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Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:55 am
by Enugu II
Dammy wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:
Flex Swift wrote:It is very surprising to hear some of the suggestions put forward on this forum. The strangest yet is that we should drop Balogun who has just won the Scottish league and will play in the champions league next season for a guy whose current club is rock bottom in the Portuguese league. Balogun was bringing the ball out from the back in both games especially in the second half unless my eyes were playing tricks. In terms of center half position once he has match fitness he is the best out of all our options. This issue for me is who should partner him. Sanusi at left back is settled, Ebuehi or Ania at right back Balogun centre half who partners him? Seyi is not good enough the bobo playing in the Portuguese league the less said the better, The bobo playing in a mid-table team in Spain is playing a very low level not good enough for the national team. The only other option would be Kevin who was out injured.’All other names touted have not declared for Nigeria and it is annoying to see them listed as Super Eagle players ; I can understand if they had declared but paper work was being processed but this is not the case with Tosin, Eze or Lukemon.

Omeruo is currently playing for his second division team and losing .........
Typical African lack of foresight. We wait for the catastrophe to strike before reacting, whereas the European will react to prevent the catastrophe.

Balogun will struggle for pace against teams that sit back, soak up pressure and hit us on the counter-attack. What will you do when Balogun is shown a clean part of heels on the race back from the halfway line?

Looking at the way Raheem Sterling was running at Poland yesterday should be an eye opener to anyone. I have watched most of the European World Cup qualifiers and can see where we are well short of the teams that will be in Qatar to actually compete for the trophy.
Balogun will struggle with pace blah blah blah...
Place tell us exactly which game Balogun struggled with pace?
FYI, Balogun is preferred to Swedish international, Flip Helander , at Glasgow Rangers because of his pace.
It's a myth that Balogun doesn't have pace, fans of Glasgow Rangers will strongly disagree with that assertion.
Dammy,

Here is a report of the SE game v Brazil and the issue of pace.
The 4-2 come back win in Russia against Argentina is an important marker.
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2017/11/v ... kable.html

To come back from being 0-2 and being overrun by a top team like Argentina is remarkable. That should never be underestimated. Besides that marker, Rohr's decision to test the 3-5-2 formation is work in progress but there are indeed promises. As we saw after Nigeria went up 3-2, the defensive benefits from that formation proved important as it frustrated the Argentines repeatedly. It is likely that Rohr will call up that formation at critical moments at the World Cup.

But it must be clear that the 3-5-2 did not work very well at times. This was particularly clear with Aina reluctant to join the attack and at times effectively rendering the system unbalanced on the left. Idowu's entry and his willingness to commit upfront created opportunities as the formation should, going forward. As for Aina's reluctance, is surprising because he had provided attacking promises in the game against Algeria. Although against Algeria, he had left the defense exposed in one of his moves upfront. Could that have led to his reluctance? I have no idea.

The 3-5-2 formation in the opening half was not static with Mikel and Iwobi frequently switching and in its ball recovery phase, Iwobi clearly was the one more likely to be withdrawn deep leaving Iheanacho advanced. Of course, Iwobi became the most advanced after Iheanacho's exit in the second half. Ultimately, Iwobi played his best game ever for Nigeria and Ebuehi was a pleasant revelation. Here is how I rated the players.

Daniel Akpeyi (1) -- 6.0 -- Made two blunders but overall was steady and made two important saves to keep the Argentines at bay. The first blunder appeared as if he perceived that Di Maria had been whistled off sides and he prepared to take the kick but as Aguero intervened, he picked up the ball leading to a ferric call. The second was a poor left foot clearance that could have cost Nigeria as it hit an attacker before going into throw in.

Chidozie Awaziem (20) - 5.8 -- Had a poor second half with some mind boggling tackles and then turning the ball over in dangerous position. In the first half he was left stranded allowing Otamendi a free header deep inside the box.

William Troost-Ekong (5) -- 7.0 -- Nigeria's best defender in this game. He was quick to cut off dangerous attacks and was business like as usual. Made several saves.

Leon Balogun (6) -- 6.0 -- Made a dangerous turnover in the opening half and then was beaten for pace leading to the second goal. Otherwise he had some good moments and was surprisingly confident on the ball against the South Americans.

Abdullahi Shehu (12) -- 6.0 -- Shehu was average in this game. Nothing remarkable except one important block of an Aguero attempt in the opening half.

Ola Aina (2) -- 6.0 -- This was an average game for him. Rarely joined the attack and his positioning in the opening half largely rendered the formation unbalanced down the left when going forward. However, he had some good defensive moments.

Wilfred Ndidi (19) -- 8. 0 -- Though Iwobi was very good but Ndidi was good from the opening minute to the last. He was the best player out there for long moments. His ability to recover the ball is growing every game. It was his ball recovery that led to Nigeria's equalizer early in the second half.

John Ogu (19) -- 6.4 -- Ogu was very confident and circulates the ball with quick one-twos. Rarely made a passing error in this game but otherwise was not very influential.

Mikel Obi (10) -- 6.5 -- Mikel had a good game and very confident on the ball as usual. However, as he tired it meant that his tracking back became more labored. His use in the system often felt like an interchange from a forward to midfield positioning.

