As at the time on November 28, 2021 when Gernot Rohr submitted the Nigerian provisional list for the Africa Nations Cup (AFCON), a team five years in making, there were reasonable grounds to expect a proper Nigerian challenge for the title.
Over these past five years, a competitive squad had emerged with a mix of top young players and experienced players, and especially with options in several positions to allow for proper internal competition for places. In defence however, quality options continued to be limited.
Still, with the excellent Wilfred Ndidi screening in front of the back four, there were reasonable grounds to expect defensive solidity.
In terms of the team play and the development of the team's game, the Nigerian game had not progressed since the last AFCON, and with unexpected losses at home to Central Africa Republic, a manager of five years was expectedly under pressure.
A conservative manager continued to string along, with a football that was as inspiring as watching paint dry, and a demeanor that reminded one of the Godfather character Ayman Roth...
Yet, in spite of those embarrassing losses, the team always met the sole objective of a qualification campaign- qualify!
Two and half weeks from the release of the list, Nigeria would fire its manager and Monday Eguavoen appointed as interim manager.
Eguavoen would formally meet his full team at the AFCON venue in Cameroon and would reportedly hold only three sessions, including a practice match, before its opening encounter to Egypt.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I agree with your narrative but I think Pinnick has now recaptured the initiative after this loss. He can sell Peseiro far more easily. If Egu had gone to the AFCON final it would have been extremely difficult to sell Peseiro. Not any more.
I agree with the idea that Pinnick going in , thought Nigeria had no chance at the AFCON given the recent results under Rohr. However how the team played against Egypt suddenly energized a dormant fan base. I state this because if you notice, not a single preparatory game was played for the AFCON. This dormancy for the Eagles is an aberration under Pinnick. Thus, it begs the question that it is possible Pinnick saw no point spending on what he considered hopeless and that AFCON would be used as preparation for the World Cup.
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
by txj
I remind folks that Westerhof finished 3rd in his first AFCON, and then won the 2nd after building his team for 4 years.
There were clear parallels with this squad (not team).
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I agree with your narrative but I think Pinnick has now recaptured the initiative after this loss. He can sell Peseiro far more easily. If Egu had gone to the AFCON final it would have been extremely difficult to sell Peseiro. Not any more.
I agree with the idea that Pinnick going in , thought Nigeria had no chance at the AFCON given the recent results under Rohr. However how the team played against Egypt suddenly energized a dormant fan base. I state this because if you notice, not a single preparatory game was played for the AFCON. This dormancy for the Eagles is an aberration under Pinnick. Thus, it begs the question that it is possible Pinnick saw no point spending on what he considered hopeless and that AFCON would be used as preparation for the World Cup.
EII,
Sometimes this is why i criticize our journalists because Pinnick dropped a lot of hints during his interviews and like TXJ noted in his blog, nobody asked him important follow up questions. It is so frustrating having incompetent people with so much access.
He said Rohr was fired to avert disaster. What disaster? Bad AFCON or no WC? I think he was clearly referring to no WC. He could have cared less about AFCON at the time the decision was being made. AFCON was an after thought almost. Heck if you believe the same press, he wanted it canceled!
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
Thanks for the correction. Guess I'm still stuck on his brother, a far, far better player IMO..
The issue for me was never about sacking Rohr.
It's the timing and the management decision making behind that...
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I agree with your narrative but I think Pinnick has now recaptured the initiative after this loss. He can sell Peseiro far more easily. If Egu had gone to the AFCON final it would have been extremely difficult to sell Peseiro. Not any more.
I agree with the idea that Pinnick going in , thought Nigeria had no chance at the AFCON given the recent results under Rohr. However how the team played against Egypt suddenly energized a dormant fan base. I state this because if you notice, not a single preparatory game was played for the AFCON. This dormancy for the Eagles is an aberration under Pinnick. Thus, it begs the question that it is possible Pinnick saw no point spending on what he considered hopeless and that AFCON would be used as preparation for the World Cup.
EII,
Sometimes this is why i criticize our journalists because Pinnick dropped a lot of hints during his interviews and like TXJ noted in his blog, nobody asked him important follow up questions. It is so frustrating having incompetent people with so much access.
He said Rohr was fired to avert disaster. What disaster? Bad AFCON or no WC? I think he was clearly referring to no WC. He could have cared less about AFCON at the time the decision was being made. AFCON was an after thought almost. Heck if you believe the same press, he wanted it canceled!
In 1998, the Dutch had Advocaat manage the NT through the qualifiers, but had Guus Hiddink in a holding role to coach them at the WC...
