Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at QPR

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Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at QPR

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Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at QPR

The No 10 has captivated the crowds at Loftus Road and helped Steve McClaren’s side turn their Championship season around

Ben Fisher
The Guardian
Wed 14 Nov 2018 10.05 GMT

At Loftus Road, there is a new No 10 in town. Eberechi Eze has a long way to go until he is mentioned in the same breath as Rodney Marsh or Stan Bowles, but there is no doubting the Queens Park Rangers playmaker’s ability to astound. A buccaneering performer, there are shades of the audacity of Adel Taarabt and the brain of Akos Buzsaky, but Eze is carving out a reputation in his own right as one of the most exciting young talents in the country.

But Eze has not had it easy. Released by Millwall in 2016 the 20-year-old struggled as a youngster, deemed too small by Arsenal before unsuccessful spells with Fulham and Reading. After convincing Chris Ramsey, the QPR technical director, Eze has not looked back since arriving at the club two years ago. He has started all 17 league games under Steve McClaren this season and has been instrumental in their recent turnaround, with QPR now two points off the play-off pack having only picked up one win from their first six Championship matches. The trio of loan signings, Tomer Hemed, Nahki Wells and Geoff Cameron have been equally influential.

Last month Eze, who was born in Greenwich but remains eligible to represent Nigeria, earned international recognition with a call-up to England Under-20s squad and could feature against Germany on Monday. It has been an extraordinary ride for a player who only made his full league debut for QPR in March, though his first real taste of first-team football came during a six-month stint on loan at Wycombe Wanderers last year.

Premier League scouts have taken a keen interest in Eze, but it was a hat-trick in a development match at Harlington, QPR’s training ground, against Hull City in August 2017 that paved the way for a move to Wycombe. Unable to attend the game, Gareth Ainsworth asked his midfielder, Marcus Bean, to report back on Eze after the manager was tipped off about him by Jack Williams, the defender who signed on loan from QPR earlier that summer. “He stood out a mile,” Bean says. “Some of the things he was doing on the football pitch I have not seen for a very long time. It reminded me of when I played with Lee Trundle. You used to just be in awe of the ability they had, some of the tricks they used to do. Ebs makes the game look easy, he goes past players at will and he scores goals as well. I went back to the manager and said: ‘Listen, we need to get him in. He’s got that X Factor.’”

Aided by the experience of forwards Craig Mackail-Smith, Nathan Tyson and Adebayo Akinfenwa – who boast almost 2,000 career games between them – it did not take long for Eze to find his feet in League Two. “His first goal in professional football [against Cambridge] was an absolute goal of the season,” says Ainsworth, the former QPR midfielder. “It was a half-volley with the outside of his right foot, bent into the top corner. And then 10 minutes later, he bends another one into the same top corner with his left foot. You know when you have got something special. But I think Ebs’s biggest strength is his awareness, he sees the picture around him before he receives the ball.

“After every Saturday game, we sat down on the Tuesday, in the afternoons, and we went through every time he touched the ball from the previous game,” Ainsworth adds. “I clipped all of his touches in the game with Wyscout. I remember in one specific clip with Ebs, I think he was goal side of his midfielder, there was a counterattack against us and at the other end of the pitch, that same midfielder ended up getting goal side of him, through towards our goal. I flagged it up to him and I said: ‘This can’t be, you have all this talent, you have to do the other side of the game as well’.

“You can say this to players until you are blue in the face, but Ebs really had that desire to improve. The difference between the better players is in the mind – they are all good tactically and physically.”