Alex Iwobi (18) -- 8.0 -- This was Alex Iwobi's best game for Nigeria by far. He was still lively even when he was not seeing much of the ball in the opening half. He earned the foul that led to the free kick goal and then he scored a brace in the second half. His second goal was top quality as he embarrassed Mescherano before shooting craftily beyond the goalkeeper.

Kelechi Iheanacho (14) -- 6.5 -- Kelechi, apart from his masterful ferric goal late in the first half was largely anonymous. However, he exploded in the second half and provided two assists and could have scored a spectacular goal with a back flick in the second half.

Substitutes
Francis Uzoho (23) -- 6.3 -- Uzoho's debut was not much of a test but he exuded confidence. He was only called upon twice and he passed with flying colors. First he flicked a header over his goal and then he confidently punched a threatening lob off his goal area. Otherwise, it was a quiet debut.

Tyronne Ebuehi (17) -- 7.5 -- Tyrone was at the right place and at the right time at a every moment. This was a superb game for him both defending and going forward. He hardly put a foot wrong during his time in the game.

Kenneth Omeruo (4) -- 5.8 -- Was on for 30 minutes but was largely anonymous. In one moment he made an unforced concession into corner chesting the ball.

Brian Idowu (21) -- 6.3 -- He had a memorable debut. Came in and changed the play on the left by frequently joining the attack ending up putting Nigeria ahead for good with a well taken opportunity. He also defended very well late in the game.

Ahmed Musa (7) -- 6.0 -- Musa was in the game for 20 minutes and his effort was high both defending and attacking. Then he assisted Nigeria's fourth goal. Beyond those, there was nothing else that was remarkable.

Kayode Olanrewaju (9) -- X -- Was not evaluated in only five minutes of play.
[/quote]

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:09 am
by 1naija
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Just imagine Ekong and Balogun playing against a fast forward line made up of say Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardie and Marcus Rashford. On the counter-attack, how would they cope if running back from the halfway line?

This Onyibo Wall is what will cost us the Nations Cup because I do not see how they can for instance contain say Saeed Benrahma and Zviad Mahrez. All teams have to do is sit back and hit us on the counter-attack!
Yeah, those Algerians really ran circles around the Onyibo wall during the last Nations cup. Abeg gerrara hia....

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 7:25 am
by Ayo Akinfe
1naija wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Just imagine Ekong and Balogun playing against a fast forward line made up of say Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardie and Marcus Rashford. On the counter-attack, how would they cope if running back from the halfway line?

This Onyibo Wall is what will cost us the Nations Cup because I do not see how they can for instance contain say Saeed Benrahma and Zviad Mahrez. All teams have to do is sit back and hit us on the counter-attack!
Yeah, those Algerians really ran circles around the Onyibo wall during the last Nations cup. Abeg gerrara hia....
Even if they were not, that was in 2019. I find it perplexing that some of you have this unique ability to stay stuck in a time warp.

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:39 am
by Dammy
Enugu II wrote:
Dammy wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:
Flex Swift wrote:It is very surprising to hear some of the suggestions put forward on this forum. The strangest yet is that we should drop Balogun who has just won the Scottish league and will play in the champions league next season for a guy whose current club is rock bottom in the Portuguese league. Balogun was bringing the ball out from the back in both games especially in the second half unless my eyes were playing tricks. In terms of center half position once he has match fitness he is the best out of all our options. This issue for me is who should partner him. Sanusi at left back is settled, Ebuehi or Ania at right back Balogun centre half who partners him? Seyi is not good enough the bobo playing in the Portuguese league the less said the better, The bobo playing in a mid-table team in Spain is playing a very low level not good enough for the national team. The only other option would be Kevin who was out injured.’All other names touted have not declared for Nigeria and it is annoying to see them listed as Super Eagle players ; I can understand if they had declared but paper work was being processed but this is not the case with Tosin, Eze or Lukemon.

Omeruo is currently playing for his second division team and losing .........
Typical African lack of foresight. We wait for the catastrophe to strike before reacting, whereas the European will react to prevent the catastrophe.

Balogun will struggle for pace against teams that sit back, soak up pressure and hit us on the counter-attack. What will you do when Balogun is shown a clean part of heels on the race back from the halfway line?

Looking at the way Raheem Sterling was running at Poland yesterday should be an eye opener to anyone. I have watched most of the European World Cup qualifiers and can see where we are well short of the teams that will be in Qatar to actually compete for the trophy.
Balogun will struggle with pace blah blah blah...
Place tell us exactly which game Balogun struggled with pace?
FYI, Balogun is preferred to Swedish international, Flip Helander , at Glasgow Rangers because of his pace.
It's a myth that Balogun doesn't have pace, fans of Glasgow Rangers will strongly disagree with that assertion.
Dammy,

Here is a report of the SE game v Brazil and the issue of pace.
The 4-2 come back win in Russia against Argentina is an important marker.
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2017/11/v ... kable.html

To come back from being 0-2 and being overrun by a top team like Argentina is remarkable. That should never be underestimated. Besides that marker, Rohr's decision to test the 3-5-2 formation is work in progress but there are indeed promises. As we saw after Nigeria went up 3-2, the defensive benefits from that formation proved important as it frustrated the Argentines repeatedly. It is likely that Rohr will call up that formation at critical moments at the World Cup.

