The SE WC Delusion...

[Bigpokey24]

txj aka mugu international.. give it up.. u sound very ill on this thread, beg a mod to delete it .

[Cellular]

TXJ,

What is the point of this thread?

That SE fans are delusional? That NFF are delusional? or that the same Arsenal fans who believe that Tiki-taky football is a measure of a good team? WTF is the point of this thread? Oh! I get it, Amodu is the reason why Nigeria Football team is it's present mess?


When fans some of which showed up on this very thread were the champions of "Amodu must Go", like Amodu was the problem with our Eagles? When I read some of you later day preachers of how we are not going to do well in the WC, I can't help but ask myself why didn't some of you guys shout like this before the coach who has had the experience of working with our inept FA got canned?

I mean a thread where someone says "7. We spent two locust years monkeying about with a coach we knew was not improving the team, in spite of the results. We spent two years f00ling around with a coach whose three previous stints had repeatedly delivered the same weaknesses in team organization, the same lack of in depth knowledge of tactics..."

That takes the cake...

Sports is about RESULTS!!! You all can take your feelings and shove it where the sun don't shine... I mean what-else should he have done?

For goodness sake you all said he will be exposed sooner or later... I guess losing to a Ghana team we have had problems beating even if they fielded Ashanti Kotoko team is now grounds of "in-spite of Amodu"?

You have the temerity to tell us about SE being delusional... that delusion was caused and created by Amodu over achieving. If he had failed like you all predicted you would have been busy taking up Ghanaian, Cameroonian, Ivorien, Algerian, and Tunisian citizenship for this mundial.

Largaback is the only coach going into this WC without ANY (ZERO) pressure or expectations... the NFF has already built-in an already made excuse for him. And unfortunately, folks like you are writing prose about "SE WC Delusion"... The reality is that Nigerians are our own worst enemies... If Amodu did not EARN the right to take the team to the WC, who does?

I have a feeling you will want to share some more of your feelings with us... but when it comes to FACTS you guys will be left going back to your feelings.

[txj]

I am even more amazed that u are comparing the ANC directly with the WC! In Africa, and at our level, a top four finish is no acievement, unless we are going with an experimental team..Our target, with the exception I mentioned is a final place. That is where we belong in Africa.

2. Even if he takes us to the s/final- IMO an indictment of the game and the serious countries out there, it in no way invalidates my point..The mistake u make is to think that perhaps this is a surreptitious attempt to create an alibi for LB. I could'nt care for LB; my concern was with SS not being damaged with this poisoned chalice. On the contrary, this piece is about the NFF and how they have screwed up our WC, and are now attempting to rescue something at the last minute...

3. It is really up to each of us what we chose to believe. If from various years of experience in the game, one is convinced that everything we have done so far places us in a position to expect a s/final place at the WC, all I can say is goodluck with that!

As for me, I look fwd to watching serious contenders and serious football at the WC...

Txj:

I must say that I am amazed at your piece. Here, the NFA or Nigerians are over-reaching to expect a S-Final place but it was disgraceful to expect a top four finish at the ANC. You argued that winning the ANC was the only reasonable expactation from an SE coach. At the time, there was no place for the points that you raised. Now, I bet that even an elimination in the opening round is to be expected.

Well, I ask, going by your analysis -- what will be the spin if Lagerback actually takes us to the semi-finals? IMO, I expect Nigeria, with or without Lagerback, to reach the second round from our group. With Lagerback and based on expectations, I fully see no reason why we should not expect a semi-final placing from him? If the expectation is far-fetched then there is hardly any compelling reason for hiring him and paying him the much that he now receives. Absolutely none. Why hire him to simply replicate what ordinarily we should have expected Amodu or any other coach to do? Now, it is not that I do not realize that you had earlier argued for Amodu to stay but the bottomline is that the NFF has hired Lagerback precisely to do better than Amodu would have done and that is why a semi-final finish is ceretainly a reasonable expectation at least from those of us who have been told that Lagerback will produce better.

