Nigeria Crashes at Home & Player Ratings...

[Enugu II]

With Nigeria’s array of foreign-based stars it was a surprise to look at the South African list of players to find a team that was largely based at home. Yet, the South Africans with local players outwitted the much-heralded foreign players in Nigeria’s own turf. It was Nigeria’s first loss, at any venue, in a competitive game to a South African selection at the senior level and it was under a well-paid foreign manager that the Nigerian Federation celebrated as a Messiah.

The manner of defeat was deflating. Nigeria did not record a shot on goal until the dying minutes, besides two crosses that the South African goalkeeper parried in the first half! Shockingly, the defeat could have been worse with the South Africans hitting the post twice and a third opportunity frittered away widely from barely 14 yards out!

http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2017/06/n ... frica.html

[theYemster]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

[txj]

@ EII,

Still think we have a crowded MF?

[Enugu II]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

TheYemster,

I think our team is good (personnel wise) but there were things that were troubling today. Why did we have a single attacker, AT HOME, in this game? That is a coaching decision. It is directly responsible for the fact that South Africa was rarely troubled in spite of SE's ball possession. Second, that second goal was a shocker, tactically. That we are chasing a goal does not excuse not having a defender playing in a safety position between the keeper and the South Africans.

[deanotito]

We lost for a simple reason.

Rohr's choice of midfield personnel was overly defensive, with zero attacking creativity. There were enough good attacking runs to score 5 goals on SA, but Onazi, Ndidi and Etebo were heavy touching anything that looked round in their path. Onazi and Ndidi could be excused because thats not what they do...Etebo less so, but after watching him for the last year, I'm still not sure what position he plays...so maybe we can excuse him too. BUT Rohr can't be excused....he should have known. The game died for us in midfield becuase we tried to fit square pegs in round holes....

The attack and defense (save for Awaziem getting lost occasionally) played well enough to win. But midfield couldn't play a decent forward pass all game.

SA came to score on the counter...and they did that. I wouldn't read too much into this (save for our potential elimination from CAN) unless Rohr cannot adjust. If he learns his lesson, we'll be fine.

[zee]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

[txj]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

TheYemster,

I think our team is good (personnel wise) but there were things that were troubling today. Why did we have a single attacker, AT HOME, in this game? That is a coaching decision. It is directly responsible for the fact that South Africa was rarely troubled in spite of SE's ball possession. Second, that second goal was a shocker, tactically. That we are chasing a goal does not excuse not having a defender playing in a safety position between the keeper and the South Africans.

The choice of CMs did not help...Plus he could've played Iwobi centrally...

He was especially poor today...

[Dammy]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

KPOM! I watched both Botswana and Kenya strike good free-kicks today, yet the SE could not hit one good free-kick, even Musa could not take corners properly.

[zee]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

KPOM! I watched both Botswana and Kenya strike good free-kicks today, yet the SE could not hit one good free-kick, even Musa could not take corners properly.

Dumbo ....................meaning that they trained for it. That's why you pay a coach.

[theYemster]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

TheYemster,

I think our team is good (personnel wise) but there were things that were troubling today. Why did we have a single attacker, AT HOME, in this game? That is a coaching decision. It is directly responsible for the fact that South Africa was rarely troubled in spite of SE's ball possession. Second, that second goal was a shocker, tactically. That we are chasing a goal does not excuse not having a defender playing in a safety position between the keeper and the South Africans.

EII, I agree the team isn't bad as personnel wise we could do a whole lot worse. I already said as much in the game thread. It's a little bit of growing pains. I'm just highlighting a flaw that's been inherent in many Nigerian teams even our successful ones. The 94 team had only two good headers of the ball (offensively speaking), Mutiu and Amuneke. Our three main strikers Yekini, Amokachi and Siasia were all poor headers of the ball. Of the three I only remember Yekini scoring one headed goal against Egypt at Algiers 90 (the goal against Gabon at Tunisia 94 doesn't count). Anyone who remembers the goal should know why (he heighted the on rushing goalie and headed into an empty net from like a yard out). If there's any other one I can't recollect. Most of our top strikers since then, Kanu, Ikpeba, Akpoborie, JAG, Yak, Martins, Emenike, Ideye, maybe JAG is the only one that has any semblance of an aerial threat.