Its about planning and proper decision making...
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:15 am
by The YeyeMan
txj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
Hmm.... not many would have taken this view after the group stage. In fact, Eguvoen's success could have put Pinnick in a difficult spot.
Your question is a legit one though - I'm not so interested in Rohr getting fired, more the clear lack of a succession plan - even with Peseiro - I'm not convinced it's the done deal that Pinnick seems to think it is.
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:19 am
by nanijoe
So just to be clear, you would have preferred that Rohr took us to the ANC?
txj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
I remind folks that Westerhof finished 3rd in his first AFCON, and then won the 2nd after building his team for 4 years.
There were clear parallels with this squad (not team).
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:19 am
by txj
nanijoe wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:19 am
So just to be clear, you would have preferred that Rohr took us to the ANC?
txj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
I remind folks that Westerhof finished 3rd in his first AFCON, and then won the 2nd after building his team for 4 years.
There were clear parallels with this squad (not team).
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
Yes.
As I always say, football is not that easy.
The decision to fire Rohr cannot be assessed in isolation without comparing it to the ensuing outcome, which was an interim manager who first met his full team at the venue of a tournament!!!
You cannot look at the sack decision in isolation. Its not rational to do so.
txj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
Hmm.... not many would have taken this view after the group stage. In fact, Eguvoen's success could have put Pinnick in a difficult spot.
Your question is a legit one though - I'm not so interested in Rohr getting fired, more the clear lack of a succession plan - even with Peseiro - I'm not convinced it's the done deal that Pinnick seems to think it is.
True, but only because we are enamored with 'shiny things'. Suddenly we "had our swagger back".
Yet the evidence was staring us right there in the face.
Heck, Ugbowo even opened a thread about it following the Egypt game!!!
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I agree with your narrative but I think Pinnick has now recaptured the initiative after this loss. He can sell Peseiro far more easily. If Egu had gone to the AFCON final it would have been extremely difficult to sell Peseiro. Not any more.
I agree with the idea that Pinnick going in , thought Nigeria had no chance at the AFCON given the recent results under Rohr. However how the team played against Egypt suddenly energized a dormant fan base. I state this because if you notice, not a single preparatory game was played for the AFCON. This dormancy for the Eagles is an aberration under Pinnick. Thus, it begs the question that it is possible Pinnick saw no point spending on what he considered hopeless and that AFCON would be used as preparation for the World Cup.
I think you attribute too much to Pinnick, but that's just me...
I believe his decision was largely influenced by the pressure from the "big boys" who have funded him, following the poor results/performance vs CAR and CV.
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:21 am
by metalalloy
nanijoe wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:19 amSo just to be clear, you would have preferred that Rohr took us to the ANC?
txj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
I remind folks that Westerhof finished 3rd in his first AFCON, and then won the 2nd after building his team for 4 years.
There were clear parallels with this squad (not team).
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
Not if the plan was to fire Rohr and appoint a new manager for the WCQ and going forward. My main issue is that the temporary appointment of Egu made little to no sense. Either you leave Rohr in place to proceed, or Fire him, and immediately appoint a coach to take over for the ANC. Even if he won the cup, What would we have we learned from Eguaveon taking the team to the Nations cup especially if a replacement was to be hired and his replacement would have zero interaction/involvement with the coaching crew? These 4 games were an invaluable opportunity for the coach to meet his players, start introducing and working on whatever philosophy and tactics in them ahead of the two legged WCQ playoff.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
Thanks for the correction. Guess I'm still stuck on his brother, a far, far better player IMO..
The issue for me was never about sacking Rohr.
It's the timing and the management decision making behind that...
Monday was the better player.
On Pinnick, I think he was more afraid of the WC than the AFCON.
He too took a gamble by extending ****'s contract. And the not-so-convincing displays forced his hand.
6 years on, one should expect better and more cohesive team play.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I'm not sure your theory is correct Ugbowo.
It is based on a faulty premise in my opinion. Far too many assumptions.
From all indications, Pinnick was the one holding out for Rohr and eventually succumbed to pressure from within to agree to sack him.
I don’t really buy the idea that he misjudged the public appetite for AFCON either.
These theories are just constructs that fit a preconceived narrative but often are far removed from reality.
Any one that has even a rudimentary knowledge of Nigerian football and it’s fans would know that the appetite for Nigerian football and it’s national team is always there.
