We need a thread for DEFENDERS AND MIDFIELDERS

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Highlights of Nwakali's sublime performance yesterday, I can't think of a more cerebral player than this guy in our national team right now. I really hope he finds more stability in his career, he's our best deep lying playmaker after Mikel

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwOQYRos ... BiNWFlZA==

Bruh is doing his thing...SE needs this!

I'm glad you're seeing what I'm seeing

Even Osimhen liked the video, I'm sure he knows what a good ball playing midfielder can offer him in that NT which we lack right now

Ol boy, it’s only a couple of us that’s been championing this kid o, I didn’t need this clip to know we don’t have someone that can provide the qualities that he can and he showed a bit of it at the last ANC. I’ve seen him do this against Real Madrid so I know he has it in him, I just don’t know what’s been happening with his club career. But regardless of that I’ve always said he can be useful to the SE. More so than all those other mechanical fringe midfielders that are mentioned here…The bobo has NT level passing ability which we can use, let’s put players around him that can cover up his other weaknesses like we did for Mikel…

Pardon me but what were Mikel’s weaknesses besides not scoring a lot of goals


Cheers.

[maceo4]

Highlights of Nwakali's sublime performance yesterday, I can't think of a more cerebral player than this guy in our national team right now. I really hope he finds more stability in his career, he's our best deep lying playmaker after Mikel

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwOQYRos ... BiNWFlZA==

Bruh is doing his thing...SE needs this!

I'm glad you're seeing what I'm seeing

Even Osimhen liked the video, I'm sure he knows what a good ball playing midfielder can offer him in that NT which we lack right now

Ol boy, it’s only a couple of us that’s been championing this kid o, I didn’t need this clip to know we don’t have someone that can provide the qualities that he can and he showed a bit of it at the last ANC. I’ve seen him do this against Real Madrid so I know he has it in him, I just don’t know what’s been happening with his club career. But regardless of that I’ve always said he can be useful to the SE. More so than all those other mechanical fringe midfielders that are mentioned here…The bobo has NT level passing ability which we can use, let’s put players around him that can cover up his other weaknesses like we did for Mikel…

Pardon me but what were Mikel’s weaknesses besides not scoring a lot of goals


Cheers.

Every player has weaknesses bro, a big one of Mikels was his lack of speed, also not as much hustle etc…so was always good to play him in a 3 man midfield where likes of Onazi would complement him and make up for these things…you gotta understand your players strengths and weaknesses when building a winning team…

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Highlights of Nwakali's sublime performance yesterday, I can't think of a more cerebral player than this guy in our national team right now. I really hope he finds more stability in his career, he's our best deep lying playmaker after Mikel

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwOQYRos ... BiNWFlZA==

Bruh is doing his thing...SE needs this!

I'm glad you're seeing what I'm seeing

Even Osimhen liked the video, I'm sure he knows what a good ball playing midfielder can offer him in that NT which we lack right now

Ol boy, it’s only a couple of us that’s been championing this kid o, I didn’t need this clip to know we don’t have someone that can provide the qualities that he can and he showed a bit of it at the last ANC. I’ve seen him do this against Real Madrid so I know he has it in him, I just don’t know what’s been happening with his club career. But regardless of that I’ve always said he can be useful to the SE. More so than all those other mechanical fringe midfielders that are mentioned here…The bobo has NT level passing ability which we can use, let’s put players around him that can cover up his other weaknesses like we did for Mikel…

Pardon me but what were Mikel’s weaknesses besides not scoring a lot of goals


Cheers.

Every player has weaknesses bro, a big one of Mikels was his lack of speed, also not as much hustle etc…so was always good to play him in a 3 man midfield where likes of Onazi would complement him and make up for these things…you gotta understand your players strengths and weaknesses when building a winning team…

Well, Mikel was no Emeka Onyedika but I watched Mikel a lot and I never saw a situation where lack of speed was a disadvantage for him. Indeed, Mikel was the one player who knew how to make others play at his speed, as in the “Run My Race” against Spain back in the days. Besides, Mikel anchored a Chelsea midfield that didn’t have an awful lot of speed… and I thought he did quite OK


Cheers.

[Damunk]

Ol boy, it’s only a couple of us that’s been championing this kid o, I didn’t need this clip to know we don’t have someone that can provide the qualities that he can and he showed a bit of it at the last ANC. I’ve seen him do this against Real Madrid so I know he has it in him, I just don’t know what’s been happening with his club career. But regardless of that I’ve always said he can be useful to the SE. More so than all those other mechanical fringe midfielders that are mentioned here…The bobo has NT level passing ability which we can use, let’s put players around him that can cover up his other weaknesses like we did for Mikel…

Any time I watch Riyad Mahrez, I marvel at his quality and from where he was fished out - some lowly 2nd tier French club at age 23.
Then at 27 he was picked up by Man City and the rest is history.
Nwakali might just be one of those under-appreciated or undiscovered gems. It s been long…too long.

We pray for his sake that his team does well though.
They’ve lost both games so far and are 16th out of 18 on the table.

[Sunset]

Obinna Nwoboda starts vs Messi's Inter Miami in the US Open Cup

[Damunk]

Samson Tijani came on at half-time for RB Salzburg versus Inter Milan in a 3-4 friendly game loss…

According to Vancity he's "not ready"

Hopefully he watches this Samson's cameo highlight and see what a composed baller looks like, Samson Tidjani is overdue for a call up to the NT

Glad he’s back after that horrible double fracture last season.
However he’s just been loaned out again.

Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg have announced that Super Eagles midfielder Samson Tijani has joined Bundesliga rivals Wolfsberger AC.