None of the above absolve the coach from a poor job today. I also already stuff as much. The players were tactically badly positioned in most of their attacking moves and that defensive breakdown that led to the second goal as well. This more than personnel was mostly reasonable for the abysmal attack. But the coach is human so making mistakes is fine. It's repeating mistakes that separate humans from goats.

[Komani]

We lost for a simple reason.

Rohr's choice of midfield personnel was overly defensive, with zero attacking creativity. There were enough good attacking runs to score 5 goals on SA, but Onazi, Ndidi and Etebo were heavy touching anything that looked round in their path. Onazi and Ndidi could be excused because thats not what they do...Etebo less so, but after watching him for the last year, I'm still not sure what position he plays...so maybe we can excuse him too. BUT Rohr can't be excused....he should have known. The game died for us in midfield becuase we tried to fit square pegs in round holes....

The attack and defense (save for Awaziem getting lost occasionally) played well enough to win. But midfield couldn't play a decent forward pass all game.

SA came to score on the counter...and they did that. I wouldn't read too much into this (save for our potential elimination from CAN) unless Rohr cannot adjust. If he learns his lesson, we'll be fine.

Kpom. Rohr got everything wrong today. We can still get a win at SA. I'm not too worried. Rohr seems like a smart guy. Hopefully he's learnt from his mistake. Etebo is a box to box CM. Still think we should've started Onyekuru on the left and Iwobi as a 10.

[Dammy]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

KPOM! I watched both Botswana and Kenya strike good free-kicks today, yet the SE could not hit one good free-kick, even Musa could not take corners properly.

Dumbo ....................meaning that they trained for it. That's why you pay a coach.

Ediot, so you think a national coach will teach professional players how to take free-kicks? You are so infatuated with the coach that it has not occurred to your dumb #$% that you are sounding ignorant and stupid! Did Christain Chukwu teach Okocha how to take free-kicks? or is it the Portugal or Argentinean coaches that taught Ronaldo and Messi how to take free-kicks you dumb mudafuka?

[zee]

Ediot, so you think a national coach will teach professional players how to take free-kicks? You are so infatuated with the coach that it has not occurred to your dumb #$% that you are sounding ignorant and stupid! Did Christain Chukwu teach Okocha how to take free-kicks? or is it the Portugal or Argentinean coaches that taught Ronaldo and Messi how to take free-kicks you dumb mudafuka?

I was waiting for a dumbo like you to stumble in with your foolishness and I knew I won't wait long.
You are so daft to know that a FK,CK and pass is only good if it finds your teammate and you find your teammate 'cos you practiced it in training.
But them you are just a daft wowo lover

Enjoy.....................

[/video]

[Dammy]

Ediot, so you think a national coach will teach professional players how to take free-kicks? You are so infatuated with the coach that it has not occurred to your dumb #$% that you are sounding ignorant and stupid! Did Christain Chukwu teach Okocha how to take free-kicks? or is it the Portugal or Argentinean coaches that taught Ronaldo and Messi how to take free-kicks you dumb mudafuka?

I was waiting for a dumbo like you to stumble in with your foolishness and I knew I won't wait long.
You are so daft to know that a FK,CK and pass is only good if it finds your teammate and you find your teammate 'cos you practiced it in training.
But them you are just a daft wowo lover

Enjoy.....................

[/video]

Ediot, you have not answered my question. You no nothing about football and you have been waiting for a year to say " I told you so", but has it occurred to your fried brain that the Nations Cup qualifiers is not over? azz hole!

[theYemster]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

You be my guy but pally, practicing free kicks isn't what you do in national team camp. You're barely there for a minute. It's something you do in your everyday normal club life. Beckham stayed back after practice and took a hundred free kicks, same with Messi and Ronaldo. Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen also spent hours after practice or before games practicing their shots. These things take nurturing. Not something you do in the short space of time your in the national team camp. The Germans already gave the structure and lost of their players practice on their own time. In camp they just usually practice to warm up not to perfect the skill.

You as a player have to want to improve so much that you will yourself to take these extra steps for self improvement. With all our players on Europe not just currently but in history, how isn't of then have you seen be their club team's designated set piece taker? Only Okocha during his time at Bolton comes to mind.