Marc Bircham, the former QPR assistant and youth team manager, compared the ease with which Eze beats his man with a teenage Raheem Sterling, while the biggest compliment the club paid him was handing him the No 10 shirt in the summer. “That shirt has had some decent names through the years but I don’t think Eberechi Eze will be doing that shirt any disrespect,” Ainsworth says. “He’s shown he’s fully ready to wear that shirt and in my opinion he will go on to bigger and better things. I’ll be more surprised if I don’t see him in the Premier League one day, than if I do. If he can keep his hunger and desire to want to learn, and his humility, I’m sure he can reach the top.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/fo ... eague-blog
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by icee »

The YeyeMan wrote:
Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at QPR

The No 10 has captivated the crowds at Loftus Road and helped Steve McClaren’s side turn their Championship season around

Ben Fisher
The Guardian
Wed 14 Nov 2018 10.05 GMT

At Loftus Road, there is a new No 10 in town. Eberechi Eze has a long way to go until he is mentioned in the same breath as Rodney Marsh or Stan Bowles, but there is no doubting the Queens Park Rangers playmaker’s ability to astound. A buccaneering performer, there are shades of the audacity of Adel Taarabt and the brain of Akos Buzsaky, but Eze is carving out a reputation in his own right as one of the most exciting young talents in the country.

But Eze has not had it easy. Released by Millwall in 2016 the 20-year-old struggled as a youngster, deemed too small by Arsenal before unsuccessful spells with Fulham and Reading. After convincing Chris Ramsey, the QPR technical director, Eze has not looked back since arriving at the club two years ago. He has started all 17 league games under Steve McClaren this season and has been instrumental in their recent turnaround, with QPR now two points off the play-off pack having only picked up one win from their first six Championship matches. The trio of loan signings, Tomer Hemed, Nahki Wells and Geoff Cameron have been equally influential.

Last month Eze, who was born in Greenwich but remains eligible to represent Nigeria, earned international recognition with a call-up to England Under-20s squad and could feature against Germany on Monday. It has been an extraordinary ride for a player who only made his full league debut for QPR in March, though his first real taste of first-team football came during a six-month stint on loan at Wycombe Wanderers last year.

Premier League scouts have taken a keen interest in Eze, but it was a hat-trick in a development match at Harlington, QPR’s training ground, against Hull City in August 2017 that paved the way for a move to Wycombe. Unable to attend the game, Gareth Ainsworth asked his midfielder, Marcus Bean, to report back on Eze after the manager was tipped off about him by Jack Williams, the defender who signed on loan from QPR earlier that summer. “He stood out a mile,” Bean says. “Some of the things he was doing on the football pitch I have not seen for a very long time. It reminded me of when I played with Lee Trundle. You used to just be in awe of the ability they had, some of the tricks they used to do. Ebs makes the game look easy, he goes past players at will and he scores goals as well. I went back to the manager and said: ‘Listen, we need to get him in. He’s got that X Factor.’”

Aided by the experience of forwards Craig Mackail-Smith, Nathan Tyson and Adebayo Akinfenwa – who boast almost 2,000 career games between them – it did not take long for Eze to find his feet in League Two. “His first goal in professional football [against Cambridge] was an absolute goal of the season,” says Ainsworth, the former QPR midfielder. “It was a half-volley with the outside of his right foot, bent into the top corner. And then 10 minutes later, he bends another one into the same top corner with his left foot. You know when you have got something special. But I think Ebs’s biggest strength is his awareness, he sees the picture around him before he receives the ball.

“After every Saturday game, we sat down on the Tuesday, in the afternoons, and we went through every time he touched the ball from the previous game,” Ainsworth adds. “I clipped all of his touches in the game with Wyscout. I remember in one specific clip with Ebs, I think he was goal side of his midfielder, there was a counterattack against us and at the other end of the pitch, that same midfielder ended up getting goal side of him, through towards our goal. I flagged it up to him and I said: ‘This can’t be, you have all this talent, you have to do the other side of the game as well’.

“You can say this to players until you are blue in the face, but Ebs really had that desire to improve. The difference between the better players is in the mind – they are all good tactically and physically.”

