Cybereagles

Francis Uzoho's Form
In his last three games for Nigeria, Francis Uzoho has excelled. In fact, he has made improvements from one to the next game. Against Brazil, he was clearly Nigeria's best player. He made several world class saves that any goalkeeper, any where in the world, would have been proud of. This is not to state that he is world class but his play yesterday was nothing less. His reflexes were astounding in stopping shots that were heading to the back of the net. It was a major downer to see him stretchered off.

Rohr's Substitution Awareness
Manager Gernot Rohr has been severally criticized over his slow substitution decisions, yesterday may have provided additional ammunition to the critics. The boys had put up a major effort pressing and closing down lanes that some of them were obviously tired much earlier than the decision to take them off. Examples were Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze. Both were well spent before Rohr decided to take them off. The fact that the game was a friendly raises even more questions since the coaches had the opportunity to make six substitutions. Rohr did not make the fifth and sixth substitutions until seconds to the end of the game and then in injury time.

Details here:
https://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2019/10/ ... razil.html

Nice blogpost prof, as always!

There is something I dont think we understand about Rohr. He is clearly very methodical in his preparation, and has a close attention to detail. Yet I dont understand his philosophy when it comes to late substitutions. Like you, I thought they were made very late, but there has to be some method to his reasoning we havent understood.

Maybe he doesnt like introducing disruptive changes during key defensive phases of the game. Maybe he is trying to stretch out the stamina of his key players. I personally think it is an old school philosophy and probably not adapted to the modern game which relies on stats to show when players reach and pass their peak use performance levels.

That said, you cannot fault Rohr's strategic and tactical preparation though. He always has the right tactical setup to counter the opponents strengths.

charlie wrote:Nice blogpost prof, as always!

There is something I dont think we understand about Rohr. He is clearly very methodical in his preparation, and has a close attention to detail. Yet I dont understand his philosophy when it comes to late substitutions. Like you, I thought they were made very late, but there has to be some method to his reasoning we havent understood.

Maybe he doesnt like introducing disruptive changes during key defensive phases of the game. Maybe he is trying to stretch out the stamina of his key players. I personally think it is an old school philosophy and probably not adapted to the modern game which relies on stats to show when players reach and pass their peak use performance levels.

That said, you cannot fault Rohr's strategic and tactical preparation though. He always has the right tactical setup to counter the opponents strengths.

Charlie,

I was surprised yesterday to an extent because of how tired the players were and yet he did not make a move. However, I think his decision to wait in the AFCON semi-final game v Algeria was strategic. In that Algerian game, he clearly thought that the game was headed for overtime, and with the opportunity to bring in more players than the Algerians could, presented the opportunity to swing the game to Nigeria's favor. The last gasp win by Algeria squashed that strategy but yesterday was a surprise.

Enugu II wrote:

Francis Uzoho's Form
In his last three games for Nigeria, Francis Uzoho has excelled. In fact, he has made improvements from one to the next game. Against Brazil, he was clearly Nigeria's best player. He made several world class saves that any goalkeeper, any where in the world, would have been proud of. This is not to state that he is world class but his play yesterday was nothing less. His reflexes were astounding in stopping shots that were heading to the back of the net. It was a major downer to see him stretchered off.

Rohr's Substitution Awareness
Manager Gernot Rohr has been severally criticized over his slow substitution decisions, yesterday may have provided additional ammunition to the critics. The boys had put up a major effort pressing and closing down lanes that some of them were obviously tired much earlier than the decision to take them off. Examples were Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze. Both were well spent before Rohr decided to take them off. The fact that the game was a friendly raises even more questions since the coaches had the opportunity to make six substitutions. Rohr did not make the fifth and sixth substitutions until seconds to the end of the game and then in injury time.

Details here:
https://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2019/10/ ... razil.html

ON UZOHO...


...I couldn't believe why he came under so much doubt and criticism going into the AFCON after doing acceptably in Russia 2018. I'm happy people are beginning to see that their criticisms were unwarranted and premature. With Uzoho and Okoye, both of whom still have years to play, that position is being solidified for the next AFCON and WC.
Bell

You forgot the 6th one. We don't play to win games anymore rather we play not to lose.

Prof. On substitution. This was the first thing, i noticed in Rohr first ever match.

