Colin Udoh's Take on Rohr Debate

[Enugu II]

Rohr debate misses the point about Nigerian shortcomings
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... ortcomings

Colin Udoh

For a record eighth time in their history, Nigeria came away from an African Nations Cup campaign brandishing bronze medals around their necks.

It is not just a record for Nigeria, but also for the tournament. No other country has more third-place finishes in the history of the competition.

When in the past this final podium place has been celebrated as a "golden bronze", this time emotions have been more varied. Nations Cup winner Segun Odegbami vehemently refused to celebrate it.

There are those, like Odegbami, who feel the Super Eagles should have done better than bronze with the quality of talent at their disposal, believing the team was held back by a conservative coach. Then there are those who argue the coach can do only so much given the broken structures in the country.

There is no "one size fits all" solution, but should Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr's position be the major issue of concern?

Calls for the German to be sacked have not exactly been muted. The major reason seems to be his perceived "lack of tactical nous" or, in other words, an "inability to read matches".

The argument here lies in an unfavourable comparison with the late Stephen Keshi, who is said to have led a more limited Super Eagles squad to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2013.

That comparison loses some steam in the face of context. Keshi had an almost ready-made squad with just a few additions to be made. Rohr has had to build his squad from the ground up.

Keshi's knockout stage opposition in 2013 was Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso. Rohr had to battle against Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria. The Fennecs, who were described as "deserved Afcon champions" by Nick Ames reporting for ESPN, were taken within seconds of extra-time by the 2019 Super Eagles.

All of these considerations might explain why Rohr himself has told close associates that he is uncertain if he wants to carry on.

"A lot of things have been going on but he has taken it all because he does not want to cause any controversy," sources have told ESPN.

"But now, he is not sure if he will continue."

Rohr was noncommittal when asked if he would continue, simply telling ESPN with a wry smile: "I go away to rest now, and then we think about it and see what happens.

"I have a clause in my contract, I made sure I put it there, that it is possible I go any time if we agree."

Rohr is due to meet Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick this week as part of that assessment. And if both parties come to an agreement, a parting of ways might come sooner than most expect.

If that were to happen, there will be many who will celebrate. But that would mean losing sight of what should be the more important conversation, one which should go beyond Keshi, Rohr or any other coach.

Nigeria have had six coaching changes in the past five years. Samson Siasia, Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, Siasia again in a stand-in capacity, Salisu Yusuf (also in a temporary capacity) and then Rohr.

Oliseh aside -- he resigned due to issues with the NFF -- the rest have been fired. And the same story goes back even further.

Clemens Westerhof, now acknowledged as one of Nigeria's greatest coaches, was hounded out and did not even bother to return home with the team after they were eliminated from the 1994 World Cup. His former assistant, Jo Bonfrere, who won the 1996 Olympic gold medal with the under-23 team, was fired as Super Eagles coach. Philippe Troussier was fired. Amodu Shaibu was fired multiple times, despite qualifying Nigeria for two World Cups. Christian Chukwu was fired. Austin Eguavoen was replaced by Berti Vogts, who ended up being hounded out. Same with Swede Lars Lagerback, who opted not to renew his contract with the NFF after the 2010 World Cup. It is a long, unending cycle of celebrating new appointments, then bemoaning their (in)competence before sending them on their merry way.

This unending coaching merry-go-round seems to mask -- however unintentionally -- the real issue. That the complete grassroots development of Nigerian football has been, and continues to be, totally ignored. There are no articulated programs to scout, identify, develop and train talent from a young age. No structured tournaments for children to take part in. No playing philosophy, nothing beyond a hit-and-miss approach relying on an entitled "we have abundant talents" narrative. It's an approach that relies on said talents flocking off to Europe before being called into the Super Eagles, or, even worse, the cadet teams.

The domestic league, which should provide a conveyor belt of ready-made talent, is running on life support, as club administrators push back against much-needed reforms.

As it stands, two influential players retired after Afcon: Captain John Obi Mikel and forward Odion Ighalo; John Ogu may have been a bit part player, but he is also almost certainly looking at the door.