Marc Bircham, the former QPR assistant and youth team manager, compared the ease with which Eze beats his man with a teenage Raheem Sterling, while the biggest compliment the club paid him was handing him the No 10 shirt in the summer. “That shirt has had some decent names through the years but I don’t think Eberechi Eze will be doing that shirt any disrespect,” Ainsworth says. “He’s shown he’s fully ready to wear that shirt and in my opinion he will go on to bigger and better things. I’ll be more surprised if I don’t see him in the Premier League one day, than if I do. If he can keep his hunger and desire to want to learn, and his humility, I’m sure he can reach the top.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/fo ... eague-blog
Thanks for this post. I remember seeing this dude a while back with Iwobi playing with the ball on like a balcony or something and then practicing on the pitch. In the last two months, I have then tried to watch him. I see why there's a bit of hype about him The key point that triggered my response is...."compared the ease with which Eze beats his man with a teenage Raheem Sterling" . First why a "teenage sterling"? Perhaps because for Raheem Sterling to rise and be priced , he had to agree for that level of creativity to be coached out of him. For the most part, 85% , the approval of Europe based scouts via top 5 league club contracts is an indication of talent (and level of talent) BUT for us to ever get to the realm of playing original Nigerian brand, we have to use another metric for the final 15%. the metric for this 15% should be players that are talented BUT rejected by the European system. These kinds of players like the OKocha's , Tarabt etc are talented and take more risk than the rigid English / Italian leagues can afford. In these rare cases, perhaps this should be a sign to us that the kind of stone being rejected may be the ingredient missing in our mix to serve real Nigeria football again to the world. Our football like our music and art seem to beg for expression. Brazil typically has one or two that have the ability to greatly express. Rabiu Ibrahim in my mind was another talent that the european system rejected. Perhaps again, this should have been a sign to us (not in all instances but in some special instances) to engage that rejected ingredient to serve something different and unsual to those that reject / rejected it. I have no faith in the Nigerian League as is but perhaps the way to spot certain kinds of made in Nigeria talent is to look to the talent from Nigeria that Europe seems to deem a misfit .
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA »

Another player getting hyped cos he plays in the England second their side. Mek we hia wood Joor! :roll:
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by heavyd »

They were raving about him on Talksport yesterday. I might find the time to go and see him one of these days.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by pajimoh »

heavyd wrote:They were raving about him on Talksport yesterday. I might find the time to go and see him one of these days.
Please when you're going, take one of my eye with you :tic: I want to see him too
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Polly »

EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA wrote:Another player getting hyped cos he plays in the England second their side. Mek we hia wood Joor! :roll:
Emir, I disagree with you. I have watched the young man twice, and he is no hype. As a Nigerian, I would fight for this one. Barring injuries, in two years he will be something truly special; right now he is just something special.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Damunk »

Polly wrote:
EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA wrote:Another player getting hyped cos he plays in the England second their side. Mek we hia wood Joor! :roll:
Emir, I disagree with you. I have watched the young man twice, and he is no hype. As a Nigerian, I would fight for this one. Barring injuries, in two years he will be something truly special; right now he is just something special.
'GRAB THE GRABBABLES' I say.
I am pretty certain that David Alaba would have been similarly dismissed by most on CE if he were just emerging as a young talent in Austria today. Its a guessing game and so far its Nigeria 1 (Iwobi) England 1 (Ali).
Many more battles to come
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by iworo »

icee wrote:
The YeyeMan wrote:
Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at QPR

The No 10 has captivated the crowds at Loftus Road and helped Steve McClaren’s side turn their Championship season around

Ben Fisher
The Guardian
Wed 14 Nov 2018 10.05 GMT

At Loftus Road, there is a new No 10 in town. Eberechi Eze has a long way to go until he is mentioned in the same breath as Rodney Marsh or Stan Bowles, but there is no doubting the Queens Park Rangers playmaker’s ability to astound. A buccaneering performer, there are shades of the audacity of Adel Taarabt and the brain of Akos Buzsaky, but Eze is carving out a reputation in his own right as one of the most exciting young talents in the country.

