POSITIVES

[marutimon]

POSTIVIES:
Goalkeeper: Uzoho is a fricking good GK. He did everything he could do.

Defence: Most of the defence worked very well. Croatia was largely contained and damage was self-inflicted. Shehu after a rough start did OK, but Ebuehi is a must now. Idowu had a largely good game. However, for that dumb foul in the penalty area - I would bench Troost Ekong. Balogun and Omeruo moving forward.

Midfield: Ndidi and Etebo are beasts. Etebo just runs and runs, while Ndidi tackling was immaculate. These two are legit superstars. Etebo won 8 freekicks!!! The Croatians had no idea how to contain and were just hacking like crazy. In all honesty he probably should have won 2-3 more. Also - major difference between him and Moses: Etebo keeps on running, even when fouled. Moses flops at the lightest touch. The referee quickly noticied that - and starting waving off the play against Moses, while he whistled each and every foul on Etebo.

Mikel might not have legs for 90 minutes, but I say the problem was not in the midfield, but on the wings. He also had some great tackles. That said maybe Iwobi as a AM ahead of Mikel might be necessary.

Forward: The only positive going forward is Iheanacho. We have no other person deserving of starting up front. I don't care what you say about his touch or whatever - whenever he has the ball things happen. He is our main gamechanger and wildcard. You can't bench someone with his strike rate for club and country and get away with it. Ighalo needs to be benched or at best start up front to assist Iheanacho.

This game: Yes, we lost, but the damage was self-inflicted. That means the back is well shielded by Ndidi and Etebo. The problem is with creativity up front.

Next game: Iceland is now a must win. If we manage to win that game this group is still wide open, albeit there is still the minor issue of Iceland. I know Argentina struggled, but they made the massive mistake of playing lightweights against bullies. Ndidi, Mikel and Etebo are great at dealing with bullies.

[airwolex]

Time to ring home the changes. I suspect we will not qualify so let's start Iheanacho instead of Ighalo. Shehu is a trier but he offers nothing going forward so let's blood Ebuehi. Mikel should be permanently told to sit his yansh just before the two CD's and Etebo should be a super-sub.

[marko]

Positives? Nigeria can leave Russia early so we can watch some good football, jokes aside, Etebo should not have signed for Stoke, be seems to be an awesome player

[Shownoja]

Time to ring home the changes. I suspect we will not qualify so let's start Iheanacho instead of Ighalo. Shehu is a trier but he offers nothing going forward so let's blood Ebuehi. Mikel should be permanently told to sit his yansh just before the two CD's and Etebo should be a super-sub.

Etebo as a sub? You're kidding right?

[airwolex]

Time to ring home the changes. I suspect we will not qualify so let's start Iheanacho instead of Ighalo. Shehu is a trier but he offers nothing going forward so let's blood Ebuehi. Mikel should be permanently told to sit his yansh just before the two CD's and Etebo should be a super-sub.

Etebo as a sub? You're kidding right?

Unless you want to bench Mikel.

[marutimon]

Time to ring home the changes. I suspect we will not qualify so let's start Iheanacho instead of Ighalo. Shehu is a trier but he offers nothing going forward so let's blood Ebuehi. Mikel should be permanently told to sit his yansh just before the two CD's and Etebo should be a super-sub.

Etebo as a sub? You're kidding right?

Unless you want to bench Mikel.

If you go 4-2-3-1 then you can go:

---------------Uzoho----------------
-Ebuehi-Balogun--Omeruo-Idowu-
---------Ndidi-------Mikel-----------
----------------Iwobi---------------
-Moses-----------------------Etebo-
-------------Iheanacho--------------

With 3-5-2 you can do:

---------------Uzoho----------------
--Balogun--Omeruo--Ekong--------
---------Ndidi-------Mikel-----------
----------------Etebo---------------
-Moses-----------------------Idowu-
---------------Iwobi------------------
-------------Iheanacho--------------

[Rawlings]

Positives? Nigeria can leave Russia early so we can watch some good football, jokes aside, Etebo should not have signed for Stoke, be seems to be an awesome player

what were his options?

[Coach]

The only positive was that the ball wasn’t squared to Perisic to make it three. The defence was pathetic, the right hand side was targeted time and again, count the number of times Croatia got in. The midfield offered nothing, were too deep and too porous. Ighalo was pathetic but that, in his defence, was made all the more worse by his isolation. It’s likely Nigeria are halfway out the door.

[kali]

Etebo should be playing the mikel role as AM. mikel is a liability as an AM. he is way too.slow. Shehu is below average. It's clear that both England and Croatia targeted his wing because he can be run rings around. He was bailed out by Moses.

Ighalo is a passenger. Iheanacho showed how you play as a forward. We need to try this:

Uzoho
Ebuehi Ekong Balogun Idowu
Ndidi Mikel
Moses Etebo Iheanacho
Iwobi

[marutimon]

The defence was pathetic, the right hand side was targeted time and again, count the number of times Croatia got in.

Given that Croatia were limited to long shots for the most part I would have to say - very rarely.

[marutimon]

Etebo should be playing the mikel role as AM. mikel is a liability as an AM. he is way too.slow. Shehu is below average. It's clear that both England and Croatia targeted his wing because he can be run rings around. He was bailed out by Moses.