Goalkeeping remains a major issue. Nigeria have struggled in that department since the departure of Vincent Enyeama. Francis Uzoho showed some stability at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but was shaky after. Ikechukwu Ezenwa is in his 30s, and rarely gets playing time in the Nigerian domestic league, and Daniel Akpeyi does not inspire confidence among the fans. Some say even among the coaches.

Nigeria can sack Rohr now or hound him out. But precedent has shown they are unable to attract any real big-name coaches. The ones they do attract, they take months just to hire. When a coach is eventually hired, whoever he is, what is the guarantee he will spend more than two or three years before being hounded out like others before?

And after poppling around in a fresh hire-celebrate-hound-fire cycle, the country returns once again to blaming the coach for another campaign that fails to meet entitled expectations, expectations without a grounding in fundamentals.

Rather than debating whether or not to fire a coach who has done more than most since Westerhof in 1989 to reboot the national team, conversation should be focused instead in a different direction.

How to reset the entire national football ecosystem in a manner that begins to produce and develop talent deliberately and consistently, one that will eventually lead to a playing philosophy that takes advantage of the in-bred self-expression of the Nigerian footballer as well as their natural physical attributes.

[Bigpokey24]

no one said the above when LCS were in charge..we had no tactical skills in Egypt

[ANC]

no one said the above when LCS were in charge..we had no tactical skills in Egypt

We want Rohr gone, but does that mean another Eguavon then Siasia, the Oliseh. Stability is very important. I just wish the NFA would just hire a former Nigerian International and give them the same support Rohr has gotten and even send a few of the willing and capable internationals for coaching training. Rohr is not it. Like someone pointed out, If Rohr had been in charge in 94, Nigeria would not have beaten Bulgaria and Spain in 98.


Let there a be civilized smooth transition of power. It would be nice not to discard the bath water with the baby.

[Goalgetter]

Colin’s perspective is biased.. the guy kisses up in order to protect/preserve what access he has to the coach and team. He lacks credibility on this issue. I would listen to the Akpobories and Odegbamis of this world..the Oluwashina guy from BBC also has some credibility- he’s been saying it like it is. Colin? Forget about him. Anyone that watches the match vs Algeria and look back at the WC match vs Argentina and still want Rhor to remain the coach is either compromises or just a lunatic.

[Eaglezbeak]

So in a nutshell Rohr will leave and he'll be replaced by someone who deep down knows that Nigeria has no stable footballing foundation and he'll just try his luck and see how long his run will last and then he'll leave or will be sacked and the cycle will continue.

[Bigpokey24]

So in a nutshell Rohr will leave and he'll be replaced by someone who deep down knows that Nigeria has no stable footballing foundation and he'll just try his luck and see how long his run will last and then he'll leave or will be sacked and the cycle will continue.

makes no difference...football is a revolving door

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Rohr debate misses the point about Nigerian shortcomings
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... ortcomings

Colin Udoh

For a record eighth time in their history, Nigeria came away from an African Nations Cup campaign brandishing bronze medals around their necks.

It is not just a record for Nigeria, but also for the tournament. No other country has more third-place finishes in the history of the competition.

When in the past this final podium place has been celebrated as a "golden bronze", this time emotions have been more varied. Nations Cup winner Segun Odegbami vehemently refused to celebrate it.

There are those, like Odegbami, who feel the Super Eagles should have done better than bronze with the quality of talent at their disposal, believing the team was held back by a conservative coach. Then there are those who argue the coach can do only so much given the broken structures in the country.

There is no "one size fits all" solution, but should Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr's position be the major issue of concern?

Calls for the German to be sacked have not exactly been muted. The major reason seems to be his perceived "lack of tactical nous" or, in other words, an "inability to read matches".

The argument here lies in an unfavourable comparison with the late Stephen Keshi, who is said to have led a more limited Super Eagles squad to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2013.

That comparison loses some steam in the face of context. Keshi had an almost ready-made squad with just a few additions to be made. Rohr has had to build his squad from the ground up.

Keshi's knockout stage opposition in 2013 was Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso. Rohr had to battle against Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria. The Fennecs, who were described as "deserved Afcon champions" by Nick Ames reporting for ESPN, were taken within seconds of extra-time by the 2019 Super Eagles.

All of these considerations might explain why Rohr himself has told close associates that he is uncertain if he wants to carry on.