But Eze has not had it easy. Released by Millwall in 2016 the 20-year-old struggled as a youngster, deemed too small by Arsenal before unsuccessful spells with Fulham and Reading. After convincing Chris Ramsey, the QPR technical director, Eze has not looked back since arriving at the club two years ago. He has started all 17 league games under Steve McClaren this season and has been instrumental in their recent turnaround, with QPR now two points off the play-off pack having only picked up one win from their first six Championship matches. The trio of loan signings, Tomer Hemed, Nahki Wells and Geoff Cameron have been equally influential.

Last month Eze, who was born in Greenwich but remains eligible to represent Nigeria, earned international recognition with a call-up to England Under-20s squad and could feature against Germany on Monday. It has been an extraordinary ride for a player who only made his full league debut for QPR in March, though his first real taste of first-team football came during a six-month stint on loan at Wycombe Wanderers last year.

Premier League scouts have taken a keen interest in Eze, but it was a hat-trick in a development match at Harlington, QPR’s training ground, against Hull City in August 2017 that paved the way for a move to Wycombe. Unable to attend the game, Gareth Ainsworth asked his midfielder, Marcus Bean, to report back on Eze after the manager was tipped off about him by Jack Williams, the defender who signed on loan from QPR earlier that summer. “He stood out a mile,” Bean says. “Some of the things he was doing on the football pitch I have not seen for a very long time. It reminded me of when I played with Lee Trundle. You used to just be in awe of the ability they had, some of the tricks they used to do. Ebs makes the game look easy, he goes past players at will and he scores goals as well. I went back to the manager and said: ‘Listen, we need to get him in. He’s got that X Factor.’”

Aided by the experience of forwards Craig Mackail-Smith, Nathan Tyson and Adebayo Akinfenwa – who boast almost 2,000 career games between them – it did not take long for Eze to find his feet in League Two. “His first goal in professional football [against Cambridge] was an absolute goal of the season,” says Ainsworth, the former QPR midfielder. “It was a half-volley with the outside of his right foot, bent into the top corner. And then 10 minutes later, he bends another one into the same top corner with his left foot. You know when you have got something special. But I think Ebs’s biggest strength is his awareness, he sees the picture around him before he receives the ball.

“After every Saturday game, we sat down on the Tuesday, in the afternoons, and we went through every time he touched the ball from the previous game,” Ainsworth adds. “I clipped all of his touches in the game with Wyscout. I remember in one specific clip with Ebs, I think he was goal side of his midfielder, there was a counterattack against us and at the other end of the pitch, that same midfielder ended up getting goal side of him, through towards our goal. I flagged it up to him and I said: ‘This can’t be, you have all this talent, you have to do the other side of the game as well’.

“You can say this to players until you are blue in the face, but Ebs really had that desire to improve. The difference between the better players is in the mind – they are all good tactically and physically.”

Marc Bircham, the former QPR assistant and youth team manager, compared the ease with which Eze beats his man with a teenage Raheem Sterling, while the biggest compliment the club paid him was handing him the No 10 shirt in the summer. “That shirt has had some decent names through the years but I don’t think Eberechi Eze will be doing that shirt any disrespect,” Ainsworth says. “He’s shown he’s fully ready to wear that shirt and in my opinion he will go on to bigger and better things. I’ll be more surprised if I don’t see him in the Premier League one day, than if I do. If he can keep his hunger and desire to want to learn, and his humility, I’m sure he can reach the top.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/fo ... eague-blog
Thanks for this post. I remember seeing this dude a while back with Iwobi playing with the ball on like a balcony or something and then practicing on the pitch. In the last two months, I have then tried to watch him. I see why there's a bit of hype about him The key point that triggered my response is...."compared the ease with which Eze beats his man with a teenage Raheem Sterling" . First why a "teenage sterling"? Perhaps because for Raheem Sterling to rise and be priced , he had to agree for that level of creativity to be coached out of him. For the most part, 85% , the approval of Europe based scouts via top 5 league club contracts is an indication of talent (and level of talent) BUT for us to ever get to the realm of playing original Nigerian brand, we have to use another metric for the final 15%. the metric for this 15% should be players that are talented BUT rejected by the European system. These kinds of players like the OKocha's , Tarabt etc are talented and take more risk than the rigid English / Italian leagues can afford. In these rare cases, perhaps this should be a sign to us that the kind of stone being rejected may be the ingredient missing in our mix to serve real Nigeria football again to the world. Our football like our music and art seem to beg for expression. Brazil typically has one or two that have the ability to greatly express. Rabiu Ibrahim in my mind was another talent that the european system rejected. Perhaps again, this should have been a sign to us (not in all instances but in some special instances) to engage that rejected ingredient to serve something different and unsual to those that reject / rejected it. I have no faith in the Nigerian League as is but perhaps the way to spot certain kinds of made in Nigeria talent is to look to the talent from Nigeria that Europe seems to deem a misfit .
:agree:
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Damunk »

