..IS OSAZE REALLY A STRIKER?

paj · Post by **paj** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:09 pm

..or a striking midfielder wey sabi score?

Pa

mke1010 · Post by **mke1010** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:15 pm

Very talented player. Osaze is not an out and out striker. I see him as a support striker or possibly playing from the wings since he is quick and can use both feet. He is definitely not a play maker in the mold of Okocha and I don't think he will be most effective as a 10.

ugly boy · Post by **ugly boy** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:19 pm

Yeah I fancy Osaze as a wide player or support striker...he'll be great...imagine the future pair of obodo and someone (maybe olofijana) with osaze playing wide....u know we have a lot of options for strikers and maybe udeze as a LM and Melkam at LB...we are not short of options

omotori · Post by **omotori** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:32 pm

A lot of Nigerian players are difficult to characterize in traditional soccer terms. Best example is Amokachi, Others are Utaka, JAg, Osaze, Yobo, JJ, Mutiu, Obodo, Amunike. These guys are simply multi-dimensional. Likewise for Rivaldo. And Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson & Lebron James. Magic particularly has played all five positions. Lebron & Michael Jordan can dominate at any position except center.

But Nigeria produces more of these types of players than any other country in the world. Because such players are produced not just by sheer talent but as a function of the environment created by a large talent pool. And we have the opportunity to craft a new winning style built around leveraging these types of multi-dimensional players to yield compounded result. For example, Nigeria beat Cameroons without a pure striker. This was made possible by the multi-dimensional play of Osaze & Utaka.

maybe we need to create a new terminology for such players : How about "LEVERAGE PLAYER" ? OR "COMPOUND PLAYER"

Naija fan · Post by **Naija fan** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:40 pm

Osaze is an attacking mid fielder. The goals he scored againt SA is tyical of the kind of goals that attacking mid fielders score. All our defensive players from Enyeama down are frustrated strikers. Typically when a player does not cut it as a striker, he gets relegated to defense. If he cant' cut it in defense, then he get's relegated to goalie. Those that can't even make goalie get to be ball boys. If you can't cut it as a ball boy, then you become an armchair analyst like most people on this forum.

Blakes · Post by **Blakes** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:07 pm

Is kanu really a striker?

mastermind · Post by **mastermind** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:23 pm

yakubu, makinwa and martins should lead our attack in 2006. osaze can be the playmaker.

Post by **Waffiman** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:44 pm

Osaze, is best cutting in from the Right Side. I think he will be best in a 4-3-3 formation or in Arsenal's system of having DMs cover for wide players when they support the attack.

Dodo · Post by **Dodo** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:46 pm

Blakes wrote:Is kanu really a striker?

Really must u bring Kanu up at any opportunity?

Osaze is an AM and that can play ST

27 · Post by 27 » Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:54 pm

omotori wrote:A lot of Nigerian players are difficult to characterize in traditional soccer terms. Best example is Amokachi, Others are Utaka, JAg, Osaze, Yobo, JJ, Mutiu, Obodo, Amunike. These guys are simply multi-dimensional. Likewise for Rivaldo. And Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson & Lebron James. Magic particularly has played all five positions. Lebron & Michael Jordan can dominate at any position except center.

But Nigeria produces more of these types of players than any other country in the world. Because such players are produced not just by sheer talent but as a function of the environment created by a large talent pool. And we have the opportunity to craft a new winning style built around leveraging these types of multi-dimensional players to yield compounded result. For example, Nigeria beat Cameroons without a pure striker. This was made possible by the multi-dimensional play of Osaze & Utaka.

maybe we need to create a new terminology for such players : How about "LEVERAGE PLAYER" ? OR "COMPOUND PLAYER"

the 26-year-old is much more than a six-yard box sniffer.

"What is remarkable is he doesn't have the game of a goalscorer," said Wenger. "He has the game of a football player. He doesn't just play on the width of the box. His game is about drifting wide and coming in. It is unconventional.

"He is as much a provider as a goalscorer. Those are the characteristics of his game. His goals are about coming in, running strong with pace. He is not the guy who waits for the goalkeeper and taps it in.

"When you think he is a player who had scored 99 goals from that many matches you'd think he'd just play in the box and never cross it.

"But for me all the great players can play in two roles. Thierry can score goals, take people on and provide the final ball. He is so difficult to mark.

"But then I think we are a team who has no fixed position. Everyone can play a little bit everywhere."

http://www.arsenal.com/sportsappcontrol ... id=4355471

Post by **Cellular** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 7:01 pm

Osaze is a midfielder... he likes playing the role of a creative midfielder with attacking tendencies... models his game after Okocha... was used as a striker because of "conditions"... let's not make the mistake of miscasting him as a striker....... he would be battling with Uche Kalu and Obodo as the new Eagles playermaker after the retirement of Okocha...

Ps. for the yeye shrinaz, bobo can dribble in a circle should he choose to do so...and you all can see his work rate is already quite good...

shaq · Post by **shaq** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 7:06 pm

Naija fan wrote:Osaze is an attacking mid fielder. The goals he scored againt SA is tyical of the kind of goals that attacking mid fielders score. All our defensive players from Enyeama down are frustrated strikers. Typically when a player does not cut it as a striker, he gets relegated to defense. If he cant' cut it in defense, then he get's relegated to goalie. Those that can't even make goalie get to be ball boys. If you can't cut it as a ball boy, then you become an armchair analyst like most people on this forum.

funny

Coach · Post by **Coach** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 7:38 pm

11 men graced the pitch with their presence on wednesday, to play the blame upon the shoulders of 1 man is unjust. The ugly duckling or evil twin of Nigeria triumphed over excellence, and Nigeria were made to pay for their subordinate performance.

Osaze, relatively unknown, was given te freedom of the park as Nigeria defended a 2-nil lead against South Africa. Without the pressures of expectation weighing down his boots with each stride, he was able to express himself. Such expressions may have proved detrimental to Osaze. After his cameo performance, the loaded bag of expectancy was strapped firmly to his back, and followed him like a shadow across each blade of grass. When people expect one to perform the impossible with each touch, fear of failure makes the completion of such a task more dream than reality.

Osaze is a talented individual, and at first impression he seems best suited for a wide attacking role. In such a position, he'll be able to utilise his attritubes, with benefit to the team. To employ such a role, one must review and reconsider tactics.

4-3-3 is a system that has been postulated, and the obvious benefits of such a line-up are clear to see. However, the reliability of a back four remains questionable, and so the 5-2-3 (or 3-4-3 system as some people call it) moves into candidacy.

............GK

...........SWC

DR....DC....DC....DL

........MC....MC

FRC...................FLC

.............FC

A system succesfully implemented by all its advocates, most notably Guus Hiddink with SouthKorea, it compensates for defensive naivety with extra personnel, whiole maintaining an attacking threat.