Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h to

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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by Kneedeep »

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Thread!
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by nemi2002 »

The next day Akwa won 2 zero. Stadium had nothing to do with the result
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

nemi2002 wrote:The next day Akwa won 2 zero. Stadium had nothing to do with the result
The Stadium is great, & Uyo is great as well , even if Bob Udom might not be as good a 'host' as Godswill Akpabio . No issues with Uyo being the home of the Eagles till there is a new stadium in Lagos or the old National Stadium is refurbished and is under new management.

It will be unfair for these generation of Eagles not to experience Lagos. I have met foreigners abroad who were telling me about the legend of 'Surulere' and how Nigeria was unbeatable there. They knew the name too & assumed it meant something violent like slaughterhouse in 'Nigerian'. I assured them that is was just the name of the neighborhood where the stadium was located and it actually had a good, positive meaning.

The last set of games I saw there was the 2000 ANC. After a 0-0 group stage draw against small Congo, a number of fans wanted to 'discipline' the boys for not being serious and the team was trapped for some time, before police freed their bus. This was after booing the team on the pitch and throwing things from the stands. It was all superficial though. When Senegal was leading us late in the QF before Aghawonder saved us, nobody booed the Eagles. Same thing when Eto'o & Mboma were dealing with Iyemeni & Shorunmu.

I think it is Uyo for the next 4-5 years at least, as long as Udom 'cooperates; with NFF. Good Stadium, serene environment where the team can focus.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

Chronicling done. I will delve into some opinionating & analysis now. This may seem like an overkill, given how much has been written about this game, but some of our analysts seem to be focusing on the wrong issues and players in their write ups. I will begin with a ranking and rating of our boys against Bafana, & then take a general look at the team. Feel free to agree or disagree.

Team Ranking and Rating – Since it was such a poor performance, I will start from the lowest rating and work my way up. Not very high though, since even our best performers on the day were probably only average. Rating is out of 10 & in (Parenthesis). No one gets a zero because showing up counts for something.

Echiejile – (1) Responsible for the 1st goal. Took a ridiculous dive when he was in a scoring position earlier. Faithful but barely capable player at his best, not an International level player now that he has lost a step or two, and fatigues out in the 2nd half.

Akpeyi – (1) – Not an International level keeper. It is sad when the opponents are excited that his presence in goal gives them the best chance of beating Nigeria. And he didn’t disappoint them. He makes errors, inspires no confidence, and will cost us every time.

Nacho – (2) – Nigeria’s biggest talent might end up being more of a Martins than Yekini in terms of National team impact, unless there is a change in attitude. Didn’t hustle, pulled back from balls he was favorite to get, had a spat with the crowd, no urgency during substitution when we were behind. Kept the bus waiting for about 5 minutes at the hotel. Hopefully it was just a bad day, but I’m not so sure.

Iwobi – (2) – I would have subbed him in the 1st half if I was coach. Didn’t seem to take the game serious. Repeatedly trying turnover causing flicks and tricks instead of going for the simple and obvious. Maybe he would have more effective playing through the middle, but he was a big reason why we didn’t have a lot of useful possessions in the offensive 3rd. Team bus waited for him for a couple of minutes as well, but Mr. Nacho was even later.

Rohr – (3) – Sometimes, it is just a bad day, but that Bafana team will beat the team we put out in Uyo again if they played tomorrow, & that is on the coach. He was outcoached by Baxter in terms of tactics and personnel (& we have an advantage in this regard). To his credit, he got the right players off (he needed 5 substitutes to fully do that), but some of the problems with the team should not have been there in the first place. The timing of this blip can be good for the team if he takes the right corrective measures. The spotlight is on him now.

Simon – (3) – He was probably the best forward player, but that isn’t saying very much. He was full of running, willing to take on an opponent or two and try to get us into threatening positions. The decision making and final balls were horrible. He’d cross when he can make a run to the 6 yard box, over-cross into touch, or something totally frustrating after initial good work. He, like Musa, might just be good in small doses only.