"A lot of things have been going on but he has taken it all because he does not want to cause any controversy," sources have told ESPN.

"But now, he is not sure if he will continue."

Rohr was noncommittal when asked if he would continue, simply telling ESPN with a wry smile: "I go away to rest now, and then we think about it and see what happens.

"I have a clause in my contract, I made sure I put it there, that it is possible I go any time if we agree."

Rohr is due to meet Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick this week as part of that assessment. And if both parties come to an agreement, a parting of ways might come sooner than most expect.

If that were to happen, there will be many who will celebrate. But that would mean losing sight of what should be the more important conversation, one which should go beyond Keshi, Rohr or any other coach.

Nigeria have had six coaching changes in the past five years. Samson Siasia, Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, Siasia again in a stand-in capacity, Salisu Yusuf (also in a temporary capacity) and then Rohr.

Oliseh aside -- he resigned due to issues with the NFF -- the rest have been fired. And the same story goes back even further.

Clemens Westerhof, now acknowledged as one of Nigeria's greatest coaches, was hounded out and did not even bother to return home with the team after they were eliminated from the 1994 World Cup. His former assistant, Jo Bonfrere, who won the 1996 Olympic gold medal with the under-23 team, was fired as Super Eagles coach. Philippe Troussier was fired. Amodu Shaibu was fired multiple times, despite qualifying Nigeria for two World Cups. Christian Chukwu was fired. Austin Eguavoen was replaced by Berti Vogts, who ended up being hounded out. Same with Swede Lars Lagerback, who opted not to renew his contract with the NFF after the 2010 World Cup. It is a long, unending cycle of celebrating new appointments, then bemoaning their (in)competence before sending them on their merry way.

This unending coaching merry-go-round seems to mask -- however unintentionally -- the real issue. That the complete grassroots development of Nigerian football has been, and continues to be, totally ignored. There are no articulated programs to scout, identify, develop and train talent from a young age. No structured tournaments for children to take part in. No playing philosophy, nothing beyond a hit-and-miss approach relying on an entitled "we have abundant talents" narrative. It's an approach that relies on said talents flocking off to Europe before being called into the Super Eagles, or, even worse, the cadet teams.

The domestic league, which should provide a conveyor belt of ready-made talent, is running on life support, as club administrators push back against much-needed reforms.

As it stands, two influential players retired after Afcon: Captain John Obi Mikel and forward Odion Ighalo; John Ogu may have been a bit part player, but he is also almost certainly looking at the door.

Goalkeeping remains a major issue. Nigeria have struggled in that department since the departure of Vincent Enyeama. Francis Uzoho showed some stability at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but was shaky after. Ikechukwu Ezenwa is in his 30s, and rarely gets playing time in the Nigerian domestic league, and Daniel Akpeyi does not inspire confidence among the fans. Some say even among the coaches.

Nigeria can sack Rohr now or hound him out. But precedent has shown they are unable to attract any real big-name coaches. The ones they do attract, they take months just to hire. When a coach is eventually hired, whoever he is, what is the guarantee he will spend more than two or three years before being hounded out like others before?

And after poppling around in a fresh hire-celebrate-hound-fire cycle, the country returns once again to blaming the coach for another campaign that fails to meet entitled expectations, expectations without a grounding in fundamentals.

Rather than debating whether or not to fire a coach who has done more than most since Westerhof in 1989 to reboot the national team, conversation should be focused instead in a different direction.

How to reset the entire national football ecosystem in a manner that begins to produce and develop talent deliberately and consistently, one that will eventually lead to a playing philosophy that takes advantage of the in-bred self-expression of the Nigerian footballer as well as their natural physical attributes.

It is disingenuous to just throw Burkina Faso out there as a minnow. Burkina in 2013 was a FORMIDABLE team. Arguably as good as Algeria of 2019, and likely better than the current SA and Cameroon.

That Rohr built his team from scratch....how long did he have? Didn't he take the team through TWO sets of Qualifiers and a WC proper, ostensibly to learn? What did he learn @ the WC? Time management? Timely substitutions? Who his best goalie is? Tactics change? How not to lose to Madagascar?

Mscheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

[Goalgetter]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

[maceo4]

Colin’s perspective is biased.. the guy kisses up in order to protect/preserve what access he has to the coach and team. He lacks credibility on this issue. I would listen to the Akpobories and Odegbamis of this world..the Oluwashina guy from BBC also has some credibility- he’s been saying it like it is. Colin? Forget about him. Anyone that watches the match vs Algeria and look back at the WC match vs Argentina and still want Rhor to remain the coach is either compromises or just a lunatic.

You fire fire fire guys are the ones sounding like lunatics. Who do you have in mind to replace Rohr, or you just want him gone with no plan to continue with the work he's done so far? IMO he should agree to have an offensive coach join his team to help with the teams playing style, but if we are to fire him we have to have a good plan in place. There's nothing he's done that is so egregious that we just have to separate ourselves from him immediately.

[Odas]

no one said the above when LCS were in charge..we had no tactical skills in Egypt

Mumu-boy, why don't you use your brain for once? Like I asked you in another thread, who will you be replacing Rohr with?

Whoever the person might be, can you guarantee us (Nigeria) he will SURPASS coach Rohr's achievements and will invite players based on MERIT instead of through bribery?

[txj]

Colin’s perspective is biased.. the guy kisses up in order to protect/preserve what access he has to the coach and team. He lacks credibility on this issue. I would listen to the Akpobories and Odegbamis of this world..the Oluwashina guy from BBC also has some credibility- he’s been saying it like it is. Colin? Forget about him. Anyone that watches the match vs Algeria and look back at the WC match vs Argentina and still want Rhor to remain the coach is either compromises or just a lunatic.

This is how you guys hounded him out of CE.

If you have a serious perspective on this, lay it out instead of impugning people's motives...

[Synopsis]

Rohr debate misses the point about Nigerian shortcomings
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... ortcomings

Colin Udoh

For a record eighth time in their history, Nigeria came away from an African Nations Cup campaign brandishing bronze medals around their necks.

It is not just a record for Nigeria, but also for the tournament. No other country has more third-place finishes in the history of the competition.

When in the past this final podium place has been celebrated as a "golden bronze", this time emotions have been more varied. Nations Cup winner Segun Odegbami vehemently refused to celebrate it.

There are those, like Odegbami, who feel the Super Eagles should have done better than bronze with the quality of talent at their disposal, believing the team was held back by a conservative coach. Then there are those who argue the coach can do only so much given the broken structures in the country.

There is no "one size fits all" solution, but should Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr's position be the major issue of concern?

Calls for the German to be sacked have not exactly been muted. The major reason seems to be his perceived "lack of tactical nous" or, in other words, an "inability to read matches".

The argument here lies in an unfavourable comparison with the late Stephen Keshi, who is said to have led a more limited Super Eagles squad to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2013.

That comparison loses some steam in the face of context. Keshi had an almost ready-made squad with just a few additions to be made. Rohr has had to build his squad from the ground up.

Keshi's knockout stage opposition in 2013 was Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso. Rohr had to battle against Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria. The Fennecs, who were described as "deserved Afcon champions" by Nick Ames reporting for ESPN, were taken within seconds of extra-time by the 2019 Super Eagles.

All of these considerations might explain why Rohr himself has told close associates that he is uncertain if he wants to carry on.

"A lot of things have been going on but he has taken it all because he does not want to cause any controversy," sources have told ESPN.

"But now, he is not sure if he will continue."

Rohr was noncommittal when asked if he would continue, simply telling ESPN with a wry smile: "I go away to rest now, and then we think about it and see what happens.

"I have a clause in my contract, I made sure I put it there, that it is possible I go any time if we agree."

Rohr is due to meet Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick this week as part of that assessment. And if both parties come to an agreement, a parting of ways might come sooner than most expect.

If that were to happen, there will be many who will celebrate. But that would mean losing sight of what should be the more important conversation, one which should go beyond Keshi, Rohr or any other coach.

Nigeria have had six coaching changes in the past five years. Samson Siasia, Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, Siasia again in a stand-in capacity, Salisu Yusuf (also in a temporary capacity) and then Rohr.

Oliseh aside -- he resigned due to issues with the NFF -- the rest have been fired. And the same story goes back even further.