icee wrote: Thanks for this post. I remember seeing this dude a while back with Iwobi playing with the ball on like a balcony or something and then practicing on the pitch. In the last two months, I have then tried to watch him. I see why there's a bit of hype about him The key point that triggered my response is...."compared the ease with which Eze beats his man with a teenage Raheem Sterling" . First why a "teenage sterling"? Perhaps because for Raheem Sterling to rise and be priced , he had to agree for that level of creativity to be coached out of him. For the most part, 85% , the approval of Europe based scouts via top 5 league club contracts is an indication of talent (and level of talent) BUT for us to ever get to the realm of playing original Nigerian brand, we have to use another metric for the final 15%. the metric for this 15% should be players that are talented BUT rejected by the European system. These kinds of players like the OKocha's , Tarabt etc are talented and take more risk than the rigid English / Italian leagues can afford. In these rare cases, perhaps this should be a sign to us that the kind of stone being rejected may be the ingredient missing in our mix to serve real Nigeria football again to the world. Our football like our music and art seem to beg for expression. Brazil typically has one or two that have the ability to greatly express. Rabiu Ibrahim in my mind was another talent that the european system rejected. Perhaps again, this should have been a sign to us (not in all instances but in some special instances) to engage that rejected ingredient to serve something different and unsual to those that reject / rejected it. I have no faith in the Nigerian League as is but perhaps the way to spot certain kinds of made in Nigeria talent is to look to the talent from Nigeria that Europe seems to deem a misfit .
Thanks icee. You make some really good points.
I was reading the QPR fans' forum a few weeks ago after one of their games and a few of them were very dismissive of Eze despite the shrining by some other fans. Their view was that he was "a luxury" and needed to be replaced with a more "functional" player. Basically, they felt they couldn't afford such a player in their first team and wanted him brought in only when the game was 'safe'.

The British seem almost averse to flair players and over the decades there have been very few. Joe Cole that retired just yesterday was described as "too gifted for an Englishman". Similarly Glenn Hoddle, Matt Le Tissier and of course Gazza (Gascoigne).

Even my experience back in the day as an all-dancing, all-dribbling black kid in the UK, I was forever being reprimanded for holding onto the ball for too long. It was more about positioning, passing and "getting stuck in". :roll:

So despite the advancement of the game, the British football philosophy seems to relegate flair down their priority list. Thank God for foreign managers.
They know what's up.

Eze is likely going to be snapped up by an EPL team next season and Nigeria needs to grab him whilst we still can.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Eaglezbeak »

He'll get a cap for England,he'll probably do a few more minutes than Tammy Abraham!
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

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Didn't Eberechi train with the Super Eagles with Ola Aina in 2017 (Senegal friendly).