I and others predicted a few times during our debates here that Nigerians will not take kindly to any sort of failure despite all the screams for Rohr to be sacked. After he was sacked, I said that I was fearful of a backlash on Eguavon despite all the love shown him “if things didn’t go well”. That’s exactly what we are seeing and will continue to see for a while. The only thing shielding Eguavon from the full, tsunami-like wrath of the Nigerian people is the fact that a sizeable chunk actively campaigned to get rid of Rohr “immediately” and by all means necessary. So they would stand accused of hypocrisy if they were to heavily descend on Eguavon barely a few weeks later. But some, as we know and can see, can’t hold back.
Nigerians? Forget!
These things are easily predictable, so to suggest Pinnick underestimated the public’s interest in the success of the team @ AFCON is pure speculation and most unlikely. That would require an incredible degree of ignorance on his part but Nigerians are happy to make such assumptions just to push a preferred point of view.
I don’t know Pinnick personally but I find it fascinating how analysts have profiled him in various ways usually to fit their own speculative analyses of the goings on behind the scenes. Same with other NFF members.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying he is the best thing since sliced yam, but he is probably nothing like what we like to portray him to be - some kind of evil, narcissistic genius one day and an ignorant, fumbling incompetent with little interest in the success of Nigerian football the next. That’s just funny.
As one who ‘profiles’ human personality and behaviour for a living, I recognise that what you see from afar is usually very different from what is going on within once you have the opportunity to get up close and personal.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I'm not sure your theory is correct Ugbowo.
It is based on a faulty premise in my opinion. Far too many assumptions.
From all indications, Pinnick was the one holding out for Rohr and eventually succumbed to pressure from within to agree to sack him.
I don’t really buy the idea that he misjudged the public appetite for AFCON either.
These theories are just constructs that fit a preconceived narrative but often are far removed from reality.
Any one that has even a rudimentary knowledge of Nigerian football and it’s fans would know that the appetite for Nigerian football and it’s national team is always there.
I and others predicted a few times during our debates here that Nigerians will not take kindly to any sort of failure despite all the screams for Rohr to be sacked. After he was sacked, I said that I was fearful of a backlash on Eguavon despite all the love shown him “if things didn’t go well”. That’s exactly what we are seeing and will continue to see for a while. The only thing shielding Eguavon from the full, tsunami-like wrath of the Nigerian people is the fact that a sizeable chunk actively campaigned to get rid of Rohr “immediately” and by all means necessary. So they would stand accused of hypocrisy if they were to heavily descend on Eguavon barely a few weeks later. But some, as we know and can see, can’t hold back.
Nigerians? Forget!
These things are easily predictable, so to suggest Pinnick underestimated the public’s interest in the success of the team @ AFCON is pure speculation and most unlikely. That would require an incredible degree of ignorance on his part but Nigerians are happy to make such assumptions just to push a preferred point of view.
I don’t know Pinnick personally but I find it fascinating how analysts have profiled him in various ways usually to fit their own speculative analyses of the goings on behind the scenes. Same with other NFF members.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying he is the best thing since sliced yam, but he is probably nothing like what we like to portray him to be - some kind of evil, narcissistic genius one day and an ignorant, fumbling incompetent with little interest in the success of Nigerian football the next. That’s just funny.
As one who ‘profiles’ human personality and behaviour for a living, I recognise that what you see from afar is usually very different from what is going on within once you have the opportunity to get up close and personal.
Start from the 33rd min of this video. Im not sure he needed much convincing if he is to be believed.
As for Pinnick's competence, the more I listen to him speak, the more he sounds like the highlighted.
He assumed there was apathy towards the SE that was caused by Rohr in the last 18 months of his reign. He believed there will be little interest in the AFCON and Nigeria would use it as a dress rehearsal/prep for the WCQ. The new coach will get to know his players by playing some glorified friendly games disguised as AFCON games....thinking the real prize was WCQ.
He did not imagine Eguavoen (Augustine, not Monday...I think Monday is his brother) would deliver the knock out against Egypt that galvanized the SE back into reckoning and made casual fans believers again. AFCON became a big deal all of a sudden to Nigerians again.
He never saw it coming!
I still think Rohr should have been let go but whoever was going to coach us during the WCQ, should have been in charge during AFCON.
I'm not sure your theory is correct Ugbowo.
It is based on a faulty premise in my opinion. Far too many assumptions.
From all indications, Pinnick was the one holding out for Rohr and eventually succumbed to pressure from within to agree to sack him.
I don’t really buy the idea that he misjudged the public appetite for AFCON either.
These theories are just constructs that fit a preconceived narrative but often are far removed from reality.
Any one that has even a rudimentary knowledge of Nigerian football and it’s fans would know that the appetite for Nigerian football and it’s national team is always there.