Thus, I simply understand the NFF's justification of Lagerback's hiring and our current expectation that he would take us further than we have ever reached. Inspite of the rabid criticism of him, I for one still expect him to take us there. That is only what will justify his hire.

[txj]

What is the point of this thread?

That football is not so easy that you can monkey about with a clueless coach, then sack him with weeks to the WC and genuinely expect a s/final finish. Unless of course u are as clueless as the coach who was sacked!

SPORT is about results. Team building is about performance and results ...

TXJ,

What is the point of this thread?

That SE fans are delusional? That NFF are delusional? or that the same Arsenal fans who believe that Tiki-taky football is a measure of a good team? WTF is the point of this thread? Oh! I get it, Amodu is the reason why Nigeria Football team is it's present mess?


When fans some of which showed up on this very thread were the champions of "Amodu must Go", like Amodu was the problem with our Eagles? When I read some of you later day preachers of how we are not going to do well in the WC, I can't help but ask myself why didn't some of you guys shout like this before the coach who has had the experience of working with our inept FA got canned?

I mean a thread where someone says "7. We spent two locust years monkeying about with a coach we knew was not improving the team, in spite of the results. We spent two years f00ling around with a coach whose three previous stints had repeatedly delivered the same weaknesses in team organization, the same lack of in depth knowledge of tactics..."

That takes the cake...

Sports is about RESULTS!!! You all can take your feelings and shove it where the sun don't shine... I mean what-else should he have done?

For goodness sake you all said he will be exposed sooner or later... I guess losing to a Ghana team we have had problems beating even if they fielded Ashanti Kotoko team is now grounds of "in-spite of Amodu"?

You have the temerity to tell us about SE being delusional... that delusion was caused and created by Amodu over achieving. If he had failed like you all predicted you would have been busy taking up Ghanaian, Cameroonian, Ivorien, Algerian, and Tunisian citizenship for this mundial.

Largaback is the only coach going into this WC without ANY (ZERO) pressure or expectations... the NFF has already built-in an already made excuse for him. And unfortunately, folks like you are writing prose about "SE WC Delusion"... The reality is that Nigerians are our own worst enemies... If Amodu did not EARN the right to take the team to the WC, who does?

I have a feeling you will want to share some more of your feelings with us... but when it comes to FACTS you guys will be left going back to your feelings.

[green4life]

The old cheesy charcoal grill still full ground on my deck. It's funny cuz I couldn't wait to throw it away but on second thoughts I think I will hold onto it for days when I crave good old charcoal flavor which should be more often than not given we are on our way to a historic semi final finish at the mundial

looooool
oh boy u r a sick guy

i can't stop laughing at ur sarcasim.

so, what have u done with ur (what did u call it again) cheesy arse charchoal grill - funny

i hope ur new one don't disappoint you by over burning ur b/bq.

[Enugu II]

I am even more amazed that u are comparing the ANC directly with the WC! In Africa, and at our level, a top four finish is no acievement, unless we are going with an experimental team..Our target, with the exception I mentioned is a final place. That is where we belong in Africa.

If the ANC final is a target, why should the WC s-final not be a target? That is the comparison that considers "our level" as you mentioned. Surely, reaching the WC second round is not a target, or is it? Note that by your analogy, the second round should not be an achievement if you think that the final 4 in the ANC is not an achievement.

Perhaps, a more direct question is what ought to be the target going into the WC?

2. Even if he takes us to the s/final- IMO an indictment of the game and the serious countries out there, it in no way invalidates my point..The mistake u make is to think that perhaps this is a surreptitious attempt to create an alibi for LB. I could'nt care for LB; my concern was with SS not being damaged with this poisoned chalice. On the contrary, this piece is about the NFF and how they have screwed up our WC, and are now attempting to rescue something at the last minute...

3. It is really up to each of us what we chose to believe. If from various years of experience in the game, one is convinced that everything we have done so far places us in a position to expect a s/final place at the WC, all I can say is goodluck with that!

