Nigeria vs Croatia would decide the group

[john12]

This is a game that would decide the group. Croatia obviously has better players than us as their best players are
Modric - Real Madrid
Kovacic- Real Madrid
Rakitic - Barcelona
Pjaca- juventus
Manzukic - juventus
Perisic- inter milan

Compare their best 6 to ours

Victor Moses - chelsea
Alex Iwobi - arsenal
Mikel Obi - china
Ndidi - leicester
Iheanacho - leicester
Onazi - turkey

Croatia obviously has better players than us. Infact, their quality of players are good enough to win the entire World Cup (they won’t tho) that’s why I have been preaching about players mentioned at this website. If you want to aspire to win the World Cup you need your players at the highest level you cannot have your best players at backwater leagues then aspire to perform immensely at the World Cup. We’re rightfully the underdogs at this match and can probably win this game. However, the disrespect I’m seeing here towards Croatia is unacceptable.

[Robotnik]

Will or Could

Don't be mistaken, this group is tough.

[Tobi17]

So playing for top clubs is now a metric for a world cup winning team? of course Croatia is a bloody good team but Nigeria is more than capable of doing the number over them... Iceland could well be the dark horse in that group!

[john12]

Can as in being optimistic as a Nigerian. They have the better players and most neutrals would pick them to beat us. Yes playing for top clubs are one of the metrics to measure a player and team quality. If the quality of clubs you play for isn’t instrumental then teams will just use any Sunday league players and hope for the best

[marutimon]

This is a game that would decide the group. Croatia obviously has better players than us as their best players are
Modric - Real Madrid
Kovacic- Real Madrid
Rakitic - Barcelona
Pjaca- juventus
Manzukic - juventus
Perisic- inter milan

Modric has been terrible this season and will be 33 years old.
Kovacic is 23 years old and a benchwarmer with 23 minutes of game time this season, chances are Real Madrid will offload him in Winter
Pjaca plays in the Primavera of Juventus

Don't even know why you mentioned those two players.

[marutimon]

This is a game that would decide the group. Croatia obviously has better players than us as their best players are
Modric - Real Madrid
Kovacic- Real Madrid
Rakitic - Barcelona
Pjaca- juventus
Manzukic - juventus
Perisic- inter milan

Compare their best 6 to ours

Victor Moses - chelsea
Alex Iwobi - arsenal
Mikel Obi - china
Ndidi - leicester
Iheanacho - leicester
Onazi - turkey

Croatia obviously has better players than us. Infact, their quality of players are good enough to win the entire World Cup (they won’t tho) that’s why I have been preaching about players mentioned at this website. If you want to aspire to win the World Cup you need your players at the highest level you cannot have your best players at backwater leagues then aspire to perform immensely at the World Cup. We’re rightfully the underdogs at this match and can probably win this game. However, the disrespect I’m seeing here towards Croatia is unacceptable.

Now do a similar list for Iceland vs Croatia and tell me which team came out on top in that matychup.

[john12]

Modeic is one of the best players at his role in the last decade. His performance this year has everything to do with Real Madrid poor form and not his overall quality. The bono na star player

[Kabalega]

Iceland will top that group.

[john12]

There’s no way Iceland would top the group. Iceland beat Croatia 1-0 at home while Croatia beat Iceland 2 -0 at Croatia

[Ayo Akinfe]

This is a game that would decide the group. Croatia obviously has better players than us as their best players are
Modric - Real Madrid
Kovacic- Real Madrid
Rakitic - Barcelona
Pjaca- juventus
Manzukic - juventus
Perisic- inter milan

Compare their best 6 to ours

Victor Moses - chelsea
Alex Iwobi - arsenal
Mikel Obi - china
Ndidi - leicester
Iheanacho - leicester
Onazi - turkey

Croatia obviously has better players than us. Infact, their quality of players are good enough to win the entire World Cup (they won’t tho) that’s why I have been preaching about players mentioned at this website. If you want to aspire to win the World Cup you need your players at the highest level you cannot have your best players at backwater leagues then aspire to perform immensely at the World Cup. We’re rightfully the underdogs at this match and can probably win this game. However, the disrespect I’m seeing here towards Croatia is unacceptable.

