong and Balogun.

Icon4s:


When you gift your midfield away you will lose control of the game, starve your forwards of balls, plus your defense will come under serious threat and will capitulate. Na white washing be that.

The best approach is still to choke up the midfield, and try to shield your defense while also capitalizing on breaks to hit them on the counter.

Give up the midfield to a midfield of Luka and Ivan? He must be joking. Na 4-0 go end am.

Icon4s:


When you gift your midfield away you will lose control of the game, starve your forwards of balls, plus your defense will come under serious threat and will capitulate. Na white washing be that.

The best approach is still to choke up the midfield, and try to shield your defense while also capitalizing on breaks to hit them on the counter.

Give up the midfield to Luka and Ivan? He must be joking. Na 4-0 dem go nack us I swear.

MetalJigsaw:
I think Shehu's occasional lack of concentration and positioning is disadvantage.

Have you guys watched ebuehi played any full game? Did he start against serbia? If he did how did he fare?

Icon79:
True. But that's because we don't have a lot of options in that CB position; because, to me, neither of those two should be indispensable. Don't get me wrong, Ekong and Balogun are both good players but they also have major weaknesses:
Balogun lacks pace
Ekong poor passing technique

In fact, I still haven't given up on Awaziem snatching one of the starting CB position in Russia if those two don't shape up. In fact, if not for Awaziem should've become a starter before now if not for his pretty poor debut game against South Africa game.


O pari

Good Point

tbaba1234:


It is more than a year now, i believe... It happens to players.

He used to play for Hearts in Scotland.

realpoacher:


Its amazing that you watch several matches every day but you seem ignorant of tactics teams deploy against each other. I bet that you see these tactics but just choose to remain stuck to some old school believe about football.

On this thread, several times in the past, it has been said here that football have evolved. The dynamics have changed. But it seems that many people are yet to come to full grasp about how football is currently played on their screens.

If we were both managers, i Nigeria's coach, you Croatia.... You play me from the middle and i will play you from the sidelines... At the end of the day, Baba i will beat you silly

Bros if you gift Croatia the midfield what do you think would happen to your defence?

MetalJigsaw:
Give up the midfield to Luka and Ivan? He must be joking. Na 4-0 dem go nack us I swear.

My brother na so o. 180million Nigerians, 180million coaches.

Humility017:

I will go with real poacher because judging from the sebia match....

I think we can't really match the crots in the midfield... best way to play them is through the flanks so a a Formation like 3-5-2 should be adopted...and passes should be spread to the wings....

the middle should be seldomly used not until they're under pressure...to make some deadly mistakes.....

you use the tactics you proposed up there can work effectively when we play Iceland...and not a team with world class midfielders like Croatia....

I think this your post contradicts your stance, bro. You're suggesting that we give up the middle to the Croats but at the same time implying a 3-5-2 formation which is basically and practically a midfield-choking tactic!

If we play the 3-5-2 then we're practicall , rightfully congesting the midfield in a bid to afford the Craots very little space in the middle. 3-5-2 basically is occupied by 5 bodies in the midfield, bro.

Humility017:

having two defensive midfielders like ndidi and onazi gonna dry us in that game....
we should go with one...and make use of either etebo/ agu
I see nothing wrong playing mikel as a CM in that game while iwobi takes the AM role....

I am still waiting for a friendly iwobi gets to play the AM and mikel the CM role...hopefully against England...

both players in the middle...with a striker like nancho upfront gonna birth goals...as nancho and iwobi can both interchange roles depending on who is with the ball.....

my only problem wit mikel...playing the CM role is his inability to shoot from a distance....

Don't you think Ogu will do a better job as the CM?

charlesemeka85:
after watching iwobi deployed as a midfielder against burnley yesterday it occurred to me that he is the number 10 we have been clamoring for all this years. i urge rohr to experiment a midfield trio of ndidi(defensive midfielder), mikel obi(central midfielder) and iwobi( attacking midfielder/supporting striker). with this three in the middle, etebo can come in from the flank because his robust style of play when be helpful when the team is attacking or defending

Great!

MetalJigsaw:
Yes. This is my observation about the two.

Aggression- Shehu

Technicality- Tyrone

Defense- Both (but I feel Tyrone)

Offense- Shehu

Positioning- Tyrone

Pace/Speed- Tyrone

Discipline- Shehu (although both are)

Stamina- Shehu

Strenght- Shehu

Crossing- ??

Though we need to see more of Tyrone. No real favorite for me. And I'd advice Shehu to watch his back.

I disagree on offense.. Shehu actually contributes better defensively than offensively. Ebuehi is better in that position.. But in terms of physical strength, Shehu is quite better.. some people often have this motion that only African teams are physical.. that's not true... Some European teams can be rugged too...


Both of them are valuable to us. through I feel Ebuehi could have displaced Shehu if Rohr had handed him his debut in that Algeria game...

MetalJigsaw:
It would, I think. Because Moses is our own Messi, Salah, Hazard, or even Mane. Now imagine these players in the wingback role for their national teams. Wouldn't their attack be somewhat affected?

Why are you talking like this? Do any of those players play wingback for club? It would not affect our attack, it will only make us better.

Countdown to the 35 man preliminary list: 6 days to go!!





Rohr said it in an interview some months ago that the Congo friendly will be used to test fringe players . I hope he keep to his word.. The regular players should be given enough time to rest from the stress of club football..
I wanna see what the likes of Echijele, Agbo and Agu(they are likely to b on the list) have got to offer...