But it must be clear that the 3-5-2 did not work very well at times. This was particularly clear with Aina reluctant to join the attack and at times effectively rendering the system unbalanced on the left. Idowu's entry and his willingness to commit upfront created opportunities as the formation should, going forward. As for Aina's reluctance, is surprising because he had provided attacking promises in the game against Algeria. Although against Algeria, he had left the defense exposed in one of his moves upfront. Could that have led to his reluctance? I have no idea.

The 3-5-2 formation in the opening half was not static with Mikel and Iwobi frequently switching and in its ball recovery phase, Iwobi clearly was the one more likely to be withdrawn deep leaving Iheanacho advanced. Of course, Iwobi became the most advanced after Iheanacho's exit in the second half. Ultimately, Iwobi played his best game ever for Nigeria and Ebuehi was a pleasant revelation. Here is how I rated the players.

Daniel Akpeyi (1) -- 6.0 -- Made two blunders but overall was steady and made two important saves to keep the Argentines at bay. The first blunder appeared as if he perceived that Di Maria had been whistled off sides and he prepared to take the kick but as Aguero intervened, he picked up the ball leading to a ferric call. The second was a poor left foot clearance that could have cost Nigeria as it hit an attacker before going into throw in.

Chidozie Awaziem (20) - 5.8 -- Had a poor second half with some mind boggling tackles and then turning the ball over in dangerous position. In the first half he was left stranded allowing Otamendi a free header deep inside the box.

William Troost-Ekong (5) -- 7.0 -- Nigeria's best defender in this game. He was quick to cut off dangerous attacks and was business like as usual. Made several saves.

Leon Balogun (6) -- 6.0 -- Made a dangerous turnover in the opening half and then was beaten for pace leading to the second goal. Otherwise he had some good moments and was surprisingly confident on the ball against the South Americans.

Abdullahi Shehu (12) -- 6.0 -- Shehu was average in this game. Nothing remarkable except one important block of an Aguero attempt in the opening half.

Ola Aina (2) -- 6.0 -- This was an average game for him. Rarely joined the attack and his positioning in the opening half largely rendered the formation unbalanced down the left when going forward. However, he had some good defensive moments.

Wilfred Ndidi (19) -- 8. 0 -- Though Iwobi was very good but Ndidi was good from the opening minute to the last. He was the best player out there for long moments. His ability to recover the ball is growing every game. It was his ball recovery that led to Nigeria's equalizer early in the second half.

John Ogu (19) -- 6.4 -- Ogu was very confident and circulates the ball with quick one-twos. Rarely made a passing error in this game but otherwise was not very influential.

Mikel Obi (10) -- 6.5 -- Mikel had a good game and very confident on the ball as usual. However, as he tired it meant that his tracking back became more labored. His use in the system often felt like an interchange from a forward to midfield positioning.

Alex Iwobi (18) -- 8.0 -- This was Alex Iwobi's best game for Nigeria by far. He was still lively even when he was not seeing much of the ball in the opening half. He earned the foul that led to the free kick goal and then he scored a brace in the second half. His second goal was top quality as he embarrassed Mescherano before shooting craftily beyond the goalkeeper.

Kelechi Iheanacho (14) -- 6.5 -- Kelechi, apart from his masterful ferric goal late in the first half was largely anonymous. However, he exploded in the second half and provided two assists and could have scored a spectacular goal with a back flick in the second half.

Substitutes
Francis Uzoho (23) -- 6.3 -- Uzoho's debut was not much of a test but he exuded confidence. He was only called upon twice and he passed with flying colors. First he flicked a header over his goal and then he confidently punched a threatening lob off his goal area. Otherwise, it was a quiet debut.

Tyronne Ebuehi (17) -- 7.5 -- Tyrone was at the right place and at the right time at a every moment. This was a superb game for him both defending and going forward. He hardly put a foot wrong during his time in the game.

Kenneth Omeruo (4) -- 5.8 -- Was on for 30 minutes but was largely anonymous. In one moment he made an unforced concession into corner chesting the ball.

Brian Idowu (21) -- 6.3 -- He had a memorable debut. Came in and changed the play on the left by frequently joining the attack ending up putting Nigeria ahead for good with a well taken opportunity. He also defended very well late in the game.

Ahmed Musa (7) -- 6.0 -- Musa was in the game for 20 minutes and his effort was high both defending and attacking. Then he assisted Nigeria's fourth goal. Beyond those, there was nothing else that was remarkable.

Kayode Olanrewaju (9) -- X -- Was not evaluated in only five minutes of play.
[/quote]
Being beaten for pace doesn't mean that he lacks pace.