As for me, I look fwd to watching serious contenders and serious football at the WC...

Txj:

I must say that I am amazed at your piece. Here, the NFA or Nigerians are over-reaching to expect a S-Final place but it was disgraceful to expect a top four finish at the ANC. You argued that winning the ANC was the only reasonable expactation from an SE coach. At the time, there was no place for the points that you raised. Now, I bet that even an elimination in the opening round is to be expected.

Well, I ask, going by your analysis -- what will be the spin if Lagerback actually takes us to the semi-finals? IMO, I expect Nigeria, with or without Lagerback, to reach the second round from our group. With Lagerback and based on expectations, I fully see no reason why we should not expect a semi-final placing from him? If the expectation is far-fetched then there is hardly any compelling reason for hiring him and paying him the much that he now receives. Absolutely none. Why hire him to simply replicate what ordinarily we should have expected Amodu or any other coach to do? Now, it is not that I do not realize that you had earlier argued for Amodu to stay but the bottomline is that the NFF has hired Lagerback precisely to do better than Amodu would have done and that is why a semi-final finish is ceretainly a reasonable expectation at least from those of us who have been told that Lagerback will produce better.

Thus, I simply understand the NFF's justification of Lagerback's hiring and our current expectation that he would take us further than we have ever reached. Inspite of the rabid criticism of him, I for one still expect him to take us there. That is only what will justify his hire.

[spastic]

TXJ, I care less about Amodu. I am more bothered about process.

Agreed, NFF is useless and in their stupidity they stuck with Amodu till after the ANC. Dont you think that continuing with the stupidity and allowing the coach (same with Bosso) to complete the job is far better than paying one 'whitey' an all expenses paid vacation to South Africa?

The actual delusion is that we can do far better than Amodu with another coach. Before Amodu, we missed out of the last WC. Went to the last ANC and could only win ONE match against Republic of Benin. So with all the failures of Amodu, he did left the SE better than he met it. World class Vogts that you shrined on this forum could not even near Amodu's achievements with SE which makes one to wonder the basis of your supports and criticisms.

Anyone that supports the sacking of a coach who met ALL targets set before him few weeks to a major tournament is actually the deluded one. It does not matter if it is Amodu, Siasia, Troussier, or Lagerback!

The bolded above is beyond the collective capacities of these folks. It cannot be said of them, that they have (over our time here) acquired the capacity to reason logically. Even more annoying is their feeble attempts at 'slight of hand.'

When it is a foreigner their stories follows the weak pattern of foisting blame on the NFF for its incompetence, and withholding judgment until after the games are played. Yet the moment a Nigerian is hired, complaints that the said coach is not contacting, scouting(both abroad and at home), setting up friendlies, using merit to pick player e.t.c. start to fly around.

Suddenly we are regaled with intellectual babble about the difference between results and performance (this after 1 game)... We are told time without number, how stupid we are to not see 2006 obviously happening all over again in front of our eyes. Until 2006 did not happen... But hey in their opinion, thanks to Mozambique! Perhaps they should have considered Mozambique before blowing their anus excrement all over these pages for the better part of 2 years

These same mugus, who thought we would never make the WC, and after we did, predicted we wouldn't get out of the first round of the ANC all because we were -in their opinion- being coached by an incompetent, suddenly now BELIEVE it delusional to think we should make the semifinals.... I mean surely if we are to follow their dumb reasoning: the exiling of an incompetent coach, who in spite of his incompetence was able to maneuver around the pitfalls of a WCQ, and take the same team to the Semifinals of the just concluded ANC- Clearly if the talent was so good, that in spite of said coach's supposed incompetence, they accomplished this much...the least one should expect from a competent coach, is a Semi final, NO?

I don't even know why I am writing all this, it is not as if this isn't obvious to anyone with more than a peanut between their ears

[green4life]

TXJ, I care less about Amodu. I am more bothered about process.

