Super Eagles Line Up For Croatia Tie, Etebo In, Onazi Benche

[chief nfachairman]

Ive always advocated for Etebo starting in the Central midfield. He's got lungs like nazi but alot better with the ball. Mad #$% close ball control, energy, speed, passes, creativity, attacking strenght. Onazi doesnt have these.

http://owngoalnigeria.com/2018/06/16/su ... hu-starts/


Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr will line up his team in his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation for today’s clash, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

As expected the coach selected Francis Odinaka Uzoho to start in goal with a back four of Shehu Abdullahi, Bryan Idowu and William Troost-Ekong ahead of him as they await a final test on Leon Balogun,

Balogun will undergo a late fitness test and if he fails to prove his fitness despite returning to training yesterday, Kenneth Omeruo will take his spot in the starting line up.

Newly signed on Stoke City forward Oghenekaro Etebo starts ahead of vice captain Ogenyi Onazi while Shehu Abdullahi was selected to start ahead of Tyronne Ebuehi. Bryan Idowu will man the left back spot of the team.

Barring any last minute change in decision Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses and Odion Ighalo will lead the line for Nigeria with Wilfred Ndidi and captain John Obi Mikel completing the line up.


Starting XI- Uzoho, Shehu, Troost-Ekong, Omeruo, Idowu; Ndidi, Mikel, Etebo; Iwobi, Moses, Ighalo

[oloye]

Common as much as I am a Shehu fan, at this stage I believe Tyron offers us much offensively. Nevertheless all the best, the coach knows best.

[Goalgetter]

Rhor must be a lunatic to play bench Ebuehi for Shehu. This better not happen or else it will be a disaster. Shehu will concede a penalty and will get eaten alive by the Croats. Really unacceptable if this happens.

[chief nfachairman]

Common as much as I am a Shehu fan, at this stage I believe Tyron offers us much offensively. Nevertheless all the best, the coach knows best.

If its a 352, i am sure Rohr would use Ebuehi. IN a 4 man back line with the pacy Croatian wingers, Rohr would want to use Shehu's grit and physicality to cut them out.

[9jaMan]

Common as much as I am a Shehu fan, at this stage I believe Tyron offers us much offensively. Nevertheless all the best, the coach knows best.

If its a 352, i am sure Rohr would use Ebuehi. IN a 4 man back line with the pacy Croatian wingers, Rohr would want to use Shehu's grit and physicality to cut them out.

Cut them out by gifting them penalties and free kicks? I know Rohr is daft but I hope he is not that daft.

[Sheikh]

Common as much as I am a Shehu fan, at this stage I believe Tyron offers us much offensively. Nevertheless all the best, the coach knows best.

If its a 352, i am sure Rohr would use Ebuehi. IN a 4 man back line with the pacy Croatian wingers, Rohr would want to use Shehu's grit and physicality to cut them out.

What physicality? Shehu is a good player no doubt, but Ebuehi is a better player as a right back in all departments (positioning, tackles, pace, overlapping, crossing, and reading the opposition etc). Rohr is blinded by loyalty, and this could cost us; he seems either not insightful or courageous enough, or both, to pick the best out of what is available. Shehu is a makeshift right back (he is essentially a defensive midfielder) that does well enough when he is called to play the position, but Ebuehi is the real deal and better schooled and talented at that position.

[return2k2]

If Kelechi and Musa do not get to start, I wouldn't understand it.
Kelechi is a creative player and he was the first one to score for Nigeria in the Argentina friendly.
Musa has blazing speed and he's creative as well. He scored two goals against Argentina in the last world cup.

[mastermind]

Coach is going to sub in some players to switch things up, Musa and co. Might still get to play.

[pajimoh]

Do you start with your fast players first or wait until the ageing Croats are tired.
Do you contain them first and "shock" them later or do you try and match them from the beginning?


All are valid tactics, just different perspective

[RomanusOjinta]

I'm sorry, but I truly don't see the point in essentially wasting a substitution by starting Shehu Abdullahi. Everyone and their dog can see that Perisic will tear that guy a new one for 45 minutes, and then Rohr will inevitably sub on Ebuehi at halftime, after which our defensive performance on the right will improve. Problem is, we could already be 2 or 3 down by that point!

I hope I've got it all wrong, and I hope Shehu turns into Cafu tonight, but to me it seems that Gernot Rohr is an extremely reactive and unprogressive manager. Ighalo at least offers "something" if he isn't scoring, but Shehu has showed nothing more than being a genuine liability, taken to the cleaners EVERY SINGLE TIME a half decent winger runs at him. It seems pretty obvious to me that Perisic (who is the best winger Nigeria has faced in the last 6 or 7 games) is too quick and direct for Shehu, who will only end up getting caught out or conceding fouls.

Apart from essentially handing the initiative to Croatia by giving them a direct route to our box through Perisic, it also wastes a substitution (Ebuehi for Shehu), and this is all so telegraphed. I mean, 8 hours to the game I already know that barring an injury or red card, our three substitutions will be Ebuehi-Shehu, Kelechi-Ighalo and Musa-Moses/Etebo.

I'm starting to get very sick of Gernot Rohr, I'm sorry. This is Keshi at his very worst, and then some.