Nigeria have been a little slow regarding him however understandably it was period building towards the World Cup and Eberechi wasn't near to being ready at that point. He should have been invited for this national break ideally. He's been invited to the England u-20 squad now, so I would expect him to stay with their national set-up for some years. England under Southgate is a different ball game now, not necessarily only because of performances but the fact that as a young player there is a genuine chance to get into this energetic, vibrant team. Only last month did Mason Mount of Derby County (Championship) get invited to the senior team. I f Eberechi put's in some good performances at national youth level and at club he could get invite in no time. The question like Eaglezbeak has stated is whether he is potentially good enough to be a mainstay which I can't at all say yet. There is still a lot to develop on.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

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Nwakili is a good young player.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

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Zelex wrote:Didn't Eberechi train with the Super Eagles with Ola Aina in 2017 (Senegal friendly).

Nigeria have been a little slow regarding him however understandably it was period building towards the World Cup and Eberechi wasn't near to being ready at that point. He should have been invited for this national break ideally. He's been invited to the England u-20 squad now, so I would expect him to stay with their national set-up for some years. England under Southgate is a different ball game now, not necessarily only because of performances but the fact that as a young player there is a genuine chance to get into this energetic, vibrant team. Only last month did Mason Mount of Derby County (Championship) get invited to the senior team. I f Eberechi put's in some good performances at national youth level and at club he could get invite in no time. The question like Eaglezbeak has stated is whether he is potentially good enough to be a mainstay which I can't at all say yet. There is still a lot to develop on.
Apart from the NFF, we need to get players like Iwobi, Ajayi, Aina and Ekong involved.
'Oyibo' boys like him that can speak his language.

You can see how those guys have found new self-expression in the Eagles set up. I couldn't believe my eyes seeing Iwobi doing his dance and clap routine in the dressing room.
Only they can fully explain the feeling from their point of view.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by walesvilla »

Damunk wrote:
Zelex wrote:Didn't Eberechi train with the Super Eagles with Ola Aina in 2017 (Senegal friendly).

Nigeria have been a little slow regarding him however understandably it was period building towards the World Cup and Eberechi wasn't near to being ready at that point. He should have been invited for this national break ideally. He's been invited to the England u-20 squad now, so I would expect him to stay with their national set-up for some years. England under Southgate is a different ball game now, not necessarily only because of performances but the fact that as a young player there is a genuine chance to get into this energetic, vibrant team. Only last month did Mason Mount of Derby County (Championship) get invited to the senior team. I f Eberechi put's in some good performances at national youth level and at club he could get invite in no time. The question like Eaglezbeak has stated is whether he is potentially good enough to be a mainstay which I can't at all say yet. There is still a lot to develop on.
Apart from the NFF, we need to get players like Iwobi, Ajayi, Aina and Ekong involved.
'Oyibo' boys like him that can speak his language
.

You can see how those guys have found new self-expression in the Eagles set up. I couldn't believe my eyes seeing Iwobi doing his dance and clap routine in the dressing room.
Only they can fully explain the feeling from their point of view.
it the end of the day it boils down to the player and family. if the boy is honestly interested and Nigeria wants him deal done. As far as i know Ajayi and iwobi were not over spoken to before they decided to play for the country.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Damunk »

walesvilla wrote:
Damunk wrote:
Zelex wrote:Didn't Eberechi train with the Super Eagles with Ola Aina in 2017 (Senegal friendly).

Nigeria have been a little slow regarding him however understandably it was period building towards the World Cup and Eberechi wasn't near to being ready at that point. He should have been invited for this national break ideally. He's been invited to the England u-20 squad now, so I would expect him to stay with their national set-up for some years. England under Southgate is a different ball game now, not necessarily only because of performances but the fact that as a young player there is a genuine chance to get into this energetic, vibrant team. Only last month did Mason Mount of Derby County (Championship) get invited to the senior team. I f Eberechi put's in some good performances at national youth level and at club he could get invite in no time. The question like Eaglezbeak has stated is whether he is potentially good enough to be a mainstay which I can't at all say yet. There is still a lot to develop on.
Apart from the NFF, we need to get players like Iwobi, Ajayi, Aina and Ekong involved.
'Oyibo' boys like him that can speak his language
.