Agreed, NFF is useless and in their stupidity they stuck with Amodu till after the ANC. Dont you think that continuing with the stupidity and allowing the coach (same with Bosso) to complete the job is far better than paying one 'whitey' an all expenses paid vacation to South Africa?

The actual delusion is that we can do far better than Amodu with another coach. Before Amodu, we missed out of the last WC. Went to the last ANC and could only win ONE match against Republic of Benin. So with all the failures of Amodu, he did left the SE better than he met it. World class Vogts that you shrined on this forum could not even near Amodu's achievements with SE which makes one to wonder the basis of your supports and criticisms.

Anyone that supports the sacking of a coach who met ALL targets set before him few weeks to a major tournament is actually the deluded one. It does not matter if it is Amodu, Siasia, Troussier, or Lagerback!

The bolded above is beyond the collective capacities of these folks. It cannot be said of them, that they have (over our time here) acquired the capacity to reason logically. Even more annoying is their feeble attempts at 'slight of hand.'

When it is a foreigner their stories follows the weak pattern of foisting blame on the NFF for its incompetence, and withholding judgment until after the games are played. Yet the moment a Nigerian is hired, complaints that the said coach is not contacting, scouting(both abroad and at home), setting up friendlies, using merit to pick player e.t.c. start to fly around.

Suddenly we are regaled with intellectual babble about the difference between results and performance (this after 1 game)... We are told time without number, how stupid we are to not see 2006 obviously happening all over again in front of our eyes. Until 2006 did not happen... But hey in their opinion, thanks to Mozambique! Perhaps they should have considered Mozambique before blowing their anus excrement all over these pages for the better part of 2 years

These same mugus, who thought we would never make the WC, and after we did, predicted we wouldn't get out of the first round of the ANC all because we were -in their opinion- being coached by an incompetent, suddenly now BELIEVE it delusional to think we should make the semifinals.... I mean surely if we are to follow their dumb reasoning: the exiling of an incompetent coach, who in spite of his incompetence was able to maneuver around the pitfalls of a WCQ, and take the same team to the Semifinals of the just concluded ANC- Clearly if the talent was so good, that in spite of said coach's supposed incompetence, they accomplished this much...the least one should expect from a competent coach, is a Semi final, NO?

I don't even know why I am writing all this, it is not as if this isn't obvious to anyone with more than a peanut between their ears

Dang spaz... sofry biko. Dis your fire is too hot to handle. Txj, see wetin you cause

[metalalloy]

TXJ, I care less about Amodu. I am more bothered about process.

Agreed, NFF is useless and in their stupidity they stuck with Amodu till after the ANC. Dont you think that continuing with the stupidity and allowing the coach (same with Bosso) to complete the job is far better than paying one 'whitey' an all expenses paid vacation to South Africa?

The actual delusion is that we can do far better than Amodu with another coach. Before Amodu, we missed out of the last WC. Went to the last ANC and could only win ONE match against Republic of Benin. So with all the failures of Amodu, he did left the SE better than he met it. World class Vogts that you shrined on this forum could not even near Amodu's achievements with SE which makes one to wonder the basis of your supports and criticisms.

Anyone that supports the sacking of a coach who met ALL targets set before him few weeks to a major tournament is actually the deluded one. It does not matter if it is Amodu, Siasia, Troussier, or Lagerback!

The bolded above is beyond the collective capacities of these folks. It cannot be said of them, that they have (over our time here) acquired the capacity to reason logically. Even more annoying is their feeble attempts at 'slight of hand.'

When it is a foreigner their stories follows the weak pattern of foisting blame on the NFF for its incompetence, and withholding judgment until after the games are played. Yet the moment a Nigerian is hired, complaints that the said coach is not contacting, scouting(both abroad and at home), setting up friendlies, using merit to pick player e.t.c. start to fly around.