Clemens Westerhof, now acknowledged as one of Nigeria's greatest coaches, was hounded out and did not even bother to return home with the team after they were eliminated from the 1994 World Cup. His former assistant, Jo Bonfrere, who won the 1996 Olympic gold medal with the under-23 team, was fired as Super Eagles coach. Philippe Troussier was fired. Amodu Shaibu was fired multiple times, despite qualifying Nigeria for two World Cups. Christian Chukwu was fired. Austin Eguavoen was replaced by Berti Vogts, who ended up being hounded out. Same with Swede Lars Lagerback, who opted not to renew his contract with the NFF after the 2010 World Cup. It is a long, unending cycle of celebrating new appointments, then bemoaning their (in)competence before sending them on their merry way.

This unending coaching merry-go-round seems to mask -- however unintentionally -- the real issue. That the complete grassroots development of Nigerian football has been, and continues to be, totally ignored. There are no articulated programs to scout, identify, develop and train talent from a young age. No structured tournaments for children to take part in. No playing philosophy, nothing beyond a hit-and-miss approach relying on an entitled "we have abundant talents" narrative. It's an approach that relies on said talents flocking off to Europe before being called into the Super Eagles, or, even worse, the cadet teams.

The domestic league, which should provide a conveyor belt of ready-made talent, is running on life support, as club administrators push back against much-needed reforms.

As it stands, two influential players retired after Afcon: Captain John Obi Mikel and forward Odion Ighalo; John Ogu may have been a bit part player, but he is also almost certainly looking at the door.

Goalkeeping remains a major issue. Nigeria have struggled in that department since the departure of Vincent Enyeama. Francis Uzoho showed some stability at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but was shaky after. Ikechukwu Ezenwa is in his 30s, and rarely gets playing time in the Nigerian domestic league, and Daniel Akpeyi does not inspire confidence among the fans. Some say even among the coaches.

Nigeria can sack Rohr now or hound him out. But precedent has shown they are unable to attract any real big-name coaches. The ones they do attract, they take months just to hire. When a coach is eventually hired, whoever he is, what is the guarantee he will spend more than two or three years before being hounded out like others before?

And after poppling around in a fresh hire-celebrate-hound-fire cycle, the country returns once again to blaming the coach for another campaign that fails to meet entitled expectations, expectations without a grounding in fundamentals.

Rather than debating whether or not to fire a coach who has done more than most since Westerhof in 1989 to reboot the national team, conversation should be focused instead in a different direction.

How to reset the entire national football ecosystem in a manner that begins to produce and develop talent deliberately and consistently, one that will eventually lead to a playing philosophy that takes advantage of the in-bred self-expression of the Nigerian footballer as well as their natural physical attributes.

It is disingenuous to just throw Burkina Faso out there as a minnow. Burkina in 2013 was a FORMIDABLE team. Arguably as good as Algeria of 2019, and likely better than the current SA and Cameroon.

That Rohr built his team from scratch....how long did he have? Didn't he take the team through TWO sets of Qualifiers and a WC proper, ostensibly to learn? What did he learn @ the WC? Time management? Timely substitutions? Who his best goalie is? Tactics change? How not to lose to Madagascar?

Mscheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

[txj]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

[ANC]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

the culture that produced the likes of West, Uche, Kanu, Siasia, Iroha, Amokachi, Amunike.

[txj]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

the culture that produced the likes of West, Uche, Kanu, Siasia, Iroha, Amokachi, Amunike.

And where is that today? In football or any other aspect of Nigerian life?

Its no use living in the past...

[fabio]

Keshi had an almost ready-made squad with just a few additions to be made. Rohr has had to build his squad from the ground up.

Almost ready? No be the same Keshi that was playing matches with HB players against the likes of Niger et al and critic called them meaningless friendly?

Keshi's knockout stage opposition in 2013 was Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso. Rohr had to battle against Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria.

You can only beat what is in front of you.

When are we going to stop making excuses for Rohr. He has being in the job for 3 years.

[Goalgetter]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

Those “pertinent issues about the underlying structure” of Nigerian football are currently not being solved by Rhor..or are they? The guy has had a deleterious effect on the overall psych of that team. His mindset is not that of a winner. His comments, actions and what not, clearly imply that. He will decimate Nigerian football psych if allowed to continue. A coach that said “we’re ranked # 3 in Africa target is to finish 3-4 in Afcon.” Why compete then if FIFA rankings are so incontrovertible? Why even bother?