Tijani will be spending the remainder of the 2023-2024 campaign on loan at Wolfsberger AC, who are fifth in the Austrian top-flight and one of the four unbeaten teams after four games in the division.

https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_n ... ?nid=48561

[marutimon]

Saviour Godwin scored yesterday, but seems the goal was cancelled on VAR:

[Babadee]

i think this guy is in better form than Aribo

[wiseone]

I guess Ugochukwu Iwu saw the queue of defensive midfielders ahead of him (Ndidi, Onyeka, Onyedika) and decided that an international career was more likely with Armenia .

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugochukwu_Iwu

[bret- hart]

I guess Ugochukwu Iwu saw the queue of defensive midfielders ahead of him (Ndidi, Onyeka, Onyedika) and decided that an international career was more likely with Armenia .

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugochukwu_Iwu

No. Our scouts are just lazy. They probably didnt know he exists.

[Sunset]

Olawoyin is performing very well in his new found role as CM (due to Azubuike's injury) in the Super Lig, the more games he plays the better/more effective he gets

[maceo4]

Olawoyin is performing very well in his new found role as CM (due to Azubuike's injury) in the Super Lig, the more games he plays the better/more effective he gets

Looks promising!

[Damunk]

i think this guy is in better form than Aribo

What a goal!

[Damunk]

Olawoyin is performing very well in his new found role as CM (due to Azubuike's injury) in the Super Lig, the more games he plays the better/more effective he gets

Looks promising!

I agree. But what is he like week to week?

This is a video of him from 3 years ago when still playing in Naija.
Very, very promising. No wonder he got snapped up.



And this was him in Turkey last season.



Quick feet, quick thinking, sudden changes of direction. 25 yrs old.
Worth considering.

[nzeogwu]

Please and only to those who played the old school or modern game.

A forward, a midfielder and a defender is simply a position played by a person. If you want your best players to play, then Nigeria can or may not use true midfielders.

While most persons would want Alhassan Yusuf, Azubuike or our boy in the MLS, I strongly agree with the adoption of the 1996 Nigerian Olympic approach and even Argentina in 2022.

Either a 3/5/2 or a 3/4/3. Either way, just like Amunike, Amokachi, Ikpeba, Kanu, Babangida, Lawal, Okocha, Oruma and Oliseh played at the same time, does not mean that we played an old school 4/2/4. No!

There is absolutely nothing wrong in playing players out of position if it plays to your strength. Nigeria has nothing to lose playing Lookman, Iheanacho, Iwobi, Osimhen, Boniface and Chukwueze at the same time as long as the players have the tactical discipline.

You can always revert to a regular set up via substitution and tactical changes. But I like the goal creation ratio of playing additional forwards in midfield and piling on the pressure and switching off to a normal structure after you’ve scored 3.

Any takers?

[gosh]

Please and only to those who played the old school or modern game.

A forward, a midfielder and a defender is simply a position played by a person. If you want your best players to play, then Nigeria can or may not use true midfielders.

While most persons would want Alhassan Yusuf, Azubuike or our boy in the MLS, I strongly agree with the adoption of the 1996 Nigerian Olympic approach and even Argentina in 2022.

Either a 3/5/2 or a 3/4/3. Either way, just like Amunike, Amokachi, Ikpeba, Kanu, Babangida, Lawal, Okocha, Oruma and Oliseh played at the same time, does not mean that we played an old school 4/2/4. No!

There is absolutely nothing wrong in playing players out of position if it plays to your strength. Nigeria has nothing to lose playing Lookman, Iheanacho, Iwobi, Osimhen, Boniface and Chukwueze at the same time as long as the players have the tactical discipline.

You can always revert to a regular set up via substitution and tactical changes. But I like the goal creation ratio of playing additional forwards in midfield and piling on the pressure and switching off to a normal structure after you’ve scored 3.

Any takers?

All the highlighted is nice and wonderful - on paper. In the real world, however, one of the most difficult challenges coaches have to deal with involve how to contain "what" the opposing team is also throwing at them. After all, didn't most of all these "illustrious forwards" exist for the SE during the last AFCON? What happened?
Eguavoen who was initially praised by almost everyone on CE when he took over, instantly became the worst coach the same people who "praised" him had seen after the AFCON exit. Everything is so easy on paper. Isn't it?

[Sunset]

Jamilu Collins with an assist for Cardiff




Solomon Agbalaka (U20 LB) Made his Russian PL debut against Victor Moses' Spartak Moscow

[Sunset]

[Enugu II]

My own is that Ibrahim Olawoyin should be given a chance. Let him show if he belongs or not. He is a real baller and we should nit wait until he starts declining before taking a close look. All this chasing shadows around players who have Nigeria as third choice is just ridiculous. Try what you have now.

[bret- hart]

My own is that Ibrahim Olawoyin should be given a chance. Let him show if he belongs or not. He is a real baller and we should nit wait until he starts declining before taking a close look. All this chasing shadows around players who have Nigeria as third choice is just ridiculous. Try what you have now.

Been saying this for months now. Olawoyin, Fisayo Dele Bashiru, Michael Folorunsho and Ifeanyi Matthew deserve to be given at least an opportunity.

[Sunset]

Olawoyin and Nwobodo both assisted two beautiful goals

[vancity eagle]

Fisayo Dele Bashiru

He is the 9th highest rated player currently in the Turkish league.

He is 7th highest in dribbles ND has 3 goals.

He is only 22 and an AM.

What on earth is this useless NFF waiting for ?

[txj]

Caleb Okoli strting for Frisonone vs the Viola