[9jaMan]

I'm sorry, but I truly don't see the point in essentially wasting a substitution by starting Shehu Abdullahi. Everyone and their dog can see that Perisic will tear that guy a new one for 45 minutes, and then Rohr will inevitably sub on Ebuehi at halftime, after which our defensive performance on the right will improve. Problem is, we could already be 2 or 3 down by that point!

I hope I've got it all wrong, and I hope Shehu turns into Cafu tonight, but to me it seems that Gernot Rohr is an extremely reactive and unprogressive manager. Ighalo at least offers "something" if he isn't scoring, but Shehu has showed nothing more than being a genuine liability, taken to the cleaners EVERY SINGLE TIME a half decent winger runs at him. It seems pretty obvious to me that Perisic (who is the best winger Nigeria has faced in the last 6 or 7 games) is too quick and direct for Shehu, who will only end up getting caught out or conceding fouls.

Apart from essentially handing the initiative to Croatia by giving them a direct route to our box through Perisic, it also wastes a substitution (Ebuehi for Shehu), and this is all so telegraphed. I mean, 8 hours to the game I already know that barring an injury or red card, our three substitutions will be Ebuehi-Shehu, Kelechi-Ighalo and Musa-Moses/Etebo.

I'm starting to get very sick of Gernot Rohr, I'm sorry. This is Keshi at his very worst, and then some.

All facts

Rohr is destroying the SE with his brainless selection, he is super lazy and slow to make obvious change.

[wanaj0]

I'm sorry, but I truly don't see the point in essentially wasting a substitution by starting Shehu Abdullahi. Everyone and their dog can see that Perisic will tear that guy a new one for 45 minutes, and then Rohr will inevitably sub on Ebuehi at halftime, after which our defensive performance on the right will improve. Problem is, we could already be 2 or 3 down by that point!

I hope I've got it all wrong, and I hope Shehu turns into Cafu tonight, but to me it seems that Gernot Rohr is an extremely reactive and unprogressive manager. Ighalo at least offers "something" if he isn't scoring, but Shehu has showed nothing more than being a genuine liability, taken to the cleaners EVERY SINGLE TIME a half decent winger runs at him. It seems pretty obvious to me that Perisic (who is the best winger Nigeria has faced in the last 6 or 7 games) is too quick and direct for Shehu, who will only end up getting caught out or conceding fouls.

Apart from essentially handing the initiative to Croatia by giving them a direct route to our box through Perisic, it also wastes a substitution (Ebuehi for Shehu), and this is all so telegraphed. I mean, 8 hours to the game I already know that barring an injury or red card, our three substitutions will be Ebuehi-Shehu, Kelechi-Ighalo and Musa-Moses/Etebo.

I'm starting to get very sick of Gernot Rohr, I'm sorry. This is Keshi at his very worst, and then some.

Waoooo. Why are we wasting forex on Rohr when we have brilliant minds like you around? Kindly send me your resume so that it can be submitted once the post become vacant.

[RomanusOjinta]

Do you start with your fast players first or wait until the ageing Croats are tired.
Do you contain them first and "shock" them later or do you try and match them from the beginning?


All are valid tactics, just different perspective

I mean, sure thing if you don't mind bringing on the 'fast players' to 'shock' one of the most experienced tournament teams at this world cup when we're already 2 or 3 goals down after Perisic blasts a hole the size of Kaliningrad down our right side.

If you're playing against a team that is clearly better than you, you're supposed to start with your best available team! What on earth is the point in essentially giving yourself a handicap against Croatia? Are you trying to prove some kind of point?

[john12]

I don’t know why coach keep selecting ighalo because Iheanacho and Musa are better CF than ighalo. As for shehu own, I wil just believe that ebuehi is not 100% fit

[zee]

I don’t know why coach keep selecting ighalo because Iheanacho and Musa are better CF than ighalo. As for shehu own, I wil just believe that ebuehi is not 100% fit

Agent John.........you don land again.

[okuns]

It is not a bad lineup so far Mikel does what he is supposed to do defensively. This is a conservative lineup based on defensive stability and possession. If Etebo or Ndidi provides support to Shehu, and Mikel falls back into the hole, we will be fine.

[ohenhen1]

It is owngoal

[niyi]

Shehu is a better right back in a 4-4-2.

[waka-man]

Makes sense. Rohr going with consistency.
Go Eagles

[ohenhen1]

I will wait for confirmation.

[tolahs]

If Kelechi and Musa do not get to start, I wouldn't understand it.
Kelechi is a creative player and he was the first one to score for Nigeria in the Argentina friendly.
Musa has blazing speed and he's creative as well. He scored two goals against Argentina in the last world cup.

Everything doesn't stay the same - i am afraid Musa has regressed - going back to Russia w/o really seeking better opps in a superior league for a loan from LCFC means we end up with a less confident player than we saw in Brazil.

[Bigpokey24]

Another rubbish from owngoal

[tolahs]

I only watched our match vs England - how's Wilfred Ndidi's fitness - left to me @80% he starts - ball winner, box-2-box - we need him & Mikel sitting deep. Not a fan of Mikel running around trying to be Iniesta.