Onazi – (4) – Not showing enough leadership to be vice-captain and losing the edge to his game that had us calling him ‘energizer bunny’. The pattern so many times with him in the game seemed to be: ‘demand the ball from the Defenese = Waste time with it, while gesturing that you’re looking for runners or lanes up front – make a sideways pass or another pass to a non-threatening position after Bafana’s Defense is fully set. With Ndidi’s emergence, he may find himself on the bench with a full house and no injuries in camp.

Musa – (4) – Maybe he was fasting, as he didn’t really provide a spark off the bench. A but unfair that we continue to have winger expectations for a support striker, but he must be judged based on the role he plays for the Eagles. Good in limited doses, as he has tools to change a game quickly, but can be costly over 90 minutes.

Ndidi – (5) – Far too upfield too many times. I’m not sure if he was playing to instruction or was trying to take matters into his own hand for a team that was out of sorts with the forward players having horrible games. He is at his best when he is in front of the back 4 (or 3), breaking up plays and initiating attacks with outlet passes. Forays forward are ok, but should be occasional and at opportune times. I don’t remember him getting a shot on target even though he had a sight on goal on at least 2 occasions.

Etebo – (5) – Came closest to scoring for the Eagles. Tried to force the action a number of times, and could have had 2 goals with more composure, but it looks like Etebo might be an exceptional support guy, but not the main man. Can we afford to have Etebo & Iwobi on the pitch at the same time, especially if Mikel is available? Could Iwobi be better in that central area? So many questions. Can’t knock his hustle and intensity though.

Ekong – (5) – Adequate defender who has been there for us in the last year or two. Wasn’t exceptional & got lost and easily beaten a few times. Average performance on a day the team played poorly.

Awaziem – (5) – OK debut for a good, young, athletic defender. I can’t believe some people are calling him out with the abundance of horror shows from several other players. The fact that he had to deal with a number of breakaways shows that other players were poor on the day. I won’t be surprised to see him start alongside Balogun when we have a full house in camp.

Osimhen – (5) – Not enough time to really make a full judgment, so I’ll just go into adaptive test mode and leave him with the average score.

Shehu – (5) – Didn’t rise above the fray, but was not the direct source of any major incident. I’ve seen him put in worse shifts for the Eagles, so average score well deserved.

Kayode – (6) – Not a fan of his game, but came with intensity and effort while he was on. He is probably the only person on the day that deserves an above average score.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by Dammy »

truetalk wrote:Chronicling done. I will delve into some opinionating & analysis now. This may seem like an overkill, given how much has been written about this game, but some of our analysts seem to be focusing on the wrong issues and players in their write ups. I will begin with a ranking and rating of our boys against Bafana, & then take a general look at the team. Feel free to agree or disagree.

Team Ranking and Rating – Since it was such a poor performance, I will start from the lowest rating and work my way up. Not very high though, since even our best performers on the day were probably only average. Rating is out of 10 & in (Parenthesis). No one gets a zero because showing up counts for something.

Echiejile – (1) Responsible for the 1st goal. Took a ridiculous dive when he was in a scoring position earlier. Faithful but barely capable player at his best, not an International level player now that he has lost a step or two, and fatigues out in the 2nd half.

Akpeyi – (1) – Not an International level keeper. It is sad when the opponents are excited that his presence in goal gives them the best chance of beating Nigeria. And he didn’t disappoint them. He makes errors, inspires no confidence, and will cost us every time.

Nacho – (2) – Nigeria’s biggest talent might end up being more of a Martins than Yekini in terms of National team impact, unless there is a change in attitude. Didn’t hustle, pulled back from balls he was favorite to get, had a spat with the crowd, no urgency during substitution when we were behind. Kept the bus waiting for about 5 minutes at the hotel. Hopefully it was just a bad day, but I’m not so sure.