[Dammy]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

You be my guy but pally, practicing free kicks isn't what you do in national team camp. You're barely there for a minute. It's something you do in your everyday normal club life. Beckham stayed back after practice and took a hundred free kicks, same with Messi and Ronaldo. Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen also spent hours after practice or before games practicing their shots. These things take nurturing. Not something you do in the short space of time your in the national team camp. The Germans already gave the structure and lost of their players practice on their own time. In camp they just usually practice to warm up not to perfect the skill.

You as a player have to want to improve so much that you will yourself to take these extra steps for self improvement. With all our players on Europe not just currently but in history, how isn't of then have you seen be their club team's designated set piece taker? Only Okocha during his time at Bolton comes to mind.

Thank you, abeg someone tell the ignorant zeediot that teaching professional players how to take free-kicks is not the job of a national team coach. He is just looking for any reason to attack the coach, ediot.

[airwolex]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

You be my guy but pally, practicing free kicks isn't what you do in national team camp. You're barely there for a minute. It's something you do in your everyday normal club life. Beckham stayed back after practice and took a hundred free kicks, same with Messi and Ronaldo. Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen also spent hours after practice or before games practicing their shots. These things take nurturing. Not something you do in the short space of time your in the national team camp. The Germans already gave the structure and lost of their players practice on their own time. In camp they just usually practice to warm up not to perfect the skill.

You as a player have to want to improve so much that you will yourself to take these extra steps for self improvement. With all our players on Europe not just currently but in history, how isn't of then have you seen be their club team's designated set piece taker? Only Okocha during his time at Bolton comes to mind.

Zeelot is your guy?

[theYemster]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

You be my guy but pally, practicing free kicks isn't what you do in national team camp. You're barely there for a minute. It's something you do in your everyday normal club life. Beckham stayed back after practice and took a hundred free kicks, same with Messi and Ronaldo. Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen also spent hours after practice or before games practicing their shots. These things take nurturing. Not something you do in the short space of time your in the national team camp. The Germans already gave the structure and lost of their players practice on their own time. In camp they just usually practice to warm up not to perfect the skill.

You as a player have to want to improve so much that you will yourself to take these extra steps for self improvement. With all our players on Europe not just currently but in history, how isn't of then have you seen be their club team's designated set piece taker? Only Okocha during his time at Bolton comes to mind.

Zeelot is your guy?

Footy wise. You could say we're brothers in Klopp and Keshi.

[theYemster]

Thank you, abeg someone tell the ignorant zeediot that teaching professional players how to take free-kicks is not the job of a national team coach. He is just looking for any reason to attack the coach, ediot.

Yeah but I'm also hoping he at least seriously advises then to go work on those things when they go back to their respective clubs. Anyone that doesn't show improvement will lose his shirt.

[Enugu II]

@ EII,

Still think we have a crowded MF?

Actually, yes. Bad day in the office and bad set up of the team but personnel wise, I think the midfield has more quality guys than any where else for this team.

[Enugu II]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Why did Rohr play Iheanacho who's not been a regular got his team in months? It breeds mediocrity. Someone needs to tell that kid to move to a club where he'll get playing time or he will continue to decline. Also I'm not so sure he did be playing upfront with his back to goal. I think he's better as a support striker.

That said this team is a new young team so there'll always be growing pains. Some of these guys are relatively inexperienced on the international scene and it's a completely different setting.

TheYemster,

I think our team is good (personnel wise) but there were things that were troubling today. Why did we have a single attacker, AT HOME, in this game? That is a coaching decision. It is directly responsible for the fact that South Africa was rarely troubled in spite of SE's ball possession. Second, that second goal was a shocker, tactically. That we are chasing a goal does not excuse not having a defender playing in a safety position between the keeper and the South Africans.

The choice of CMs did not help...Plus he could've played Iwobi centrally...

He was especially poor today...

KPOM

[zee]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

You be my guy but pally, practicing free kicks isn't what you do in national team camp. You're barely there for a minute. It's something you do in your everyday normal club life. Beckham stayed back after practice and took a hundred free kicks, same with Messi and Ronaldo. Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen also spent hours after practice or before games practicing their shots. These things take nurturing. Not something you do in the short space of time your in the national team camp. The Germans already gave the structure and lost of their players practice on their own time. In camp they just usually practice to warm up not to perfect the skill.

You as a player have to want to improve so much that you will yourself to take these extra steps for self improvement. With all our players on Europe not just currently but in history, how isn't of then have you seen be their club team's designated set piece taker? Only Okocha during his time at Bolton comes to mind.

