Why I will Always Start Kanu, By Chukwu
Moderators: Moderator Team, phpBB2 - Administrators
Why I will Always Start Kanu, By Chukwu
Not a few have faulted Super Eagles chief
coach, Christian Chukwu, for starting Nwankwo Kanu in all the team's matches at the on-going Nations Cup. Speaking to CLEMENT NWANKPA JNR at Kuriat Palace Hotel, Monastir, Tunisia, the Eagles' helmsman threw more light on why he may never start the Arsenal ace from the bench in the tournament. Excerpts:
How will the formation look like today?
Nothing different from what we had in the last match.
That means you are starting Kanu?
Yes.
Don't you think that Kanu is too slow to start the match?
You are the one saying he is too slow. At Arsenal, Wenger still uses him when he wants. It is not a question of saying he is too slow. One could be too slow and still be effective.
Do you think that is needed against the Lions?
These Lions, are they coming from another planet? The fact that they are called Lions, does it mean they are no longer human beings? We just have to play them as they come. We do not have to distort our own team to suit them.
Some people think it will be wiser keeping Kanu on the bench and maybe starting with Osaze Odemwengie. What about that?
There are some people you bring into matches and they are swallowed up by the occasion. There are others who start and fit in perfectly. These are some of the things we consider in making team selections. It is not enough to say let us start this person in a match but the issue is, will he be able to handle the situation well? Osaze has great potentials but you will also agree with me that Kanu has his own peculiar role in the team. You know you cannot buy experience in the market.
After decamping three players, you have just three strikers available for selection. Is it wise starting with the three in a match? Don't you think between Kanu, Utaka and Aghahowa, one should always be on the bench so that you will have someone to fall back on?
It is always better to start with your best players. They go out there and give you the result before it is too late. It is better to start well than coming from behind. These three players you named do not play in the same position. They do different things on the pitch, so it is not a question of dropping one for the other.
The perception is that without those decamped, you do not have a bench?
Who told you I do not have a bench? I have functional players on the bench and I use them as I want.
You just announced that the players had been recalled, did you miss them all this while?
I did not miss anybody. Have we not been marching on since then? The issue is that it was agreed that they would be recalled after the Benin match if we scaled through. Now we have beaten Benin and we have recalled them
coach, Christian Chukwu, for starting Nwankwo Kanu in all the team's matches at the on-going Nations Cup. Speaking to CLEMENT NWANKPA JNR at Kuriat Palace Hotel, Monastir, Tunisia, the Eagles' helmsman threw more light on why he may never start the Arsenal ace from the bench in the tournament. Excerpts:
How will the formation look like today?
Nothing different from what we had in the last match.
That means you are starting Kanu?
Yes.
Don't you think that Kanu is too slow to start the match?
You are the one saying he is too slow. At Arsenal, Wenger still uses him when he wants. It is not a question of saying he is too slow. One could be too slow and still be effective.
Do you think that is needed against the Lions?
These Lions, are they coming from another planet? The fact that they are called Lions, does it mean they are no longer human beings? We just have to play them as they come. We do not have to distort our own team to suit them.
Some people think it will be wiser keeping Kanu on the bench and maybe starting with Osaze Odemwengie. What about that?
There are some people you bring into matches and they are swallowed up by the occasion. There are others who start and fit in perfectly. These are some of the things we consider in making team selections. It is not enough to say let us start this person in a match but the issue is, will he be able to handle the situation well? Osaze has great potentials but you will also agree with me that Kanu has his own peculiar role in the team. You know you cannot buy experience in the market.
After decamping three players, you have just three strikers available for selection. Is it wise starting with the three in a match? Don't you think between Kanu, Utaka and Aghahowa, one should always be on the bench so that you will have someone to fall back on?
It is always better to start with your best players. They go out there and give you the result before it is too late. It is better to start well than coming from behind. These three players you named do not play in the same position. They do different things on the pitch, so it is not a question of dropping one for the other.
The perception is that without those decamped, you do not have a bench?
Who told you I do not have a bench? I have functional players on the bench and I use them as I want.
You just announced that the players had been recalled, did you miss them all this while?
I did not miss anybody. Have we not been marching on since then? The issue is that it was agreed that they would be recalled after the Benin match if we scaled through. Now we have beaten Benin and we have recalled them