Ighalo is a passenger. Iheanacho showed how you play as a forward. We need to try this:

Uzoho
Ebuehi Ekong Balogun Idowu
Ndidi Mikel
Moses Etebo Iheanacho
Iwobi

I honestly want to punish Ekong for that second goal. It was absolutely clueless by Ekong. Hence I would put on Omeruo.

However it did remind me of 2014. Odemwingie was victim of the exact same bearhug, yet no PK.

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

Thank you Mauritimon. Its just typical for many of us to want to tear something up the moment it seems like it might be harder than we thought. The positives you mentioned were very good development for this team , the boy busted their backsides on that pitch today but they were unlucky. We need to make a couple changes and keep the positives we instead of saw today instead of beating up on them and the coach.

1, uzoho was very good. Much better than anybody would've thought just a month ago. We now have an undisputed No 1 for the decade if he remains focused.

2,The oyibo wall held firm but for that silly mistake by Ekong. I wouldnt bench him and destroy his confidence.

3, Etebo worked his tail off too. We seem to forget that the boy naturally a support striker but he's certainly a keeper. What i'm not sure about is if we'd have been better off with Onazi's ability to close out.

Ighalo was ok but the team just isnt creating enough chances because we have no threat down the wings and the spacing is suspect. I support this team. i even support them more today than i did yesterday.

[nanijoe]

Etebo is absolutely frickin world class.never mind the own goal. The dude never stopped working.
Ighalo has no business on the pitch. Kelechi has to start
Iwobi really needs to be played in the middle of the park
Moses needs a slap for all his diving
Rohr needs to get the f**k out of here
2022 is going to be great

[bret- hart]

1) Rhor needs to be fired now
2) Bench Mikel and play etebo and Iwobi in the middle
3) Bench Shehu and start Ebuehi
4) Bench Igalo and play Ihenacho and Nwankwo
5) Pray

[nanijoe]

Amen to every single point...Because of this 1di0t, I'm drinking kai kai like 1Naira

1) Rhor needs to be fired now
2) Bench Mikel and play etebo and Iwobi in the middle
3) Bench Shehu and start Ebuehi
4) Bench Igalo and play Ihenacho and Nwankwo
5) Pray

[marutimon]

Given Iceland's power I'm thinking:

---------------Uzoho----------------
--Balogun--Omeruo--Ekong--------
---------Ndidi-------Mikel-----------
----------------Iwobi---------------
-Moses-----------------------Etebo-
------------Iheanacho----------------
--------------------Simy--------------

But Rohr will never do that...

[marutimon]

1) Rhor needs to be fired now
2) Bench Mikel and play etebo and Iwobi in the middle
3) Bench Shehu and start Ebuehi
4) Bench Igalo and play Ihenacho and Nwankwo
5) Pray

In all honesty I think Mikel had a better game than Iwobi.

But I would put Etebo on the wing and Iwobi in the middle.

[nanijoe]

Mikel really was the problem..better to have Iwobi in the middle with Etebo and Ndidi behind him

1) Rhor needs to be fired now
2) Bench Mikel and play etebo and Iwobi in the middle
3) Bench Shehu and start Ebuehi
4) Bench Igalo and play Ihenacho and Nwankwo
5) Pray

In all honesty I think Mikel had a better game than Iwobi.

But I would put Etebo on the wing and Iwobi in the middle.

[bret- hart]

1) Rhor needs to be fired now
2) Bench Mikel and play etebo and Iwobi in the middle
3) Bench Shehu and start Ebuehi
4) Bench Igalo and play Ihenacho and Nwankwo
5) Pray

In all honesty I think Mikel had a better game than Iwobi.

But I would put Etebo on the wing and Iwobi in the middle.

If Mikel starts, he needs to sit behind the defense. Ebuehi and Ihenacho is a must. If Rhor select the same rubbish team he put out today Pinik must sack him on the spot.

[9jaMan]

Time to ring home the changes. I suspect we will not qualify so let's start Iheanacho instead of Ighalo. Shehu is a trier but he offers nothing going forward so let's blood Ebuehi. Mikel should be permanently told to sit his yansh just before the two CD's and Etebo should be a super-sub.

Etebo as a sub? You're kidding right?

Unless you want to bench Mikel.

If you go 4-2-3-1 then you can go:

---------------Uzoho----------------
-Ebuehi-Balogun--Omeruo-Idowu-
---------Ndidi-------Mikel-----------
----------------Iwobi---------------
-Moses-----------------------Etebo-
-------------Iheanacho--------------

With 3-5-2 you can do:

---------------Uzoho----------------
--Balogun--Omeruo--Ekong--------
---------Ndidi-------Mikel-----------
----------------Etebo---------------
-Moses-----------------------Idowu-
---------------Iwobi------------------
-------------Iheanacho--------------

Watch Rohr start with shehu in the next game, Rohr is not it

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

1) Rhor needs to be fired now
2) Bench Mikel and play etebo and Iwobi in the middle
3) Bench Shehu and start Ebuehi
4) Bench Igalo and play Ihenacho and Nwankwo
5) Pray

Sharrap dia. olodo

[Otitokoro]

He could have waited till after the WC and signed for a potentially bigger club.
Valencia had made an offer, but according to his agent, were not quick off the draw.

He is potentially a Premiership caliber player, at least.

Positives? Nigeria can leave Russia early so we can watch some good football, jokes aside, Etebo should not have signed for Stoke, be seems to be an awesome player

what were his options?

[cchinukw]

Your coach is -1. That's what's down guys. Less bloody 1.

Not going to win anything with him in charge. No sentiments.