Iwobi – (2) – I would have subbed him in the 1st half if I was coach. Didn’t seem to take the game serious. Repeatedly trying turnover causing flicks and tricks instead of going for the simple and obvious. Maybe he would have more effective playing through the middle, but he was a big reason why we didn’t have a lot of useful possessions in the offensive 3rd. Team bus waited for him for a couple of minutes as well, but Mr. Nacho was even later.

Rohr – (3) – Sometimes, it is just a bad day, but that Bafana team will beat the team we put out in Uyo again if they played tomorrow, & that is on the coach. He was outcoached by Baxter in terms of tactics and personnel (& we have an advantage in this regard). To his credit, he got the right players off (he needed 5 substitutes to fully do that), but some of the problems with the team should not have been there in the first place. The timing of this blip can be good for the team if he takes the right corrective measures. The spotlight is on him now.

Simon – (3) – He was probably the best forward player, but that isn’t saying very much. He was full of running, willing to take on an opponent or two and try to get us into threatening positions. The decision making and final balls were horrible. He’d cross when he can make a run to the 6 yard box, over-cross into touch, or something totally frustrating after initial good work. He, like Musa, might just be good in small doses only.

Onazi – (4) – Not showing enough leadership to be vice-captain and losing the edge to his game that had us calling him ‘energizer bunny’. The pattern so many times with him in the game seemed to be: ‘demand the ball from the Defenese = Waste time with it, while gesturing that you’re looking for runners or lanes up front – make a sideways pass or another pass to a non-threatening position after Bafana’s Defense is fully set. With Ndidi’s emergence, he may find himself on the bench with a full house and no injuries in camp.

Musa – (4) – Maybe he was fasting, as he didn’t really provide a spark off the bench. A but unfair that we continue to have winger expectations for a support striker, but he must be judged based on the role he plays for the Eagles. Good in limited doses, as he has tools to change a game quickly, but can be costly over 90 minutes.

Ndidi – (5) – Far too upfield too many times. I’m not sure if he was playing to instruction or was trying to take matters into his own hand for a team that was out of sorts with the forward players having horrible games. He is at his best when he is in front of the back 4 (or 3), breaking up plays and initiating attacks with outlet passes. Forays forward are ok, but should be occasional and at opportune times. I don’t remember him getting a shot on target even though he had a sight on goal on at least 2 occasions.

Etebo – (5) – Came closest to scoring for the Eagles. Tried to force the action a number of times, and could have had 2 goals with more composure, but it looks like Etebo might be an exceptional support guy, but not the main man. Can we afford to have Etebo & Iwobi on the pitch at the same time, especially if Mikel is available? Could Iwobi be better in that central area? So many questions. Can’t knock his hustle and intensity though.

Ekong – (5) – Adequate defender who has been there for us in the last year or two. Wasn’t exceptional & got lost and easily beaten a few times. Average performance on a day the team played poorly.

Awaziem – (5) – OK debut for a good, young, athletic defender. I can’t believe some people are calling him out with the abundance of horror shows from several other players. The fact that he had to deal with a number of breakaways shows that other players were poor on the day. I won’t be surprised to see him start alongside Balogun when we have a full house in camp.

Osimhen – (5) – Not enough time to really make a full judgment, so I’ll just go into adaptive test mode and leave him with the average score.

Shehu – (5) – Didn’t rise above the fray, but was not the direct source of any major incident. I’ve seen him put in worse shifts for the Eagles, so average score well deserved.