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

I don't think anyone disagrees with the underlined. Rohr is a poor coach. That's my entire point.

And LC/FC will always be pertinent, whether we admit it or not. Those biases quite often influence how folks judge performances.

[deanotito]

Just don't think firing Rohr is wise. He is a good coach.

I get frustrated with him just like any other, but he has hit all his targets in a pretty efficient manner. I don’t believe he’s the best coach in the world, but he’s good for Nigeria. And Nigeria can neither attract or afford the best. To me, Rohr’s the best type of coach we can get.

Hounding him out would put us in no-mans-land…and the likes of Odegbami will start to push their candidates, so they can make a quick buck.
Rohr’s record is unimpeachable as far as I am concerned. How many Nations Cups did Westerhof win? Bonfrere nko? How many years were they in their jobs? Let’s be realistic.

I do agree that the level of talent we have is not great…and Rohr has been able to do much with this little. Nigeria’s football was floundering under our ex-internationals…for whatever reason, it just was. Then comes this man who brings some stability and professionalism …and results too.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Rohr debate misses the point about Nigerian shortcomings
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... ortcomings

Colin Udoh

For a record eighth time in their history, Nigeria came away from an African Nations Cup campaign brandishing bronze medals around their necks.

It is not just a record for Nigeria, but also for the tournament. No other country has more third-place finishes in the history of the competition.

When in the past this final podium place has been celebrated as a "golden bronze", this time emotions have been more varied. Nations Cup winner Segun Odegbami vehemently refused to celebrate it.

There are those, like Odegbami, who feel the Super Eagles should have done better than bronze with the quality of talent at their disposal, believing the team was held back by a conservative coach. Then there are those who argue the coach can do only so much given the broken structures in the country.

There is no "one size fits all" solution, but should Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr's position be the major issue of concern?

Calls for the German to be sacked have not exactly been muted. The major reason seems to be his perceived "lack of tactical nous" or, in other words, an "inability to read matches".

The argument here lies in an unfavourable comparison with the late Stephen Keshi, who is said to have led a more limited Super Eagles squad to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2013.

That comparison loses some steam in the face of context. Keshi had an almost ready-made squad with just a few additions to be made. Rohr has had to build his squad from the ground up.

Keshi's knockout stage opposition in 2013 was Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso. Rohr had to battle against Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria. The Fennecs, who were described as "deserved Afcon champions" by Nick Ames reporting for ESPN, were taken within seconds of extra-time by the 2019 Super Eagles.

All of these considerations might explain why Rohr himself has told close associates that he is uncertain if he wants to carry on.

"A lot of things have been going on but he has taken it all because he does not want to cause any controversy," sources have told ESPN.

"But now, he is not sure if he will continue."

Rohr was noncommittal when asked if he would continue, simply telling ESPN with a wry smile: "I go away to rest now, and then we think about it and see what happens.

"I have a clause in my contract, I made sure I put it there, that it is possible I go any time if we agree."

Rohr is due to meet Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick this week as part of that assessment. And if both parties come to an agreement, a parting of ways might come sooner than most expect.

If that were to happen, there will be many who will celebrate. But that would mean losing sight of what should be the more important conversation, one which should go beyond Keshi, Rohr or any other coach.

Nigeria have had six coaching changes in the past five years. Samson Siasia, Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, Siasia again in a stand-in capacity, Salisu Yusuf (also in a temporary capacity) and then Rohr.

Oliseh aside -- he resigned due to issues with the NFF -- the rest have been fired. And the same story goes back even further.

Clemens Westerhof, now acknowledged as one of Nigeria's greatest coaches, was hounded out and did not even bother to return home with the team after they were eliminated from the 1994 World Cup. His former assistant, Jo Bonfrere, who won the 1996 Olympic gold medal with the under-23 team, was fired as Super Eagles coach. Philippe Troussier was fired. Amodu Shaibu was fired multiple times, despite qualifying Nigeria for two World Cups. Christian Chukwu was fired. Austin Eguavoen was replaced by Berti Vogts, who ended up being hounded out. Same with Swede Lars Lagerback, who opted not to renew his contract with the NFF after the 2010 World Cup. It is a long, unending cycle of celebrating new appointments, then bemoaning their (in)competence before sending them on their merry way.