Anyhow, i posted an interview after the Argentina game at the WC. In which, the Super Eagles spokesman said something along the lines, that Rohr makes late substitution because injuries and red card could affect the team. Hence last substitution.

As much as I'm a fan of the coach, could the early substitution against Brazil be a reflex reaction towards Brazil? Remember, by the time he made his first sub, Brazil had already made two.

eyan wrote:You forgot the 6th one. We don't play to win games anymore rather we play not to lose.

gbosa!!!!!

Sometimes I agree with you guys and in other times, I disagree. Knowing and understanding you people's whining; or so, will not change anything, why don't you people let the coach be?

Removing Unavailable Kalu and Etebo, the gulf between the starters and the bench is so wide
He needed to keep a result against Brazil and it was obvious he was not going to reduce the quality of the team with a lot of time left
Ukraine was a clear example
If the opponents were poorer or the score was lopsided for or against us, he would have used all the subs half an hour to go

megapro wrote:Removing Unavailable Kalu and Etebo, the gulf between the starters and the bench is so wide
He needed to keep a result against Brazil and it was obvious he was not going to reduce the quality of the team with a lot of time left
Ukraine was a clear example
If the opponents were poorer or the score was lopsided for or against us, he would have used all the subs half an hour to go

People want to eat their cake and have it.
The substitutions vs Ukraine were why we lost the initiative bcos of the drop in quality.
Against a far superior Brazil they are still shouting for subs that could have lost us the game.
You can almost sense that this is what some of these autocritics want.

Bell wrote:

Enugu II wrote:

Francis Uzoho's Form
In his last three games for Nigeria, Francis Uzoho has excelled. In fact, he has made improvements from one to the next game. Against Brazil, he was clearly Nigeria's best player. He made several world class saves that any goalkeeper, any where in the world, would have been proud of. This is not to state that he is world class but his play yesterday was nothing less. His reflexes were astounding in stopping shots that were heading to the back of the net. It was a major downer to see him stretchered off.

Rohr's Substitution Awareness
Manager Gernot Rohr has been severally criticized over his slow substitution decisions, yesterday may have provided additional ammunition to the critics. The boys had put up a major effort pressing and closing down lanes that some of them were obviously tired much earlier than the decision to take them off. Examples were Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze. Both were well spent before Rohr decided to take them off. The fact that the game was a friendly raises even more questions since the coaches had the opportunity to make six substitutions. Rohr did not make the fifth and sixth substitutions until seconds to the end of the game and then in injury time.

Details here:
https://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2019/10/ ... razil.html

ON UZOHO...


...I couldn't believe why he came under so much doubt and criticism going into the AFCON after doing acceptably in Russia 2018. I'm happy people are beginning to see that their criticisms were unwarranted and premature. With Uzoho and Okoye, both of whom still have years to play, that position is being solidified for the next AFCON and WC.
Bell

We didn't freeze in time between Russia and the AFCON. He was criticized and rightfully so because he was poor in ANC qualifying games . No one has a vendetta against him but he was simply poor, and offered no reassurance as a starting goal keeper of a national team. We all watched his blunders against Libya and Seychelles in the qualifiers even in games we won where he was rightfully criticized. Coupled with the fact that after the world cup, he couldn't get playing time at Elche, went to Cyprus and had his debacle with his transfer over his medical papers. For Rohr, someone notorious for sticking to his guns with his starters, to bench him, (especially for someone as underwhelming as like Akpeyi, he clearly did something wrong). There was nothing "unwarranted" or "premature" about the criticisms he rightfully received.

Thank goodness he has made strides now, Nigeria can only benefit from a good goalkeeper, that being said, there is no need for revisionist history.

My Brazilian co-worker has forgotten about this very very friendly game.

1naija wrote:My Brazilian go worker has forgotten about this very very friendly game.

metalalloy wrote:

Bell wrote:

Enugu II wrote:

Francis Uzoho's Form
In his last three games for Nigeria, Francis Uzoho has excelled. In fact, he has made improvements from one to the next game. Against Brazil, he was clearly Nigeria's best player. He made several world class saves that any goalkeeper, any where in the world, would have been proud of. This is not to state that he is world class but his play yesterday was nothing less. His reflexes were astounding in stopping shots that were heading to the back of the net. It was a major downer to see him stretchered off.

