Cybereagles

09 JAN 2013, 21:41 AKINBODE OGUNTUYI
Super eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has made a promise to Bolaji Abdullahi, the sports minister, that the players will write their names and that of Nigeria in gold, by the time the dust settles in South Africa.

Damunk wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:

charlie wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:There's no harm in simply acknowledging that Nigeria is one of the favourites. Rohr consistently plays down his team....

And what exact benefit will you gain from claiming to be a tournament favorite?
You say there is no harm? Ok, so what is the harm in being humble?

No amount of mouth is going to win any tournament, only product.
He is right to keep his team focused on improving rather than claiming an imaginary pedestal.

I agree no amount of mouth wins tournaments but he's not being humble. There's no harm in saying Nigeria is among the favourites along with the other teams - it's just being realistic. Constantly playing down your own team is not a good look.

I really don't see any advantage in talking up your chances in public. I can't really remember the likes of Brazil or Germany or Argentina ever 'bigging up' their chances in public despite having some of the best players in the world in their ranks.
All I remember is top countries publicly downplaying the hype which I think makes much more sense.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Its pretty obvious that what the managers are saying to their players in the dressing room is completely different.
Which self-respecting professional footballer will listen more to what their manager is saying in the public domain over and above what he is being told one-on-one in the dressing room?

Press conferences are for public consumption. Finish

Damunk wrote:

jette1 wrote:

DIMKA76 wrote:

Robbynice wrote:

Damunk wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:There's no harm in simply acknowledging that Nigeria is one of the favourites. Rohr consistently plays down his team....

I don't know whether you remember - its been a while now - but the Nigerian U20 team (I think) was to meet Brazil in a WC tournament (my mind is saying in Chile). Expectations were high and Nigeria made mouth nor be small, talking about how we would 'deal with' Brazil. I think Etim Essien was in that team.
When we met, dem beat us like we steal something.

At the post-match press conference, they said we showed "too much disrespect" which simply fed into their determination to teach us a lesson.
Psychology is crucial in football. get it wrong and you are toast.

I'd much rather our managers understate our chances - in public of course.

Yup it was Chile 87. That turned out to be our worst U-20 tournament ever. The likes of Brazil and Yugoslavia beat the living day light out of us.

Not surprised with the likes of Boban, D Suker - Yugoslavia and Bismark - Brazil. There is also a threshold after which you begin to talk down your chances and right to even participate. I think he overdid it in the World Cup. Naija doesn't have much of a pedigree but at the same time, they don't slouch. Within Africa, Rohr isn't doing his side any good by talking his team down. naija have a pedigree within Africa and he fools nobody by trying to understate his side's intentions.

Don't mind them jare!!; they are in fact mixing apples and oranges here. its obvious and clearly understood that Nigeria is neither 'Brazil' nor 'Spain' - whatever that means-, no one was expecting Nigeria to overwhelm everyone at the world cup hence where is your reason to even further denigrate your Team. If we were ranked # one then that argument of taking pressure off our team might be justifiable ( who dash monkey banana). It is quite understandable if France and likes of Spain are downplaying their position but why would a hungry man join to donate food wey him no get. and all these talk about taking off pressure. when did pressure become such a bad thing. Kanu, okocha, taribo amokachi, olisey all understood expectations and played with pressure and won under pressure. Most of you here passed WAEC because of pressure. Are our current players so weak that they cant uphold our history in football that we have to pamper them so much. if you ask me they should be under pressure because they have won nothing minus mikel, onazi. Problem is we have a stupid coach that has watered down our football.

You don't know where your problem is.
The 'pressure' of '94 and '98 when we were virtual unknown 'rookies' to world football is nothing like it is today. The world didn't know us and Nigerians didn't go around as if we had a birthright to beat the world's best.
Since then - and thanks to the legacy of the Okochas, Finidis and Kanus - we are expected to perform at a certain level. When the world press repeatedly ask "which Nigeria will show up?", then you know you are no longer seen as a nobody.

Nigeria went to the U20 WC in NZ in 2015 with our 'superstars' Iheanacho, Success and Moses Simon all turning up in camp barely 48hrs to our first game vs Brazil. But it didn't stop us calling for the head of the coach (Manu) after we got trounced 4-2 by them.

That's the pressure of expectation which has now become the norm that has extended even to our juniors.

Anyway, all this one is simply subjective wuru-wuru-to-di-answer. If your mind is already made up about Rohr, even if he were to state the opposite like "we are a top team in Africa and coming to carry the trophy", una go still tell am say e dey stupid for "empty boasting".

The YeyeMan wrote:

Damunk wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:

charlie wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:There's no harm in simply acknowledging that Nigeria is one of the favourites. Rohr consistently plays down his team....

And what exact benefit will you gain from claiming to be a tournament favorite?
You say there is no harm? Ok, so what is the harm in being humble?

No amount of mouth is going to win any tournament, only product.
He is right to keep his team focused on improving rather than claiming an imaginary pedestal.