Kayode – (6) – Not a fan of his game, but came with intensity and effort while he was on. He is probably the only person on the day that deserves an above average score.
Truetalk, thanks for the analysis. I made this prediction as well in another thread that with a full house, I see Balogun partnering Awaziem in the SE CD positions. His star is on the rise and he is set to join Ligue 1 club, Nantes, which will make him and Balogun the only Nigerian CDs playing in a top 5 European league. Although sometimes the CD partnership could be about the players with the best understanding, in which case, Balogun and Ekong, would be the preferred choice.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

I agree with a number of analysts that this was more of a wake-up call than a disaster. We had a somewhat inflated opinion of ourselves before the game, and assumed we would comfortably beat one of the better sides in Africa without our best keeper, best defender, best midfielder and best forward player. Despite some possible penalty calls (handballs) that could have gone our way, and other missed chances, Bafana beat us comfortably, and a 4-0 thrashing would have been fairer and was more likely than us getting a draw.

I’ll do a position analysis of the team later , but I’ll state my conclusions for those not interested in ‘Dogo Turanci’.

We are in a very good spot and can easily build a world class team through the 2018-19 Workd Cup and Nations Cup phase. Minor adjustments without sentiments needed.

Either Ikeme or Enyeama must be in goal for all competitive games through 2019. Search for a 3rd Keeper still on.

If Mikel is not available, Ideye must play. While they don’t play the same position, they have a similar impact as sources of impactful and defense splitting possessions that bring other players into play in the offensive 3rd.

• The likes of Echiejile and Akpeyi have no business in a Nigerian National team in 2017.


• Nothing funny about having Ambrose back. I’ll take him over Echiejile on the left and Shehu on the right. Sone Aluko will be more useful to the team as a wide left than some current options, especially with useful possessions in the final 3rd. We have better options to Echiejile & we need to solve that problem by Committee if possible. Uduokhai, Amuzie & the newly discovered Maroof are options in addition to Ambrose.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

Goalkeepers:

Ikeme has been flawless for us and is No.1, but he has been injured a lot. We urgently need to get Enyeama back & somehow convince him to be willing to be on the bench & just support the younger players, when Ikeme is available. Cameroon was somehow able to manage Nkono, Bell and Songo’o at some point.

I’m not buying the Alampaasu hype. Good performances in the last 2 games of a schoolboy tournament is not a passport to the Nigerian national team. He was benched at the U-20 level by Enaholo, benched on the CHAN team by Agbim, benched on the watered down Eagles team by Ezenwa (who was benched by the bumbling Akpeyi on the main team. Akpeyi was benched by Daniel on the Olympic team). Different coaches have preferred this rather inauspicious collection of keepers to Alampasu over the last 2 years. Alampasu is in the only team in Europe owned by a Nigerian, who might feel he has a patriotic duty to help develop talent. He has barely played over the last season. I hope I’m wrong, but we should probably start looking elsewhere for the 3rd option.

The mainstays in the NPFL (Femi Thomas, Okiemute Odah, Sunday Rotimi) are past their prime. Suraj Ayeleso is getting some good press, so we should get to see him and Ezenwa in the CHAN qualifiers in August. Maybe some 18 or 19 year old in the NNL, NPFL or abroad (Maduka Okoye?) might emerge over the next 12 months, we’ll see.

In the meantime, either Ikeme and Enyeama must man the post. So yes, we need Vince back & he has to be willing to seat on the bench. Let the coach & Pinnick make it happen.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by Odas »

Truetalk: Thanks for the write-ups and information in general. After reading the posts, I feel many of the things you narrated happened in my presence. Good job :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
And the BIBLE says: The race is NOT for the swift, neither is the battle for the strong nor ... but time and chance makes them all.
Ecclesiastes 1:18: For in much wisdom is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by ukwala »

@Truetalk, many thanks for your indepth analyses. You should have however titled the thread more appropriately to bring out the content of the thread.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

Defense:

The number of options available make us adequate in Central Defense. Awaziem is now in the mix with Balogun, Ekong and Omeruo. The likes of Oboabona are still options, and the NFF could go after Otigba and Tomori.

On the right, Shehu has started lately under Rohr. Ebuehi is now in the mix. Ambrose and Aina are also options and should provide some competition here and on the left. If we qualify early, we should cap Odubajo in one of the final 2 games of the WCQ.