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 9:14 am
by Damunk
nanijoe wrote:Well..walls don't move. So maybe not a myth
fabio wrote:Oyinbo wall, another created myth.
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:35 am
by Bigpokey24
The issue is not Balogun, it's Ekong..by the way , why the heck is he even our captain

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:52 pm
by 1naija
Ayo Akinfe wrote:
1naija wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Just imagine Ekong and Balogun playing against a fast forward line made up of say Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardie and Marcus Rashford. On the counter-attack, how would they cope if running back from the halfway line?

This Onyibo Wall is what will cost us the Nations Cup because I do not see how they can for instance contain say Saeed Benrahma and Zviad Mahrez. All teams have to do is sit back and hit us on the counter-attack!
Yeah, those Algerians really ran circles around the Onyibo wall during the last Nations cup. Abeg gerrara hia....
Even if they were not, that was in 2019. I find it perplexing that some of you have this unique ability to stay stuck in a time warp.
Yes, imagined dominance by Mahrez and co is a much better measure of superiority than reality. Try regular cigarettes...

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 2:44 pm
by Enugu II
Dammy wrote:
Enugu II wrote:
Dammy wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:
Flex Swift wrote:It is very surprising to hear some of the suggestions put forward on this forum. The strangest yet is that we should drop Balogun who has just won the Scottish league and will play in the champions league next season for a guy whose current club is rock bottom in the Portuguese league. Balogun was bringing the ball out from the back in both games especially in the second half unless my eyes were playing tricks. In terms of center half position once he has match fitness he is the best out of all our options. This issue for me is who should partner him. Sanusi at left back is settled, Ebuehi or Ania at right back Balogun centre half who partners him? Seyi is not good enough the bobo playing in the Portuguese league the less said the better, The bobo playing in a mid-table team in Spain is playing a very low level not good enough for the national team. The only other option would be Kevin who was out injured.’All other names touted have not declared for Nigeria and it is annoying to see them listed as Super Eagle players ; I can understand if they had declared but paper work was being processed but this is not the case with Tosin, Eze or Lukemon.

Omeruo is currently playing for his second division team and losing .........
Typical African lack of foresight. We wait for the catastrophe to strike before reacting, whereas the European will react to prevent the catastrophe.

Balogun will struggle for pace against teams that sit back, soak up pressure and hit us on the counter-attack. What will you do when Balogun is shown a clean part of heels on the race back from the halfway line?

Looking at the way Raheem Sterling was running at Poland yesterday should be an eye opener to anyone. I have watched most of the European World Cup qualifiers and can see where we are well short of the teams that will be in Qatar to actually compete for the trophy.
Balogun will struggle with pace blah blah blah...
Place tell us exactly which game Balogun struggled with pace?
FYI, Balogun is preferred to Swedish international, Flip Helander , at Glasgow Rangers because of his pace.
It's a myth that Balogun doesn't have pace, fans of Glasgow Rangers will strongly disagree with that assertion.
Dammy,

Here is a report of the SE game v Brazil and the issue of pace.
The 4-2 come back win in Russia against Argentina is an important marker.
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2017/11/v ... kable.html

To come back from being 0-2 and being overrun by a top team like Argentina is remarkable. That should never be underestimated. Besides that marker, Rohr's decision to test the 3-5-2 formation is work in progress but there are indeed promises. As we saw after Nigeria went up 3-2, the defensive benefits from that formation proved important as it frustrated the Argentines repeatedly. It is likely that Rohr will call up that formation at critical moments at the World Cup.

But it must be clear that the 3-5-2 did not work very well at times. This was particularly clear with Aina reluctant to join the attack and at times effectively rendering the system unbalanced on the left. Idowu's entry and his willingness to commit upfront created opportunities as the formation should, going forward. As for Aina's reluctance, is surprising because he had provided attacking promises in the game against Algeria. Although against Algeria, he had left the defense exposed in one of his moves upfront. Could that have led to his reluctance? I have no idea.

The 3-5-2 formation in the opening half was not static with Mikel and Iwobi frequently switching and in its ball recovery phase, Iwobi clearly was the one more likely to be withdrawn deep leaving Iheanacho advanced. Of course, Iwobi became the most advanced after Iheanacho's exit in the second half. Ultimately, Iwobi played his best game ever for Nigeria and Ebuehi was a pleasant revelation. Here is how I rated the players.

Daniel Akpeyi (1) -- 6.0 -- Made two blunders but overall was steady and made two important saves to keep the Argentines at bay. The first blunder appeared as if he perceived that Di Maria had been whistled off sides and he prepared to take the kick but as Aguero intervened, he picked up the ball leading to a ferric call. The second was a poor left foot clearance that could have cost Nigeria as it hit an attacker before going into throw in.

Chidozie Awaziem (20) - 5.8 -- Had a poor second half with some mind boggling tackles and then turning the ball over in dangerous position. In the first half he was left stranded allowing Otamendi a free header deep inside the box.

William Troost-Ekong (5) -- 7.0 -- Nigeria's best defender in this game. He was quick to cut off dangerous attacks and was business like as usual. Made several saves.

Leon Balogun (6) -- 6.0 -- Made a dangerous turnover in the opening half and then was beaten for pace leading to the second goal. Otherwise he had some good moments and was surprisingly confident on the ball against the South Americans.