I agree no amount of mouth wins tournaments but he's not being humble. There's no harm in saying Nigeria is among the favourites along with the other teams - it's just being realistic. Constantly playing down your own team is not a good look.

I really don't see any advantage in talking up your chances in public. I can't really remember the likes of Brazil or Germany or Argentina ever 'bigging up' their chances in public despite having some of the best players in the world in their ranks.
All I remember is top countries publicly downplaying the hype which I think makes much more sense.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Its pretty obvious that what the managers are saying to their players in the dressing room is completely different.
Which self-respecting professional footballer will listen more to what their manager is saying in the public domain over and above what he is being told one-on-one in the dressing room?

Press conferences are for public consumption. Finish

My point is if he's going to say anything then he should veer on the side of positivity. And there's no harm in including his team AMONG a list of favourites. I'm not fond of this false modesty or faux humility.

The likes of Pep or Klopp don't play down their team's chances of winning a trophy in such a blunt manner. They accept the challenge will be tough and that they have good teams and they will do their best. That's all Rohr needs to do rather than say X, Y and Z have a better chance. It has a hollow ring to it. Also it's his get out of jail card in the event that Nigeria flops. He'll say "I told you so."

There are reasons why the coach of Nigeria could lower expectations on the global scene, but in Africa, with the team we have...? I'm not buying it.

I know that my friend, Hervez Renard is a diplomat. He doesnt want to be the favorite of the tournament. He is #1 in Africa, so he is the natural favorite for the tournament, and he tries to put forward other countries.
This is a tactic already. So me I say Morocco is #1 in Africa, they are natural favorites.

Egypt with one of the biggest players in the world, is favorite because they are at home, and they have the big crowd behind.
Senegal is #2 in Africa. Tunisia is #3, We are only #4.

And so, please, be careful, let them speak. We know what we have to do, we have to stay humble all the time....

charlie wrote:Revisting exactly what Rohr said in the interview, I am beginning to doubt many here actually took the time to listen to what he said carefully.

[/video]

I know that my friend, Hervez Renard is a diplomat. He doesnt want to be the favorite of the tournament. He is #1 in Africa, so he is the natural favorite for the tournament, and he tries to put forward other countries.
This is a tactic already. So me I say Morocco is #1 in Africa, they are natural favorites.

Egypt with one of the biggest players in the world, is favorite because they are at home, and they have the big crowd behind.
Senegal is #2 in Africa. Tunisia is #3, We are only #4.

And so, please, be careful, let them speak. We know what we have to do, we have to stay humble all the time....

Can anyone in their right mind point to anything wrong he said specifically? More importantly, can anyone point if anything he said was not a basic fact???

Personally, I am happy we have a coach that preaches humility and having to prove yourself, rather that making daft assumptions or illusions of grandeur, guaranteed to bring you crashing back down to earth.

imehjunior wrote:

charlie wrote:Revisting exactly what Rohr said in the interview, I am beginning to doubt many here actually took the time to listen to what he said carefully.

[/video]

I know that my friend, Hervez Renard is a diplomat. He doesnt want to be the favorite of the tournament. He is #1 in Africa, so he is the natural favorite for the tournament, and he tries to put forward other countries.
This is a tactic already. So me I say Morocco is #1 in Africa, they are natural favorites.

Egypt with one of the biggest players in the world, is favorite because they are at home, and they have the big crowd behind.
Senegal is #2 in Africa. Tunisia is #3, We are only #4.

And so, please, be careful, let them speak. We know what we have to do, we have to stay humble all the time....

Can anyone in their right mind point to anything wrong he said specifically? More importantly, can anyone point if anything he said was not a basic fact???

Personally, I am happy we have a coach that preaches humility and having to prove yourself, rather that making daft assumptions or illusions of grandeur, guaranteed to bring you crashing back down to earth.

Maybe they are discussing another interview because nothing wrong with this one.

charlie wrote:Revisting exactly what Rohr said in the interview, I am beginning to doubt many here actually took the time to listen to what he said carefully.

[/video]

I know that my friend, Hervez Renard is a diplomat. He doesnt want to be the favorite of the tournament. He is #1 in Africa, so he is the natural favorite for the tournament, and he tries to put forward other countries.
This is a tactic already. So me I say Morocco is #1 in Africa, they are natural favorites.

Egypt with one of the biggest players in the world, is favorite because they are at home, and they have the big crowd behind.
Senegal is #2 in Africa. Tunisia is #3, We are only #4.

And so, please, be careful, let them speak. We know what we have to do, we have to stay humble all the time....

Can anyone in their right mind point to anything wrong he said specifically? More importantly, can anyone point if anything he said was not a basic fact???

Personally, I am happy we have a coach that preaches humility and having to prove yourself, rather that making daft assumptions or illusions of grandeur, guaranteed to bring you crashing back down to earth.

Cito wrote:

charlie wrote:Revisting exactly what Rohr said in the interview, I am beginning to doubt many here actually took the time to listen to what he said carefully.