No genuine football follower will rate Nigeria as underdogs against Croatia. They have one of the oldest teams in the tournament and will always struggle against pace.

Looking at what club a players plies his trade for is lazy and simplistic. If you said we are underdogs against Argentina, i could accept that (Despite us beating them recently).

[john12]

They have one of the older players at this World Cup. Yet, their best plays for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. How many of Nigerian players in history has played for those 3 teams consistently not just few appearances??? They also eliminated Spain at the last euro tournament. My guy were definitely the underdogs don’t be arrogant! If you don’t think the quality of teams that players are playing for matter then you’re being dishonest.

[Damunk]

They have one of the older players at this World Cup. Yet, their best plays for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. How many of Nigerian players in history has played for those 3 teams consistently not just few appearances??? They also eliminated Spain at the last euro tournament. My guy were definitely the underdogs don’t be arrogant! If you don’t think the quality of teams that players are playing for matter then you’re being dishonest.

It seems you are a great believer in the 'footbal is mathematics' theory.

[Waffiman]

They have one of the older players at this World Cup. Yet, their best plays for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. How many of Nigerian players in history has played for those 3 teams consistently not just few appearances??? They also eliminated Spain at the last euro tournament. My guy were definitely the underdogs don’t be arrogant! If you don’t think the quality of teams that players are playing for matter then you’re being dishonest.

The club you play for has no bearing on the WC. Remember, when we were in the same group as Argentina, Bulgaria and Greece. What clubs did our then players play for?

Croatia on their day are a damn good team and this has nothing to do with which club or clubs their players play for.

[ohsee]

So playing for top clubs is now a metric for a world cup winning team? of course Croatia is a bloody good team but Nigeria is more than capable of doing the number over them... Iceland could well be the dark horse in that group!

Maybe things have changed in your generation, meaning like yesterday, but my understanding is that it is optimal to have at least two top class, if not world class, players in every position if you wish to win a world cup. To make your case, please name a world cup winning team that did not have players playing for top clubs in nearly all starting positions. Germany? Spain? Italy? Brazil? France?

Please let history be your guide. It is not an infallible guide, yes, but it is much, much better than wishful thinking.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

I hereby declare war on CE's Mate.

[ohsee]

They have one of the older players at this World Cup. Yet, their best plays for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. How many of Nigerian players in history has played for those 3 teams consistently not just few appearances??? They also eliminated Spain at the last euro tournament. My guy were definitely the underdogs don’t be arrogant! If you don’t think the quality of teams that players are playing for matter then you’re being dishonest.

The club you play for has no bearing on the WC. Remember, when we were in the same group as Argentina, Bulgaria and Greece. What clubs did our then players play for?

Chief, minnows often play out of their skins in the group stage, so there is always a chance that a surprise will happen in that stage. But the QUALITY teams, with QUALITY players, playing for QUALITY clubs, with QUALITY coaches, and QUALITY preparation behind them, always emerge as real contenders and winners in the end.

[Waffiman]

So playing for top clubs is now a metric for a world cup winning team? of course Croatia is a bloody good team but Nigeria is more than capable of doing the number over them... Iceland could well be the dark horse in that group!

Maybe things have changed in your generation, meaning like yesterday, but my understanding is that it is optimal to have at least two top class, if not world class, players in every position if you wish to win a world cup. To make your case, please name a world cup winning team that did not have players playing for top clubs in nearly all starting positions. Germany? Spain? Italy? Brazil? France?

Please let history be your guide. It is not an infallible guide, yes, but it is much, much better than wishful thinking.

They are top players who happen to play at these clubs cos of the money they pay. Nothing else.