Suddenly we are regaled with intellectual babble about the difference between results and performance (this after 1 game)... We are told time without number, how stupid we are to not see 2006 obviously happening all over again in front of our eyes. Until 2006 did not happen... But hey in their opinion, thanks to Mozambique! Perhaps they should have considered Mozambique before blowing their anus excrement all over these pages for the better part of 2 years

These same mugus, who thought we would never make the WC, and after we did, predicted we wouldn't get out of the first round of the ANC all because we were -in their opinion- being coached by an incompetent, suddenly now BELIEVE it delusional to think we should make the semifinals.... I mean surely if we are to follow their dumb reasoning: the exiling of an incompetent coach, who in spite of his incompetence was able to maneuver around the pitfalls of a WCQ, and take the same team to the Semifinals of the just concluded ANC- Clearly if the talent was so good, that in spite of said coach's supposed incompetence, they accomplished this much...the least one should expect from a competent coach, is a Semi final, NO?

I don't even know why I am writing all this, it is not as if this isn't obvious to anyone with more than a peanut between their ears

Nothing left to be said except to add your customary exclamation points.

There now its perfect.

[txj]

Because our level in the global game is not equivalent to our level in the African game!

2ndly, at this stage, the 2nd round should no longer be a target, but something higher. But my point is that given everything that has transpired, it is delusional for anyone to set or believe that a s/final finish is realistic for Nigeria. But hey- peeps can believe what they choose to!

I am even more amazed that u are comparing the ANC directly with the WC! In Africa, and at our level, a top four finish is no acievement, unless we are going with an experimental team..Our target, with the exception I mentioned is a final place. That is where we belong in Africa.

If the ANC final is a target, why should the WC s-final not be a target? That is the comparison that considers "our level" as you mentioned. Surely, reaching the WC second round is not a target, or is it? Note that by your analogy, the second round should not be an achievement if you think that the final 4 in the ANC is not an achievement.

Perhaps, a more direct question is what ought to be the target going into the WC?

2. Even if he takes us to the s/final- IMO an indictment of the game and the serious countries out there, it in no way invalidates my point..The mistake u make is to think that perhaps this is a surreptitious attempt to create an alibi for LB. I could'nt care for LB; my concern was with SS not being damaged with this poisoned chalice. On the contrary, this piece is about the NFF and how they have screwed up our WC, and are now attempting to rescue something at the last minute...

3. It is really up to each of us what we chose to believe. If from various years of experience in the game, one is convinced that everything we have done so far places us in a position to expect a s/final place at the WC, all I can say is goodluck with that!

As for me, I look fwd to watching serious contenders and serious football at the WC...

Txj:

I must say that I am amazed at your piece. Here, the NFA or Nigerians are over-reaching to expect a S-Final place but it was disgraceful to expect a top four finish at the ANC. You argued that winning the ANC was the only reasonable expactation from an SE coach. At the time, there was no place for the points that you raised. Now, I bet that even an elimination in the opening round is to be expected.

Well, I ask, going by your analysis -- what will be the spin if Lagerback actually takes us to the semi-finals? IMO, I expect Nigeria, with or without Lagerback, to reach the second round from our group. With Lagerback and based on expectations, I fully see no reason why we should not expect a semi-final placing from him? If the expectation is far-fetched then there is hardly any compelling reason for hiring him and paying him the much that he now receives. Absolutely none. Why hire him to simply replicate what ordinarily we should have expected Amodu or any other coach to do? Now, it is not that I do not realize that you had earlier argued for Amodu to stay but the bottomline is that the NFF has hired Lagerback precisely to do better than Amodu would have done and that is why a semi-final finish is ceretainly a reasonable expectation at least from those of us who have been told that Lagerback will produce better.

Thus, I simply understand the NFF's justification of Lagerback's hiring and our current expectation that he would take us further than we have ever reached. Inspite of the rabid criticism of him, I for one still expect him to take us there. That is only what will justify his hire.