[/video]

I know that my friend, Hervez Renard is a diplomat. He doesnt want to be the favorite of the tournament. He is #1 in Africa, so he is the natural favorite for the tournament, and he tries to put forward other countries.
This is a tactic already. So me I say Morocco is #1 in Africa, they are natural favorites.

Egypt with one of the biggest players in the world, is favorite because they are at home, and they have the big crowd behind.
Senegal is #2 in Africa. Tunisia is #3, We are only #4.

And so, please, be careful, let them speak. We know what we have to do, we have to stay humble all the time....

Can anyone in their right mind point to anything wrong he said specifically? More importantly, can anyone point if anything he said was not a basic fact???

Personally, I am happy we have a coach that preaches humility and having to prove yourself, rather that making daft assumptions or illusions of grandeur, guaranteed to bring you crashing back down to earth.

OK now I want to hear from Jette1..(who has a knack for getting it wrong almost 100% of the time). Yeyeman need to come in here and explain this misrepresentation too.

Cito wrote:OK now I want to hear from Jette1..(who has a knack for getting it wrong almost 100% of the time). Yeyeman need to come in here and explain this misrepresentation too.

Bigpokey24 wrote:the video changes nothing , did Rohr not say we are just going to the tournament to see how far we can go, he also bring s up the excuse we have no players in the champs league...em when Zambia won the AFCON, how many of their players even played in the top leagues... now we have the natives and especially damunk already bringing up excuses...

that rohr throws some cheap french or german english and una dey fall... I am yet to see what he said in that video how it changes his stance on us going o AFCON to learn....smh

Enugu II wrote:

Bigpokey24 wrote:the video changes nothing , did Rohr not say we are just going to the tournament to see how far we can go, he also bring s up the excuse we have no players in the champs league...em when Zambia won the AFCON, how many of their players even played in the top leagues... now we have the natives and especially damunk already bringing up excuses...

that rohr throws some cheap french or german english and una dey fall... I am yet to see what he said in that video how it changes his stance on us going o AFCON to learn....smh

Bigpokey24,

KPOM. The reality is that the statement characterizes who Rohr has and continues to be. He is mindlessly married to the belief that European football defines all else. Not only is this reflected in his statement but also his belief on player competence. What he misses is a thorough history of the AFCON. Not only did Zambia become an African champion without their players all over the Big 5 of Europe's leagues but Egypt won AFCON for three consecutive tournaments without having a squad dominated with players from the leagues that Rohr reifies. The good thing though is that Mr. Pinnick has made it clear that Nigeria is no underdog and that Nigeria heads to AFCON 2019 with the bold goal of winning the trophy.

charlie wrote:Revisting exactly what Rohr said in the interview, I am beginning to doubt many here actually took the time to listen to what he said carefully.

[/video]

I know that my friend, Hervez Renard is a diplomat. He doesnt want to be the favorite of the tournament. He is #1 in Africa, so he is the natural favorite for the tournament, and he tries to put forward other countries.
This is a tactic already. So me I say Morocco is #1 in Africa, they are natural favorites.

Egypt with one of the biggest players in the world, is favorite because they are at home, and they have the big crowd behind.
Senegal is #2 in Africa. Tunisia is #3, We are only #4.

And so, please, be careful, let them speak. We know what we have to do, we have to stay humble all the time....

Can anyone in their right mind point to anything wrong he said specifically? More importantly, can anyone point if anything he said was not a basic fact???

Personally, I am happy we have a coach that preaches humility and having to prove yourself, rather that making daft assumptions or illusions of grandeur, guaranteed to bring you crashing back down to earth.

txj wrote:

Enugu II wrote:

Bigpokey24 wrote:the video changes nothing , did Rohr not say we are just going to the tournament to see how far we can go, he also bring s up the excuse we have no players in the champs league...em when Zambia won the AFCON, how many of their players even played in the top leagues... now we have the natives and especially damunk already bringing up excuses...

that rohr throws some cheap french or german english and una dey fall... I am yet to see what he said in that video how it changes his stance on us going o AFCON to learn....smh

Bigpokey24,

KPOM. The reality is that the statement characterizes who Rohr has and continues to be. He is mindlessly married to the belief that European football defines all else. Not only is this reflected in his statement but also his belief on player competence. What he misses is a thorough history of the AFCON. Not only did Zambia become an African champion without their players all over the Big 5 of Europe's leagues but Egypt won AFCON for three consecutive tournaments without having a squad dominated with players from the leagues that Rohr reifies. The good thing though is that Mr. Pinnick has made it clear that Nigeria is no underdog and that Nigeria heads to AFCON 2019 with the bold goal of winning the trophy.

The reality is that European football is the standard for the world game atm. The best players are in Europe.

One is hardly persuaded by the Zambia examples; Greece won the Euros once upon a time; as did Denmark...And when you cite the example of Egypt, you should highlight the fact that, until recent political upheavals, they have had a very stable domestic league, with clubs founded in the early 1900s. Their best players, bar a very few, typically play at home...

In any case, I think far too much is being made here of a tepid attempt to deflect pressure. Ultimately, its the performance on the field that we will judge, not verbal platitudes ahead of a tournament...