Rohr's Substitution Awareness
Manager Gernot Rohr has been severally criticized over his slow substitution decisions, yesterday may have provided additional ammunition to the critics. The boys had put up a major effort pressing and closing down lanes that some of them were obviously tired much earlier than the decision to take them off. Examples were Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze. Both were well spent before Rohr decided to take them off. The fact that the game was a friendly raises even more questions since the coaches had the opportunity to make six substitutions. Rohr did not make the fifth and sixth substitutions until seconds to the end of the game and then in injury time.

Details here:
https://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2019/10/ ... razil.html

ON UZOHO...


...I couldn't believe why he came under so much doubt and criticism going into the AFCON after doing acceptably in Russia 2018. I'm happy people are beginning to see that their criticisms were unwarranted and premature. With Uzoho and Okoye, both of whom still have years to play, that position is being solidified for the next AFCON and WC.
Bell

We didn't freeze in time between Russia and the AFCON. He was criticized and rightfully so because he was poor in ANC qualifying games . No one has a vendetta against him but he was simply poor, and offered no reassurance as a starting goal keeper of a national team. We all watched his blunders against Libya and Seychelles in the qualifiers even in games we won where he was rightfully criticized. Coupled with the fact that after the world cup, he couldn't get playing time at Elche, went to Cyprus and had his debacle with his transfer over his medical papers. For Rohr, someone notorious for sticking to his guns with his starters, to bench him, (especially for someone as underwhelming as like Akpeyi, he clearly did something wrong). There was nothing "unwarranted" or "premature" about the criticisms he rightfully received.

Thank goodness he has made strides now, Nigeria can only benefit from a good goalkeeper, that being said, there is no need for revisionist history.

Poeple always forget. Especially Nigerians and most especially CE members.

metalalloy wrote:

Bell wrote:

Enugu II wrote:

Francis Uzoho's Form
In his last three games for Nigeria, Francis Uzoho has excelled. In fact, he has made improvements from one to the next game. Against Brazil, he was clearly Nigeria's best player. He made several world class saves that any goalkeeper, any where in the world, would have been proud of. This is not to state that he is world class but his play yesterday was nothing less. His reflexes were astounding in stopping shots that were heading to the back of the net. It was a major downer to see him stretchered off.

Rohr's Substitution Awareness
Manager Gernot Rohr has been severally criticized over his slow substitution decisions, yesterday may have provided additional ammunition to the critics. The boys had put up a major effort pressing and closing down lanes that some of them were obviously tired much earlier than the decision to take them off. Examples were Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze. Both were well spent before Rohr decided to take them off. The fact that the game was a friendly raises even more questions since the coaches had the opportunity to make six substitutions. Rohr did not make the fifth and sixth substitutions until seconds to the end of the game and then in injury time.

Details here:
https://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2019/10/ ... razil.html

ON UZOHO...


...I couldn't believe why he came under so much doubt and criticism going into the AFCON after doing acceptably in Russia 2018. I'm happy people are beginning to see that their criticisms were unwarranted and premature. With Uzoho and Okoye, both of whom still have years to play, that position is being solidified for the next AFCON and WC.
Bell

We didn't freeze in time between Russia and the AFCON. He was criticized and rightfully so because he was poor in ANC qualifying games . No one has a vendetta against him but he was simply poor, and offered no reassurance as a starting goal keeper of a national team. We all watched his blunders against Libya and Seychelles in the qualifiers even in games we won where he was rightfully criticized. Coupled with the fact that after the world cup, he couldn't get playing time at Elche, went to Cyprus and had his debacle with his transfer over his medical papers. For Rohr, someone notorious for sticking to his guns with his starters, to bench him, (especially for someone as underwhelming as like Akpeyi, he clearly did something wrong). There was nothing "unwarranted" or "premature" about the criticisms he rightfully received.

Thank goodness he has made strides now, Nigeria can only benefit from a good goalkeeper, that being said, there is no need for revisionist history.

KPOM. Things change. They are never static. If Uzoho messes up again, he will be duly criticized.

1naija wrote:My Brazilian go worker has forgotten about this very very friendly game.

That's what normal people do with bad memories.