I and others predicted a few times during our debates here that Nigerians will not take kindly to any sort of failure despite all the screams for Rohr to be sacked. After he was sacked, I said that I was fearful of a backlash on Eguavon despite all the love shown him “if things didn’t go well”. That’s exactly what we are seeing and will continue to see for a while. The only thing shielding Eguavon from the full, tsunami-like wrath of the Nigerian people is the fact that a sizeable chunk actively campaigned to get rid of Rohr “immediately” and by all means necessary. So they would stand accused of hypocrisy if they were to heavily descend on Eguavon barely a few weeks later. But some, as we know and can see, can’t hold back.
Nigerians? Forget!
These things are easily predictable, so to suggest Pinnick underestimated the public’s interest in the success of the team @ AFCON is pure speculation and most unlikely. That would require an incredible degree of ignorance on his part but Nigerians are happy to make such assumptions just to push a preferred point of view.
I don’t know Pinnick personally but I find it fascinating how analysts have profiled him in various ways usually to fit their own speculative analyses of the goings on behind the scenes. Same with other NFF members.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying he is the best thing since sliced yam, but he is probably nothing like what we like to portray him to be - some kind of evil, narcissistic genius one day and an ignorant, fumbling incompetent with little interest in the success of Nigerian football the next. That’s just funny.
As one who ‘profiles’ human personality and behaviour for a living, I recognise that what you see from afar is usually very different from what is going on within once you have the opportunity to get up close and personal.
Start from the 33rd min of this video. Im not sure he needed much convincing if he is to be believed.
As for Pinnick's competence, the more I listen to him speak, the more he sounds like the highlighted.
Guy, the internal rumblings for a change of coach started long before it eventually happened and before he did his own “personal investigations”.
It was that mounting discontent that prompted him to become proactive on the matter.
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:26 pm
by Tbite
The problem is that Rohr peaked in 2017-2019. His squad was NOT getting better.
It isn't that we didn't want to give him more time, he has broken the record book for the longest continuous tenure! The issue was he was not building on his past successes! We played much better football, 2-3 years ago than we did last year.
So what exactly were we waiting for, with regards to the Franco-German. He was stagnating, so cannot be compared to the Flying Dutchmen (Hoff and Frere).
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:44 pm
by txj
The issue is not about Rohr and his sacking.
The issue is about the TIMING of the sack, and the quality of the decision making behind that.
Which puts Pinnick squarely in the middle and his atrocious decision making.
There was zero value to the sack and we could easily have fired him at the end of the tournament, whether he won or not...
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:41 pm
by charlie
txj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:52 pm
I remind folks that Westerhof finished 3rd in his first AFCON, and then won the 2nd after building his team for 4 years.
There were clear parallels with this squad (not team).
The losses to CAR may have been demoralizing, but there was no basis to conclude that the situation we were in re Eguavoen was a better place to be than with Rohr.
This was an unmitigated disaster in management decision making...
I have to agree. The decision to fire Rohr is down to extremely poor decision making or international sabotage of the team to force the hire of a foreign coach.
Eguavon was put in an impossible situation. He was given 2 weeks??? to prepare his team for a major competition. The fact the team did well in the group stages is a testament to his personal man management skills, but it was likely never going to be sufficient to win a major tournament.
The basis that firing the Rohr will have automatically led to better results of AFCON is just nonsense based on wishful thinking, and has played out as such. We simply failed to prepare, and as such prepared to fail.
Moving forward, the best thing Pinnick can do now is to confirm Eguavon as the permanent coach, or at the very least the coach for the upcoming WCQ. The worst thing we can do now is to hire another coach that needs to go through the learning experience Eguavon just went through, to build relationships with this team and his players, and understand their strengths and weaknesses, before we go into a do or die tie against an old and passionate rival that will be looking to reedem themselves against us.
Re: The Amaju Pinnick Rhapsody
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:45 pm
by charlie
txj wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:44 pm
The issue is not about Rohr and his sacking.
The issue is about the TIMING of the sack, and the quality of the decision making behind that.
Which puts Pinnick squarely in the middle and his atrocious decision making.
There was zero value to the sack and we could easily have fired him at the end of the tournament, whether he won or not...
Thank you. Some of us made this same argument before and after the sacking, but emotions were high. The right decision was to let Rohr take this team to the CAF and judge him on the results.
I personally believe Pinnick had already decided to sack Rohr and didnt want to risk Rohr doing well at the CAN, which would have sabotaged his plans to hire a foreign coach. Ultimately the responsibility of the debacle of the CAN 2021 falls on the head of the NFF chairman.