Abdullahi Shehu (12) -- 6.0 -- Shehu was average in this game. Nothing remarkable except one important block of an Aguero attempt in the opening half.

Ola Aina (2) -- 6.0 -- This was an average game for him. Rarely joined the attack and his positioning in the opening half largely rendered the formation unbalanced down the left when going forward. However, he had some good defensive moments.

Wilfred Ndidi (19) -- 8. 0 -- Though Iwobi was very good but Ndidi was good from the opening minute to the last. He was the best player out there for long moments. His ability to recover the ball is growing every game. It was his ball recovery that led to Nigeria's equalizer early in the second half.

John Ogu (19) -- 6.4 -- Ogu was very confident and circulates the ball with quick one-twos. Rarely made a passing error in this game but otherwise was not very influential.

Mikel Obi (10) -- 6.5 -- Mikel had a good game and very confident on the ball as usual. However, as he tired it meant that his tracking back became more labored. His use in the system often felt like an interchange from a forward to midfield positioning.

Alex Iwobi (18) -- 8.0 -- This was Alex Iwobi's best game for Nigeria by far. He was still lively even when he was not seeing much of the ball in the opening half. He earned the foul that led to the free kick goal and then he scored a brace in the second half. His second goal was top quality as he embarrassed Mescherano before shooting craftily beyond the goalkeeper.

Kelechi Iheanacho (14) -- 6.5 -- Kelechi, apart from his masterful ferric goal late in the first half was largely anonymous. However, he exploded in the second half and provided two assists and could have scored a spectacular goal with a back flick in the second half.

Substitutes
Francis Uzoho (23) -- 6.3 -- Uzoho's debut was not much of a test but he exuded confidence. He was only called upon twice and he passed with flying colors. First he flicked a header over his goal and then he confidently punched a threatening lob off his goal area. Otherwise, it was a quiet debut.

Tyronne Ebuehi (17) -- 7.5 -- Tyrone was at the right place and at the right time at a every moment. This was a superb game for him both defending and going forward. He hardly put a foot wrong during his time in the game.

Kenneth Omeruo (4) -- 5.8 -- Was on for 30 minutes but was largely anonymous. In one moment he made an unforced concession into corner chesting the ball.

Brian Idowu (21) -- 6.3 -- He had a memorable debut. Came in and changed the play on the left by frequently joining the attack ending up putting Nigeria ahead for good with a well taken opportunity. He also defended very well late in the game.

Ahmed Musa (7) -- 6.0 -- Musa was in the game for 20 minutes and his effort was high both defending and attacking. Then he assisted Nigeria's fourth goal. Beyond those, there was nothing else that was remarkable.

Kayode Olanrewaju (9) -- X -- Was not evaluated in only five minutes of play.
Being beaten for pace doesn't mean that he lacks pace.
Dammy,

LOL. You asked for example, I gave you an example.

Now you claim it does not mean he lacks pace. I guess as long as you can run, you do have pace. So can we conclude that no one lacks pace? Right?

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:19 pm
by Ayo Akinfe
A natural centre-back, Balogun was caught out in the build-up to Celtic’s goal, beaten for pace by Odsonne Edouard who crossed for Mohamed Elyounoussi to score.

Whelan claims that the absence of the skipper has hit them hard in several areas of the pitch and was laid bare by as Balogun floundered against Celtic.

https://www.footballinsider247.com/rang ... ic-whelan/

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:21 pm
by Ayo Akinfe
Conceding that he will lose over short distances, Balogun insists he will keep pace over longer distances.

"Over a short distance, they will probably kill me; my pace is not the first few metres, necessarily. But over a longer distance, I can catch up with them."

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... reputation

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:35 pm
by Dammy
Enugu II wrote:
Dammy wrote:
Enugu II wrote:
Dammy wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:
Flex Swift wrote:It is very surprising to hear some of the suggestions put forward on this forum. The strangest yet is that we should drop Balogun who has just won the Scottish league and will play in the champions league next season for a guy whose current club is rock bottom in the Portuguese league. Balogun was bringing the ball out from the back in both games especially in the second half unless my eyes were playing tricks. In terms of center half position once he has match fitness he is the best out of all our options. This issue for me is who should partner him. Sanusi at left back is settled, Ebuehi or Ania at right back Balogun centre half who partners him? Seyi is not good enough the bobo playing in the Portuguese league the less said the better, The bobo playing in a mid-table team in Spain is playing a very low level not good enough for the national team. The only other option would be Kevin who was out injured.’All other names touted have not declared for Nigeria and it is annoying to see them listed as Super Eagle players ; I can understand if they had declared but paper work was being processed but this is not the case with Tosin, Eze or Lukemon.

Omeruo is currently playing for his second division team and losing .........
Typical African lack of foresight. We wait for the catastrophe to strike before reacting, whereas the European will react to prevent the catastrophe.

Balogun will struggle for pace against teams that sit back, soak up pressure and hit us on the counter-attack. What will you do when Balogun is shown a clean part of heels on the race back from the halfway line?