You guys don't get it.
How come Onazi plays good freekicks in Lazio & Trabzonspor but in the SE it 'looks' bad..........................it is b/c a FK/CK/pass is only good if it finds your teammate or the net.
Good National teams spend hours training FKs/CKs ......................you folks think training for team FKs/CKs' means teaching a player how to shoot the ball .
Every paid pro can do that.................the training involves co-ordinating your crosses with your team's style of play.
I give examples .................A team like Bayern trains their players to whip crosses from touchlines anywhere fron 25m to the opponents goal(the nearer to the corner flag the better) while Dortmund under the Dean thread their crosses mostly from their half or center area(and mostly low balls and fast ) 'cos their system is based on a very fast counter-pressing.
Now, the German National team adopts mostly the Bayern system, that's why they train/practice these setups with the team........................otherwise players from different teams can't 'read' those crosses/CKs/FKs from their National mates.

[Dammy]

Nigerian players when it comes to self development are lazy. You play in Europe and yet the south African based players can cross the ball better and more accurately. Nigerian players keep thinking football is just about dribbles, flicks and dummies. Technically speaking they can't strike the ball accurately (save for Ndidi), they can't cross, they can't take free kicks, they're notoriously poor headers of the ball. Everyone just wanted to dribble and dummy.

Tactically they are also poor at running the channels during breaks. The South Africans knew when/were to pass without looking and they mostly passed to their team mates. Even their crosses were in the vicinity of their team mates. With Nigeria, not only are the crosses poor, the players in the box are badly positioned. No one attacks the near and far posts during corners. They all just stand immobile waiting from the ball to come to them rather than attack it.

The technical flaws I blame on the players (and maybe a little on the coach for selecting them), while the tactical ones I blame on the coach.

Crossing and CKs must be trained by the coach, 'cos crosses and CKs differ from team to team depending on the coach's tactics.........................I will digress a bit.
The German National team spend hours on training learning/perfecting their various crosses,FKs,Cks 'cos the national coach knows that his team is made up of players from different clubs with different 'club-coached' systems of playing crosses(timing,whipping etc) FKs & CKs .
Some club coaches depending on his tactics, train his players to whip in crosses from the midfield........others depending on tactics train their players to swing it in from near the corner areas.
With a bad coach, the above players will look stupid with their crosses 'cos a cross/FK/CK/pass only looks good if it finds your teammate or better the net .

The long & short of my 'sermon' is that bad crosses/CKs/FKs in any national team is a revelation of poor coaching.

You be my guy but pally, practicing free kicks isn't what you do in national team camp. You're barely there for a minute. It's something you do in your everyday normal club life. Beckham stayed back after practice and took a hundred free kicks, same with Messi and Ronaldo. Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen also spent hours after practice or before games practicing their shots. These things take nurturing. Not something you do in the short space of time your in the national team camp. The Germans already gave the structure and lost of their players practice on their own time. In camp they just usually practice to warm up not to perfect the skill.

You as a player have to want to improve so much that you will yourself to take these extra steps for self improvement. With all our players on Europe not just currently but in history, how isn't of then have you seen be their club team's designated set piece taker? Only Okocha during his time at Bolton comes to mind.

You guys don't get it.
How come Onazi plays good freekicks in Lazio & Trabzonspor but in the SE it 'looks' bad..........................it is b/c a FK/CK/pass is only good if it finds your teammate or the net.
Good National teams spend hours training FKs/CKs ......................you folks think training for team FKs/CKs' means teaching a player how to shoot the ball .
Every paid pro can do that.................the training involves co-ordinating your crosses with your team's style of play.
I give examples .................A team like Bayern trains their players to whip crosses from touchlines anywhere fron 25m to the opponents goal(the nearer to the corner flag the better) while Dortmund under the Dean thread their crosses mostly from their half or center area(and mostly low balls and fast ) 'cos their system is based on a very fast counter-pressing.
Now, the German National team adopts mostly the Bayern system, that's why they train/practice these setups with the team........................otherwise players from different teams can't 'read' those crosses/CKs/FKs from their National mates.

Goat, keep displaying your ignorance for the world to see. Onazi takes free-kicks at Lazio and Trabzonspor? I have heard ecerything from this fool!