This unending coaching merry-go-round seems to mask -- however unintentionally -- the real issue. That the complete grassroots development of Nigerian football has been, and continues to be, totally ignored. There are no articulated programs to scout, identify, develop and train talent from a young age. No structured tournaments for children to take part in. No playing philosophy, nothing beyond a hit-and-miss approach relying on an entitled "we have abundant talents" narrative. It's an approach that relies on said talents flocking off to Europe before being called into the Super Eagles, or, even worse, the cadet teams.

The domestic league, which should provide a conveyor belt of ready-made talent, is running on life support, as club administrators push back against much-needed reforms.

As it stands, two influential players retired after Afcon: Captain John Obi Mikel and forward Odion Ighalo; John Ogu may have been a bit part player, but he is also almost certainly looking at the door.

Goalkeeping remains a major issue. Nigeria have struggled in that department since the departure of Vincent Enyeama. Francis Uzoho showed some stability at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but was shaky after. Ikechukwu Ezenwa is in his 30s, and rarely gets playing time in the Nigerian domestic league, and Daniel Akpeyi does not inspire confidence among the fans. Some say even among the coaches.

Nigeria can sack Rohr now or hound him out. But precedent has shown they are unable to attract any real big-name coaches. The ones they do attract, they take months just to hire. When a coach is eventually hired, whoever he is, what is the guarantee he will spend more than two or three years before being hounded out like others before?

And after poppling around in a fresh hire-celebrate-hound-fire cycle, the country returns once again to blaming the coach for another campaign that fails to meet entitled expectations, expectations without a grounding in fundamentals.

Rather than debating whether or not to fire a coach who has done more than most since Westerhof in 1989 to reboot the national team, conversation should be focused instead in a different direction.

How to reset the entire national football ecosystem in a manner that begins to produce and develop talent deliberately and consistently, one that will eventually lead to a playing philosophy that takes advantage of the in-bred self-expression of the Nigerian footballer as well as their natural physical attributes.

It is disingenuous to just throw Burkina Faso out there as a minnow. Burkina in 2013 was a FORMIDABLE team. Arguably as good as Algeria of 2019, and likely better than the current SA and Cameroon.

That Rohr built his team from scratch....how long did he have? Didn't he take the team through TWO sets of Qualifiers and a WC proper, ostensibly to learn? What did he learn @ the WC? Time management? Timely substitutions? Who his best goalie is? Tactics change? How not to lose to Madagascar?

Mscheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

you better ask somebody. How did we fare against Burkina Faso? we played them TWICE. How did they get to the finals? What was the lineup of that CIV team that Keshi, Mba, Mikel dem demolished?

[Tobi17]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

I don't think anyone disagrees with the underlined. Rohr is a poor coach. That's my entire point.

And LC/FC will always be pertinent, whether we admit it or not. Those biases quite often influence how folks judge performances.

Seems to me we are more fixated on Rohr than the actual underlined problems. So what happens if the next coach comes, plays the type of football we want, and then fails to meet key expectations? What next then? another try and error cycle all over again?

[txj]

Algeria won the tournament with a coach who started the job last August..no? What says you about that “revolving door.”?

abeg leave them jo. If Rohr na indigenous coach now, they will be up in arms about how limited he is, etc.

didn't Pa Oni win silver with a makeshift team in 1984 while we were in transition?

What has this got to do with FC/LC?

He has raised some pertinent issues regarding continuity and the underlying structure of our football in general.

What is your counter argument?

I don't think anyone disagrees with the underlined. Rohr is a poor coach. That's my entire point.

And LC/FC will always be pertinent, whether we admit it or not. Those biases quite often influence how folks judge performances.

And he is a good or poor coach not b/c he is an FC, but b/c he is who he is.

The biases you cite are in your mind and in the mindset many have cultivated here for years.

We have good LCs and FCs as well as bad ones. Both set of coaches have been equally victimized by our lack of organization....

Let's focus on the real issues and stop this silly LC/FC thing...