Looking at the way Raheem Sterling was running at Poland yesterday should be an eye opener to anyone. I have watched most of the European World Cup qualifiers and can see where we are well short of the teams that will be in Qatar to actually compete for the trophy.
Balogun will struggle with pace blah blah blah...
Place tell us exactly which game Balogun struggled with pace?
FYI, Balogun is preferred to Swedish international, Flip Helander , at Glasgow Rangers because of his pace.
It's a myth that Balogun doesn't have pace, fans of Glasgow Rangers will strongly disagree with that assertion.
Dammy,

Here is a report of the SE game v Brazil and the issue of pace.
The 4-2 come back win in Russia against Argentina is an important marker.
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2017/11/v ... kable.html

To come back from being 0-2 and being overrun by a top team like Argentina is remarkable. That should never be underestimated. Besides that marker, Rohr's decision to test the 3-5-2 formation is work in progress but there are indeed promises. As we saw after Nigeria went up 3-2, the defensive benefits from that formation proved important as it frustrated the Argentines repeatedly. It is likely that Rohr will call up that formation at critical moments at the World Cup.

But it must be clear that the 3-5-2 did not work very well at times. This was particularly clear with Aina reluctant to join the attack and at times effectively rendering the system unbalanced on the left. Idowu's entry and his willingness to commit upfront created opportunities as the formation should, going forward. As for Aina's reluctance, is surprising because he had provided attacking promises in the game against Algeria. Although against Algeria, he had left the defense exposed in one of his moves upfront. Could that have led to his reluctance? I have no idea.

The 3-5-2 formation in the opening half was not static with Mikel and Iwobi frequently switching and in its ball recovery phase, Iwobi clearly was the one more likely to be withdrawn deep leaving Iheanacho advanced. Of course, Iwobi became the most advanced after Iheanacho's exit in the second half. Ultimately, Iwobi played his best game ever for Nigeria and Ebuehi was a pleasant revelation. Here is how I rated the players.

Daniel Akpeyi (1) -- 6.0 -- Made two blunders but overall was steady and made two important saves to keep the Argentines at bay. The first blunder appeared as if he perceived that Di Maria had been whistled off sides and he prepared to take the kick but as Aguero intervened, he picked up the ball leading to a ferric call. The second was a poor left foot clearance that could have cost Nigeria as it hit an attacker before going into throw in.

Chidozie Awaziem (20) - 5.8 -- Had a poor second half with some mind boggling tackles and then turning the ball over in dangerous position. In the first half he was left stranded allowing Otamendi a free header deep inside the box.

William Troost-Ekong (5) -- 7.0 -- Nigeria's best defender in this game. He was quick to cut off dangerous attacks and was business like as usual. Made several saves.

Leon Balogun (6) -- 6.0 -- Made a dangerous turnover in the opening half and then was beaten for pace leading to the second goal. Otherwise he had some good moments and was surprisingly confident on the ball against the South Americans.

Abdullahi Shehu (12) -- 6.0 -- Shehu was average in this game. Nothing remarkable except one important block of an Aguero attempt in the opening half.

Ola Aina (2) -- 6.0 -- This was an average game for him. Rarely joined the attack and his positioning in the opening half largely rendered the formation unbalanced down the left when going forward. However, he had some good defensive moments.

Wilfred Ndidi (19) -- 8. 0 -- Though Iwobi was very good but Ndidi was good from the opening minute to the last. He was the best player out there for long moments. His ability to recover the ball is growing every game. It was his ball recovery that led to Nigeria's equalizer early in the second half.

John Ogu (19) -- 6.4 -- Ogu was very confident and circulates the ball with quick one-twos. Rarely made a passing error in this game but otherwise was not very influential.

Mikel Obi (10) -- 6.5 -- Mikel had a good game and very confident on the ball as usual. However, as he tired it meant that his tracking back became more labored. His use in the system often felt like an interchange from a forward to midfield positioning.

Alex Iwobi (18) -- 8.0 -- This was Alex Iwobi's best game for Nigeria by far. He was still lively even when he was not seeing much of the ball in the opening half. He earned the foul that led to the free kick goal and then he scored a brace in the second half. His second goal was top quality as he embarrassed Mescherano before shooting craftily beyond the goalkeeper.

Kelechi Iheanacho (14) -- 6.5 -- Kelechi, apart from his masterful ferric goal late in the first half was largely anonymous. However, he exploded in the second half and provided two assists and could have scored a spectacular goal with a back flick in the second half.

Substitutes
Francis Uzoho (23) -- 6.3 -- Uzoho's debut was not much of a test but he exuded confidence. He was only called upon twice and he passed with flying colors. First he flicked a header over his goal and then he confidently punched a threatening lob off his goal area. Otherwise, it was a quiet debut.

Tyronne Ebuehi (17) -- 7.5 -- Tyrone was at the right place and at the right time at a every moment. This was a superb game for him both defending and going forward. He hardly put a foot wrong during his time in the game.

Kenneth Omeruo (4) -- 5.8 -- Was on for 30 minutes but was largely anonymous. In one moment he made an unforced concession into corner chesting the ball.

Brian Idowu (21) -- 6.3 -- He had a memorable debut. Came in and changed the play on the left by frequently joining the attack ending up putting Nigeria ahead for good with a well taken opportunity. He also defended very well late in the game.