You can see how those guys have found new self-expression in the Eagles set up. I couldn't believe my eyes seeing Iwobi doing his dance and clap routine in the dressing room.
Only they can fully explain the feeling from their point of view.
it the end of the day it boils down to the player and family. if the boy is honestly interested and Nigeria wants him deal done. As far as i know Ajayi and iwobi were not over spoken to before they decided to play for the country.
Actually, I think Ajayi was born in Nigeria just like Iwobi.
I might be wrong though.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Zelex »

Damunk wrote:
Zelex wrote:Didn't Eberechi train with the Super Eagles with Ola Aina in 2017 (Senegal friendly).

Nigeria have been a little slow regarding him however understandably it was period building towards the World Cup and Eberechi wasn't near to being ready at that point. He should have been invited for this national break ideally. He's been invited to the England u-20 squad now, so I would expect him to stay with their national set-up for some years. England under Southgate is a different ball game now, not necessarily only because of performances but the fact that as a young player there is a genuine chance to get into this energetic, vibrant team. Only last month did Mason Mount of Derby County (Championship) get invited to the senior team. I f Eberechi put's in some good performances at national youth level and at club he could get invite in no time. The question like Eaglezbeak has stated is whether he is potentially good enough to be a mainstay which I can't at all say yet. There is still a lot to develop on.
Apart from the NFF, we need to get players like Iwobi, Ajayi, Aina and Ekong involved.
'Oyibo' boys like him that can speak his language.

You can see how those guys have found new self-expression in the Eagles set up. I couldn't believe my eyes seeing Iwobi doing his dance and clap routine in the dressing room.
Only they can fully explain the feeling from their point of view.
I agree. Those guys you mentioned will be the key to increasing the chance of catching more foreign-born Nigerians in the future. I think some of those born abroad don't see Nigeria as a realistic option but seeing players like them positively contributing and happy will make them consider Nigeria as a possible first option.

Eberechi's case is a little annoying because I am quite confident if invited he would have honoured the call. I don't blame Rohr/NFF though. There hasn't been much opportunity aside from this window. However once he is capped at England youth level, it's going to make the process far more complicated and longer.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by oloye »

How come i have not seen this Eberechi play for QPR? Should we not wait and for these players to produce for their clubs first. While i am not against scouting for young players, abeg let us tone it down a bit. I watched the Obafemi Ireland hurriedly capped yesterday and i felt sorry for the poor lad...he is not an international player in any way. Rather than allow these young players to concentrate on developing their club career first they get saddled with unneccesary pressure of an international career. The poor guy was just running about like a gazelle shot by a local hunter with a dane gun!
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Damunk »

Zelex wrote:
Damunk wrote:
Zelex wrote:Didn't Eberechi train with the Super Eagles with Ola Aina in 2017 (Senegal friendly).

Nigeria have been a little slow regarding him however understandably it was period building towards the World Cup and Eberechi wasn't near to being ready at that point. He should have been invited for this national break ideally. He's been invited to the England u-20 squad now, so I would expect him to stay with their national set-up for some years. England under Southgate is a different ball game now, not necessarily only because of performances but the fact that as a young player there is a genuine chance to get into this energetic, vibrant team. Only last month did Mason Mount of Derby County (Championship) get invited to the senior team. I f Eberechi put's in some good performances at national youth level and at club he could get invite in no time. The question like Eaglezbeak has stated is whether he is potentially good enough to be a mainstay which I can't at all say yet. There is still a lot to develop on.
Apart from the NFF, we need to get players like Iwobi, Ajayi, Aina and Ekong involved.
'Oyibo' boys like him that can speak his language.