Your club does not pick you in the NT, your talent does. You can be talented and play for a smaller club.

[charlie]

Modeic is one of the best players at his role in the last decade. His performance this year has everything to do with Real Madrid poor form and not his overall quality. The bono na star player

To be fair, while Real Madrid owe a big part of their last 2 champions league runs to the performances of Modric (and others), he is also part of the reason why they have struggled this year.

If you watch their games, he has remained a step too slow in the midfield, leaving Casemiero exposed way too often in counter attacks and of course leading to a pourous defense for Real's standards.

That said, the world cup and Country football is a different matter. Names dont matter as much as chemistry and momentum.

We generally had a good record against Baltic and eastern european teams (Bosnia, Bulgaria), but by no means do I expect a game against Crotia to be without risk.

Iceland for me is the true Enigma. Their team chemistry and energy levels makes them way too unpredictable, and they have some skilled players too.

Group D is not going to be easy for anyone in the group, even Argentina.

[ohsee]

Nigeria is surely the England of West Africa. If we had Modric, Kovacic, Manzukic and Rakitic, we would have, Englander-like, declared ourselves the next World Cup winners even before June 2018. It is indeed good to be optimistic and positive, but history does not bear the optimists out. Yes, on the day, we have a slim chance of beating Croatia, just like Senegal beat the World Champions France in 2002, but it is a hope, not something you would gamble your life savings on.

[Bigpokey24]

This is a game that would decide the group. Croatia obviously has better players than us as their best players are
Modric - Real Madrid
Kovacic- Real Madrid
Rakitic - Barcelona
Pjaca- juventus
Manzukic - juventus
Perisic- inter milan

Compare their best 6 to ours

Victor Moses - chelsea
Alex Iwobi - arsenal
Mikel Obi - china
Ndidi - leicester
Iheanacho - leicester
Onazi - turkey

Croatia obviously has better players than us. Infact, their quality of players are good enough to win the entire World Cup (they won’t tho) that’s why I have been preaching about players mentioned at this website. If you want to aspire to win the World Cup you need your players at the highest level you cannot have your best players at backwater leagues then aspire to perform immensely at the World Cup. We’re rightfully the underdogs at this match and can probably win this game. However, the disrespect I’m seeing here towards Croatia is unacceptable.

what a daft thread, i guess when they met Mexico 3 years ago, these players were playing where again?

[/video]

[john12]

Their not only there because of money offered they’re at the best clubs because they are one of the best at their positions. This principles applies to plenty aspects of LIfe. If they weren’t world class in the first place best clubs wouldn’t had offered them money

[Tobi17]

Croatia has one of the best midfields in the world and have a good record against African teams as far as I know, I remember how they demolished Cameroon in the Brazil world cup... that been said they are unfamiliar with Nigeria as much as we are with them, so the X factor will lie in the unpredictability of our encounter, on paper of course Croatia have the better players... but one mistake any team will make at this point is to underestimate this Nigerian team, we come with an avalanche of surprises, thankfully we haven't really struggled to score goals under Rohr.

[Ayo Akinfe]

Nigeria is surely the England of West Africa. If we had Modric, Kovacic, Manzukic and Rakitic, we would have, Englander-like, declared ourselves the next World Cup winners even before June 2018. It is indeed good to be optimistic and positive, but history does not bear the optimists out. Yes, on the day, we have a slim chance of beating Croatia, just like Senegal beat the World Champions France in 2002, but it is a hope, not something you would gamble your life savings on.

In 2014, Bosnia had players plying their trade in higher profile clubs but we had a far better team. This was also the case in 1994 with Bulgaria.

Bear in mind the odds stacked against African players are higher than those their European counterparts face. Age cheating, the development of bad habits, a lack of early exposure, etc, all conspire against them.

I have watched Ivan Rakitić a lot this season and I do not see in what way he is better than Wilfred Ndidi for instance. Please tell me if I am missing something here.