Ahmed Musa (7) -- 6.0 -- Musa was in the game for 20 minutes and his effort was high both defending and attacking. Then he assisted Nigeria's fourth goal. Beyond those, there was nothing else that was remarkable.

Kayode Olanrewaju (9) -- X -- Was not evaluated in only five minutes of play.
Being beaten for pace doesn't mean that he lacks pace.
Dammy,

LOL. You asked for example, I gave you an example.

Now you claim it does not mean he lacks pace. I guess as long as you can run, you do have pace. So can we conclude that no one lacks pace? Right?
I guess Harry Maguire is bad in the air because he's been beaten to a few headers! Balogun's so called lack of pace has saved Rangers several times in Europe and domestically this season.
Log on to Glasgow Rangers fans forum and see if you will not be laughed out of the forum if you claim that Balogun lacks pace.

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:00 pm
by The YeyeMan
Is Balogun fast?

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:48 am
by Enugu II
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Conceding that he will lose over short distances, Balogun insists he will keep pace over longer distances.

"Over a short distance, they will probably kill me; my pace is not the first few metres, necessarily. But over a longer distance, I can catch up with them."

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... reputation
Did Dammy respond to this already? :rotf:

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 5:41 am
by Ayo Akinfe
Enugu II wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Conceding that he will lose over short distances, Balogun insists he will keep pace over longer distances.

"Over a short distance, they will probably kill me; my pace is not the first few metres, necessarily. But over a longer distance, I can catch up with them."

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... reputation
Did Dammy respond to this already? :rotf:
Our people are something else. You see the only thing wrong with Nigeria is Nigerians. We create our own storms then complain when it rains.

We all know we have a problem but sentiments prevent us from departing from the status quo. Football is no different from any other aspect of our national life.

Nigeria plays Balogun and Ekong at its peril! However, knowing us, we will still do it!

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 6:26 am
by Damunk
Ayo Akinfe wrote:
Enugu II wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Conceding that he will lose over short distances, Balogun insists he will keep pace over longer distances.

"Over a short distance, they will probably kill me; my pace is not the first few metres, necessarily. But over a longer distance, I can catch up with them."

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... reputation
Did Dammy respond to this already? :rotf:
Our people are something else. You see the only thing wrong with Nigeria is Nigerians. We create our own storms then complain when it rains.

We all know we have a problem but sentiments prevent us from departing from the status quo. Football is no different from any other aspect of our national life.

Nigeria plays Balogun and Ekong at its peril! However, knowing us, we will still do it!
Even acknowledging that they are not the world's best centre back pairing, it still leaves us with the problem of replacing them.
The available options are not unarguably better are they?
Semi Ajayi, Kenneth Omeruo, Awaziem and an Akpoguma we haven't seen in position yet.

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:23 am
by waka-man
The Oyinbo Wall is past its best but really we have few alternatives.
It is wise to go with a hard ball winner and at least one who can bring the ball out. On that basis, Ekong and Balogun are still arguably our best respectively in those roles.

Balogun’s best understudy here is probably Ajayi. But after the season Balogun has had, it would be tough to drop him. Remember Ajayi has previously started ahead of him. So Rohr cannot really be accused of being stubborn on this one.
As for battling ball-winners, Ekong is ahead of both Awaziem and Omeruo. Omeruo is even more accident prone and Awaziem still has a lot of positional work to do.

Now if Tosin joined the fray, I suspect that will be the end of Balogun as a starter. As for Ekong... I suspect you’re looking at the starting Nigeria captain until after next World Cup at least.

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:05 am
by Ayo Akinfe
waka-man wrote:The Oyinbo Wall is past its best but really we have few alternatives.
It is wise to go with a hard ball winner and at least one who can bring the ball out. On that basis, Ekong and Balogun are still arguably our best respectively in those roles.

Balogun’s best understudy here is probably Ajayi. But after the season Balogun has had, it would be tough to drop him. Remember Ajayi has previously started ahead of him. So Rohr cannot really be accused of being stubborn on this one.
As for battling ball-winners, Ekong is ahead of both Awaziem and Omeruo. Omeruo is even more accident prone and Awaziem still has a lot of positional work to do.

Now if Tosin joined the fray, I suspect that will be the end of Balogun as a starter. As for Ekong... I suspect you’re looking at the starting Nigeria captain until after next World Cup at least.
I would argue that Adarabioyo and Awaziem will be two classes above Ekong and Balogun. What I cannot forgive Rohr is not starting Ajayi/Awaziem against Lesotho. When was he planning to try them?

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:14 am
by Lolly
waka-man wrote:The Oyinbo Wall is past its best but really we have few alternatives.
It is wise to go with a hard ball winner and at least one who can bring the ball out. On that basis, Ekong and Balogun are still arguably our best respectively in those roles.

Balogun’s best understudy here is probably Ajayi. But after the season Balogun has had, it would be tough to drop him. Remember Ajayi has previously started ahead of him. So Rohr cannot really be accused of being stubborn on this one.
As for battling ball-winners, Ekong is ahead of both Awaziem and Omeruo. Omeruo is even more accident prone and Awaziem still has a lot of positional work to do.