You can see how those guys have found new self-expression in the Eagles set up. I couldn't believe my eyes seeing Iwobi doing his dance and clap routine in the dressing room.
Only they can fully explain the feeling from their point of view.
I agree. Those guys you mentioned will be the key to increasing the chance of catching more foreign-born Nigerians in the future. I think some of those born abroad don't see Nigeria as a realistic option but seeing players like them positively contributing and happy will make them consider Nigeria as a possible first option.

Eberechi's case is a little annoying because I am quite confident if invited he would have honoured the call. I don't blame Rohr/NFF though. There hasn't been much opportunity aside from this window. However once he is capped at England youth level, it's going to make the process far more complicated and longer.
Kpom.
There is a particular dynamic in the UK regarding black identity which isn't easily understood by outsiders. I think its very different in the US but in the UK, black youth seems to be forever looking for an identity. They don't readily identify as 'Black British' as much as one would assume. Its like they need something extra.

From way back, black kids of Caribbean origin readily identified with the islands even with their heavy British accents and local (UK) upbringing. The African kids in the UK at the time kind of just existed becos there was nothing to identify with from Africa except war, disease and general deprivation. At least the Caribbeans had their music which was a BIG deal and their black pop culture dictated pop trends. Africans just tried to 'blend in'.

All that has changed now. This generation of Africans are quite proud of their ancestry in ways and numbers unheard of in generations before. My daughter summed it up recently when I asked her and she said it was just ''Cool to be African, and different". I was so proud. :thumb:

In summary, I think its strictly a career decision for most of these players. Like you said, if the Iwobis and Ainas are seen to continue to progress in their careers unhindered after choosing Nigeria, it will be an easier decision for others to make.
They can't all play for England even if they wanted to, so why not spread your bets?

That's my theory anyway.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by heavyd »

Spot on Damunk
However we need to factor in the pressure these guys are under, not only from the English FA authorities but from their clubs as well. Ever since missing out on Victor Moses and more recently Wifred Zaha, England are now much more aware of talented young kids who have more than England as an option and actively court them and encourage them not to make any quick decisions. See the furore over WestHam's Decland Rice (who i do not think is anything special at all) as a case in point.

Naija need to be a bit more proactive in approaching these guys Specifically Ejaria, Eze and Lookman. They are already good enough to play for Nigeria in my opinion. Eze is a bright prospect who is already dominating regularly in a tough league like the Championship. as much as i like Ejaria I think Eze might be a better prospect!

@Oloye Obafemi was rushed into the team because Ireland are Cr@P sorry to say. The boy doesnt play regularly for Southampton so he is definitely not ready.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Goldleaf »

Hmm good player. The Lord of the manor, strong, good with both feet and never in a hurry, everything around him is done at his own pace and beckoning and he plays without fear. This is a true genuine playmaker if we were ever looking for one. Can't wait to see him mature and improve. He will terrorise many. If a team like Barca takes him, he can surpass JJ Okocha. What a player! :clap:

[/video]
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by Damunk »

Goldleaf wrote:Hmm good player. The Lord of the manor, strong, good with both feet and never in a hurry, everything around him is done at his own pace and beckoning and he plays without fear. This is a true genuine playmaker if we were ever looking for one. Can't wait to see him mature and improve. He will terrorise many. If a team like Barca takes him, he can surpass JJ Okocha. What a player! :clap:

[/video]
Nobody can rush this guy.
Total command of the ball and phenomenal physical strength.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by olu »

Ebere Eze is the real deal. If he wants to play for Nigeria, he's already good enough to part of our squad. Partly because we don't have that many AM options. Other than Iwobi, I can't really think of any other Nigerian AMs that I would rate above him.
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Re: Eberechi Eze: the young playmaker with the X factor at Q

Post by oloye »

I remember one Lukeman being touted as the next JJ. Until I see him do it for Crystal Palace team A, all I see is prospect.
"There is big pressure at this club as you cannot be like the manager at Arsenal and ask for five years to try and to win one trophy" - Jose Mourinho

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