[Gotti]

Lately, I've found myself wondering, esp in the light of the S/Final target for the SE, what is wrong with us...

Is this simply arrogance or sheer stupidity?

2. Ninety-five percent or more of the teams going to the WC started building their teams four years ago. Many of them completed the squad building exercise thru the qualifiers, a regional tournament and/or the confederations cup, and regularly scheduled friendlies.

3. Those whose teams stumbled along the way, or showed persistent vulnerabilities thru these games, were able to make corrections or simply changed managers.

4. By February this year, most of these teams played their last friendlies and finalized plans for their camping and final preparatory games.

5. In spite of all this meticulous planning, many of the teams have set themselves modest targets, either in terms of points haul or 2nd round appearance.

6. But not Nigeria! We go to the WC the least prepared team, but yet have the audacity to set and actually expect a s/final finish. I mean, what am I missing here? Is it that football is that simple or that we have some secret formula?

7. We spent two locust years monkeying about with a coach we knew was not improving the team, in spite of the results. We spent two years f00ling around with a coach whose three previous stints had repeatedly delivered the same weaknesses in team organization, the same lack of in depth knowledge of tactics...

8. Then we had the ANC, which gifts African teams a chance to finalize preparations in a world cup year. We had a chance to take decisive action on the coaching personnel and begin the process of making amends. But No! We were told by the NFF that they had the coach they wanted and that he would lead the team to the WC...

9. Lo and behold, after the ignominy of losing to the Ghana U-21 team, we have made a u-turn by hiring Lagerback as the NFF officials look to save their collective arses, with Eguavoen as assistant and thus the next man to be recycled in the unending game of coaching carousel!

10. We may yet succeed in spite of ourselves in SA, and frankly I hope we do not, for the sake of our football long term..I have one regret and one joy though. I regret that we did not allow Amodu take us to the illogical conclusion of this farce. But I am joyful that we did not pass this poisoned chalice on Siasia and destroy a budding coaching career. I'll happily take a swede!

11. I look forward to the world cup. But sadly, Nigeria is only an insignificant part of it...

The Lagerback Excuse Team are not only getting more creative but proactive...
Bro, please have the decency to let the dude lose his first game before piling on the excuses!

[Gotti]

Abeg, what else is there to take away from the piece? When Amodu was fired, most folks on this site threw a massive owambe and slaughtered untold fat lambs & cows praising their creator for finally solving our problems. There will be better organization - on & off the field - we were promised. The white man will see to it that our preparations will be 1st class while someone like Amodu would not have dared open mouth. With our personnel + top class white coach, we were promised that a WC semi final appearance is the least we should expect. These are targets that we were sold. I am in siddon look mode. I upgraded my telly and finally replaced my cheesy arse charchoal grill with one of those fancy multi burner gas grills in preparation of multiple barbaques this summer to celebrate the whupping the SEs will lay down on all comers. All hail Coach Lars & NFF. A marriage made in heaven!

[yaya]

Abeg, what else is there to take away from the piece? When Amodu was fired, most folks on this site threw a massive owambe and slaughtered untold fat lambs & cows praising their creator for finally solving our problems. There will be better organization - on & off the field - we were promised. The white man will see to it that our preparations will be 1st class while someone like Amodu would not have dared open mouth. With our personnel + top class white coach, we were promised that a WC semi final appearance is the least we should expect. These are targets that we were sold. I am in siddon look mode. I upgraded my telly and finally replaced my cheesy arse charchoal grill with one of those fancy multi burner gas grills in preparation of multiple barbaques this summer to celebrate the whupping the SEs will lay down on all comers. All hail Coach Lars & NFF. A marriage made in heaven!

cheiiii!! who would have thought my brother, G4L, would be this poetic...anger is definitely a tool for poetry!

[yaya]

Bro, please have the decency to let the dude lose his first game before piling on the excuses![/size]

decency and TXJ in the same sentence?