Now if Tosin joined the fray, I suspect that will be the end of Balogun as a starter. As for Ekong... I suspect you’re looking at the starting Nigeria captain until after next World Cup at least.
You sabi bolu. :thumbs:

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:26 am
by Dammy
Lolly wrote:
waka-man wrote:The Oyinbo Wall is past its best but really we have few alternatives.
It is wise to go with a hard ball winner and at least one who can bring the ball out. On that basis, Ekong and Balogun are still arguably our best respectively in those roles.

Balogun’s best understudy here is probably Ajayi. But after the season Balogun has had, it would be tough to drop him. Remember Ajayi has previously started ahead of him. So Rohr cannot really be accused of being stubborn on this one.
As for battling ball-winners, Ekong is ahead of both Awaziem and Omeruo. Omeruo is even more accident prone and Awaziem still has a lot of positional work to do.

Now if Tosin joined the fray, I suspect that will be the end of Balogun as a starter. As for Ekong... I suspect you’re looking at the starting Nigeria captain until after next World Cup at least.
You sabi bolu. :thumbs:
Don't mind them! They just want change for change's sake. I am a huge fan of Awaziem but I will not put him up for a starter's role in the SE. His disciplinary record in Boavista this season is nothing to write home about with 2 red cards and missing matches due to accumulated cautions. Seems like Ayo has forgotten that ridiculous own goal scored by Awaziem against mighty Lesotho away from home. Awaziem is too inconsistent to be considered for a starting berth but I expect Ayo to continue to stubbornly press for him like he did for Onyekwu, Nwakili, Onyekuru etc, until the penny drops.

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:27 am
by Dammy
Enugu II wrote:
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Conceding that he will lose over short distances, Balogun insists he will keep pace over longer distances.

"Over a short distance, they will probably kill me; my pace is not the first few metres, necessarily. But over a longer distance, I can catch up with them."

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/ni ... reputation
Did Dammy respond to this already? :rotf:
Balogun himself has answered your question by saying he can catch up with anyone!

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:30 pm
by Flex Swift
We are listening to the opinion of the person who advocated for the inclusion of Danny Shittu and Sola Ameobi simply because the latter scored against Italy in a friendly at the expense of the top scorer in qualifying. We know how both those decisions turned out.

Now the clamor is to get rid of Troost and Balogun for a player that has not committed to playing for Nigeria and will be playing in the English championship next season. The other option suggested is a player whose club side is rock bottom in The Portuguese league.

I could understand the clamor if the replacements were better and played at higher levels then Troost & Balogun but clearly this not the case.

By now Cybereagles should be able to detect and weed out posts that don’t make any sense!!!

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:12 pm
by Damunk
Flex Swift wrote:We are listening to the opinion of the person who advocated for the inclusion of Danny Shittu and Sola Ameobi simply because the latter scored against Italy in a friendly at the expense of the top scorer in qualifying. We know how both those decisions turned out.

Now the clamor is to get rid of Troost and Balogun for a player that has not committed to playing for Nigeria and will be playing in the English championship next season. The other option suggested is a player whose club side is rock bottom in The Portuguese league.

I could understand the clamor if the replacements were better and played at higher levels then Troost & Balogun but clearly this not the case.

By now Cybereagles should be able to detect and weed out posts that don’t make any sense!!!
This is a football discussion form and anybody, including your good self, that believes he has a monopoly on knowledge or valid opinion should go and sit in an echo chamber all by himself.

That you believe anybody is clamouring to get rid of Troost and Balogun for a player not even in the bag yet is your imagination. Identifying weak links and possible replacements is not the same as what you are saying. ''The best we have" is different from ''the best there is".

Many want improvements on Ekong, Omeruo and even Balogun (who by the way was pretty much widely disparaged right here a few years ago when he was out of favour with his Brighton club and was not exactly inspiring in the SE), so let's not apply any spin here.

For instance, my opinion on Awaziem is higher than most but who says I am right on that? My opinion on Ajayi is lower than most and I could be wrong too.

So weeding out opinions as you (hopefully playfully) suggest is quite likely to cut your own post count drastically if we follow your recommendations.
Don't even go there. :taunt: :taunt: :taunt:

Re: Rohr appears oblivious to the limitations of his Onyibo

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:53 pm
by fabio
Flex Swift wrote:We are listening to the opinion of the person who advocated for the inclusion of Danny Shittu and Sola Ameobi simply because the latter scored against Italy in a friendly at the expense of the top scorer in qualifying. We know how both those decisions turned out.

Now the clamor is to get rid of Troost and Balogun for a player that has not committed to playing for Nigeria and will be playing in the English championship next season. The other option suggested is a player whose club side is rock bottom in The Portuguese league.

I could understand the clamor if the replacements were better and played at higher levels then Troost & Balogun but clearly this not the case.

By now Cybereagles should be able to detect and weed out posts that don’t make any sense!!!
If Sola was on the pitch or bench. SL would not have scored 4 goals in 45 minutes. That team lacked leadership.