On the left, there are several alternatives to Echiejile, & it is either a coaching or administrative failure that makes it seem like we are optionless. Madu, Amuzie, Aina, Uduokhai and Ambrose are viable (and I think better) options. There is also the newly invited Maroof. I understand the need to avoid too many changes before competitive games, but weaknesses need to be addressed.

Verdict – We can be strong by committee here. Get some of the credible options on the left in the mix to compete for the starting shirt vs Cameroon.
Last edited by truetalk on Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

ukwala wrote:@Truetalk, many thanks for your indepth analyses. You should have however titled the thread more appropriately to bring out the content of the thread.
Thanks. Maybe I'll move the analysis bit to a new thread. Just that so many people have spoken about that game already.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

Midfield:

It is very obvious that Mikel has raised his game for the Eagles after the World Cup and has become the stabilizing force and a source of creativity in the middle. It may also be better to play Iwobi through the middle than on the wings, as I think he has been better through the middle for his club. (VM fits more into the playmaker from the wings mold if necessary). We need options in that creative and attacking midfield space.

I have not seen Nwakili play, & I don’t want to make the classic CE mistake (of declaring a player I haven’t seen as the next big thing), but if he is as talented as the hype suggests, he can come to camp to start shadowing Mikel in camp alongside Iwobi, even if he does not make the matchday squad.

We have a good number of young, energetic and solid Defensive and Central Midfielders in Ndidi, Etebo, Onazi, Ogu. We are not looking for new players here, we just need to let people grow into their roles.

Verdict – Midfield is pretty much set. Maybe Nwakili and Esiti can get a look in. Mikel still key. & he & Ndidi are guaranteed starters. Iwobi should be tried in the AM position.
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Re: Tokelo Rantie - Get me a fine Naija girl with big y@*$h

Post by truetalk »

Attack:

I’ll go off on a tangent with a guy who is potentially our biggest talent. Hopefully, this is a storm in a teacup, but we might just have a Nacho problem, and it is attitude and not ability. We may need to apologize to Manu Garba for the backlash he got here and elsewhere for leaving Nacho & Success on the bench at the 2015 U-20 WC. The man has been with these kids since they were 15 and that may have been his own way to intervene as a caring mentor.

There was more than enough to be worried about as regards his attitude during this game. From keeping the team bus waiting at the hotel, to strolling off the pitch when we were behind at home. He dismissed an agitated crowd with an angry hand wave after not making the required effort to get to a pass behind the defense. I’m beginning to think he might need some time on the bench.

Ideye is very much needed through the 2019 phase, especially if Mikel is not available. He is a lead or support striker, but brings many qualities of an AM to the table and could make our possessions more coordinated and impactful in the final 3rd. Victor Moses is also very much needed as he can ‘create his chances’ and also create for others from wide positions.

Kayode and Onyekuru are welcome additions. Simon and Musa are too costly over 90 minutes. At the moment, they are like strong medication. Good in small doses; 15 – 20 minutes at the end of a game. That means only one is needed and frankly, I’ll take Sone Aluko over both as a wide player over 90 minutes.

I have never seen Bazee play, but the description of being ‘a faster version of VM’ looks enticing if true. Cyril Dessers just had a breakout season against limited opposition in the Juliper, but he got better as the season progressed. He barely played 10 games last season, but scored 29 this season. At 22, & showing such improvement, I’m willing to take a chance and cap him asap, because Belgium will, if he repeats the same in the Eredivisie. He is raw, but has the fundamentals. Uses both feet and can use his head. We should also try to get Tammy Abraham to commit. This will be much easier if we beat Cameroon and wrap up qualification in September.

Verdict: Musa & Simon are not very effective on the wings and too costly over 90 minutes. Ideye & VM should start against Cameroon. Not sure who the 3rd forward player should be (Default is Nacho, but he may need time on the bench if we can get an effective replacement). Get Abraham, Dessers & Bazee soon if possible.

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