[Gotti]

Lets breakdown what Lars has done so far:
1. Executed a friendly: Check? ... No.
2. Executed mind rubbing meeting: Check? for where?
3. Unearthed fresh ballers from Ajegunle: Check? who dash monkey banana?
4. Sorted out our usual helter skelter WC admin preparation issues: Check? ... in short, i tire for txj & his pipul

Let's be fair...
He made a POWERPOINT presentation.

[spastic]

When I read the likes of "After the fact" this is what comes to mind...
Intellectual babble....

Watch this unrelated youtube.... Christopher Hitchens and Ahmed Unis. Pay attention to the 2 commentators. Hitchens sticks to simple language that makes sense, on the other hand Unis says a lot but never says anything.
Strategic discourse;[/video]

That is the essence of intellectual claptrap. It is a malaise that aflict those who know more about words than they do facts

[txj]

I think my post is crystal clear. I make no excuses for LB. I could'nt care less for the man.

Instead, my lament is the sheer arrogance/stupidity in first screwing up the NT for two years and then appointing a new coach at the last minute, while selling a s/final target to a gullible public...

Lately, I've found myself wondering, esp in the light of the S/Final target for the SE, what is wrong with us...

Is this simply arrogance or sheer stupidity?

2. Ninety-five percent or more of the teams going to the WC started building their teams four years ago. Many of them completed the squad building exercise thru the qualifiers, a regional tournament and/or the confederations cup, and regularly scheduled friendlies.

3. Those whose teams stumbled along the way, or showed persistent vulnerabilities thru these games, were able to make corrections or simply changed managers.

4. By February this year, most of these teams played their last friendlies and finalized plans for their camping and final preparatory games.

5. In spite of all this meticulous planning, many of the teams have set themselves modest targets, either in terms of points haul or 2nd round appearance.

6. But not Nigeria! We go to the WC the least prepared team, but yet have the audacity to set and actually expect a s/final finish. I mean, what am I missing here? Is it that football is that simple or that we have some secret formula?

7. We spent two locust years monkeying about with a coach we knew was not improving the team, in spite of the results. We spent two years f00ling around with a coach whose three previous stints had repeatedly delivered the same weaknesses in team organization, the same lack of in depth knowledge of tactics...

8. Then we had the ANC, which gifts African teams a chance to finalize preparations in a world cup year. We had a chance to take decisive action on the coaching personnel and begin the process of making amends. But No! We were told by the NFF that they had the coach they wanted and that he would lead the team to the WC...

9. Lo and behold, after the ignominy of losing to the Ghana U-21 team, we have made a u-turn by hiring Lagerback as the NFF officials look to save their collective arses, with Eguavoen as assistant and thus the next man to be recycled in the unending game of coaching carousel!

10. We may yet succeed in spite of ourselves in SA, and frankly I hope we do not, for the sake of our football long term..I have one regret and one joy though. I regret that we did not allow Amodu take us to the illogical conclusion of this farce. But I am joyful that we did not pass this poisoned chalice on Siasia and destroy a budding coaching career. I'll happily take a swede!

11. I look forward to the world cup. But sadly, Nigeria is only an insignificant part of it...

The Lagerback Excuse Team are not only getting more creative but proactive...
Bro, please have the decency to let the dude lose his first game before piling on the excuses!

[Bigpokey24]

this thread nah faya.. the thread starter is currently crying behind his firewall.. see wetin una don do to this clueless wowo.. ooo

get this into your knuckle head WOWO.. it was very silly for Nigeria to change coaches at this time.. my question is why couldn't they do it right after july 11th? fyi dumb WOWOs Amodu was let not because of football reasons, but because of the funds made available prior to the worldcup..Even if Amodu had won the ANC he was still going to be let go.. nothing more nothing less....

[txj]

EII,
The other thing to say is that the s/final target was not set by serious people or with any serious deliberations, but merely as a tool by the NFF in preserving themselves. This is the WC, the big dance and everyone comes in their best clothes. What we have done so far is nothing short of a sham and even a s/final finish will not change that...

I am even more amazed that u are comparing the ANC directly with the WC! In Africa, and at our level, a top four finish is no acievement, unless we are going with an experimental team..Our target, with the exception I mentioned is a final place. That is where we belong in Africa.

If the ANC final is a target, why should the WC s-final not be a target? That is the comparison that considers "our level" as you mentioned. Surely, reaching the WC second round is not a target, or is it? Note that by your analogy, the second round should not be an achievement if you think that the final 4 in the ANC is not an achievement.

Perhaps, a more direct question is what ought to be the target going into the WC?

2. Even if he takes us to the s/final- IMO an indictment of the game and the serious countries out there, it in no way invalidates my point..The mistake u make is to think that perhaps this is a surreptitious attempt to create an alibi for LB. I could'nt care for LB; my concern was with SS not being damaged with this poisoned chalice. On the contrary, this piece is about the NFF and how they have screwed up our WC, and are now attempting to rescue something at the last minute...

3. It is really up to each of us what we chose to believe. If from various years of experience in the game, one is convinced that everything we have done so far places us in a position to expect a s/final place at the WC, all I can say is goodluck with that!

As for me, I look fwd to watching serious contenders and serious football at the WC...

Txj:

I must say that I am amazed at your piece. Here, the NFA or Nigerians are over-reaching to expect a S-Final place but it was disgraceful to expect a top four finish at the ANC. You argued that winning the ANC was the only reasonable expactation from an SE coach. At the time, there was no place for the points that you raised. Now, I bet that even an elimination in the opening round is to be expected.

Well, I ask, going by your analysis -- what will be the spin if Lagerback actually takes us to the semi-finals? IMO, I expect Nigeria, with or without Lagerback, to reach the second round from our group. With Lagerback and based on expectations, I fully see no reason why we should not expect a semi-final placing from him? If the expectation is far-fetched then there is hardly any compelling reason for hiring him and paying him the much that he now receives. Absolutely none. Why hire him to simply replicate what ordinarily we should have expected Amodu or any other coach to do? Now, it is not that I do not realize that you had earlier argued for Amodu to stay but the bottomline is that the NFF has hired Lagerback precisely to do better than Amodu would have done and that is why a semi-final finish is ceretainly a reasonable expectation at least from those of us who have been told that Lagerback will produce better.

Thus, I simply understand the NFF's justification of Lagerback's hiring and our current expectation that he would take us further than we have ever reached. Inspite of the rabid criticism of him, I for one still expect him to take us there. That is only what will justify his hire.

[kalani]

Nice writeup txj ! Some of y'all are misunderstanding/mislabeling him as a WOWO/ABA/WAYC. Here he is not laying the blame at the coach but at the mishandling of our preparations by the NFF (ie friendlies etc).

[green4life]

Nice writeup txj ! Some of y'all are misunderstanding/mislabeling him as a WOWO/ABA/WAYC. Here he is not laying the blame at the coach but at the mishandling of our preparations by the NFF (ie friendlies etc).

I see you are relatively new on the site. Don't worry. It shall be well. In due time u will get it.

[kalani]

Nice writeup txj ! Some of y'all are misunderstanding/mislabeling him as a WOWO/ABA/WAYC. Here he is not laying the blame at the coach but at the mishandling of our preparations by the NFF (ie friendlies etc).

I see you are relatively new on the site. Don't worry. It shall be well. In due time u will get it.

"It" being?

[txj]

Kalani,
People see what they want to see; they want to tie me into the WOWO or whatever crap acronym they have been using these past few months. My point is clear. The NFF has ruined our WC dreams after two years of the locust...

Nice writeup txj ! Some of y'all are misunderstanding/mislabeling him as a WOWO/ABA/WAYC. Here he is not laying the blame at the coach but at the mishandling of our preparations by the NFF (ie friendlies etc).

I see you are relatively new on the site. Don't worry. It shall be well. In due time u will get it.