Fundamental basics that were lacking in the Eagles at da ANC
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Ayo Akinfe
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Fundamental basics that were lacking in the Eagles at da ANC
We all saw the African Cup of Nations and obviously cannot doubt the fact that the best two teams were in the final. Even the most ardent Nigerian fan will concede that the Super Eagles were simply not good enough to be in the finals.
If the team had got past Tunisia on penalties, it would have been a great travesty. Even oif the team had managed it, I doubt if they would have been able to withstand the well organised Moroccan side in the finals.
Effectively, this was a tournament won by coaches. Roger Lemerre and Badou Zaki stood head and shoulders above all the other managers in Tunisia and quite rightly got their just rewards.
To put it bluntly, the Eagles (and Cameroon and Mali) played schoolboy football with too little team co-ordination. Let us look at some of the comical aspects of the team, particularly with the way it defended:
(1) I cannot recall one instance where there was a shout and the back four stepped up in unison. Please tell me one offside decision awarded against any of Nigeria's opponents
(2) Nigeria played with only one anchorman - Seyi Olofinjana
(3) Whereas Morocco and Tunisia's backlines were very fluid, defending deep and moving up as the situation dictates, Nigeria's defence appeared rooted to whatever position it was in
(4) In the game against Tunisia, Jaziri was fed a through ball in the first half which split the Eagles defence to pieces. Just contrast this with the way Badri and Naybet organised their backlines to avoid this.
(5) Against Cameroon, when Ndiefi came on, the Indomitable Lions had two quick strikers and they constantly got behind the defence. Have we never heard of defending deep and closing the space between the backline and the keeper?
(6) Nigeria relied heavily on Joseph Yobo winning headers. If the defence had any structure to it that would not have been necessary as a lot of those balls would have been floating back harmlessly to the goalkeeper.
(7) In the game against Tunisia, as soon as the Eagles went one up, you knew the Tunisians would equalise. At no point in time was there indication that the coach would beef up the midfield and start winning balls there to cut off the Tunisian supply.
(8) Nigeria still appears unable to understand the concept of two-way midfielders. The likes of Okocha and Ikedia are all, offense, while Lawal and Ekwueme looked all defence. Seyi was the only two-way man in the team, apart from maybe Ekong. Not having at least three two-way players on the foield at every point in time was naive and schoolboy-like.
(9) There was very little width to Nigeria's play. In the games against Tunisia and Mali, it is clear the technical crew still think the idea of using traditional wingers is still in vogue. Did they not see how the likes of Redragi, Trablesi and Hagui showed that in the modern game, it is wing backs and full backs that give you width. Against Tunisia, we saw Udeze get forward on one occassion to good effect.
(10) I must credit JJ Okocha for his work rate in this tournament. He tracked back like I have never seen him do before and fought for more than his share of balls in midfield. However, it was clear that he was struggling and this is not his role. Playing JJ in the last third of the pitch where he struggles as against in the last third where he can hurt the opposition, was just suicidal and tantamount to pressing the self destruct button.
Nigeria were very lucky to come third in my opinion. It was only the talent of the boys that got the tesam that far.
If the team had got past Tunisia on penalties, it would have been a great travesty. Even oif the team had managed it, I doubt if they would have been able to withstand the well organised Moroccan side in the finals.
Effectively, this was a tournament won by coaches. Roger Lemerre and Badou Zaki stood head and shoulders above all the other managers in Tunisia and quite rightly got their just rewards.
To put it bluntly, the Eagles (and Cameroon and Mali) played schoolboy football with too little team co-ordination. Let us look at some of the comical aspects of the team, particularly with the way it defended:
(1) I cannot recall one instance where there was a shout and the back four stepped up in unison. Please tell me one offside decision awarded against any of Nigeria's opponents
(2) Nigeria played with only one anchorman - Seyi Olofinjana
(3) Whereas Morocco and Tunisia's backlines were very fluid, defending deep and moving up as the situation dictates, Nigeria's defence appeared rooted to whatever position it was in
(4) In the game against Tunisia, Jaziri was fed a through ball in the first half which split the Eagles defence to pieces. Just contrast this with the way Badri and Naybet organised their backlines to avoid this.
(5) Against Cameroon, when Ndiefi came on, the Indomitable Lions had two quick strikers and they constantly got behind the defence. Have we never heard of defending deep and closing the space between the backline and the keeper?
(6) Nigeria relied heavily on Joseph Yobo winning headers. If the defence had any structure to it that would not have been necessary as a lot of those balls would have been floating back harmlessly to the goalkeeper.
(7) In the game against Tunisia, as soon as the Eagles went one up, you knew the Tunisians would equalise. At no point in time was there indication that the coach would beef up the midfield and start winning balls there to cut off the Tunisian supply.
(8) Nigeria still appears unable to understand the concept of two-way midfielders. The likes of Okocha and Ikedia are all, offense, while Lawal and Ekwueme looked all defence. Seyi was the only two-way man in the team, apart from maybe Ekong. Not having at least three two-way players on the foield at every point in time was naive and schoolboy-like.
(9) There was very little width to Nigeria's play. In the games against Tunisia and Mali, it is clear the technical crew still think the idea of using traditional wingers is still in vogue. Did they not see how the likes of Redragi, Trablesi and Hagui showed that in the modern game, it is wing backs and full backs that give you width. Against Tunisia, we saw Udeze get forward on one occassion to good effect.
(10) I must credit JJ Okocha for his work rate in this tournament. He tracked back like I have never seen him do before and fought for more than his share of balls in midfield. However, it was clear that he was struggling and this is not his role. Playing JJ in the last third of the pitch where he struggles as against in the last third where he can hurt the opposition, was just suicidal and tantamount to pressing the self destruct button.
Nigeria were very lucky to come third in my opinion. It was only the talent of the boys that got the tesam that far.
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geminikoat
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I do not need this analysis to know the minds on our bench were elementary in their thinking. We lost the game 8 minutes to go. Ofcourse we lost to italy at the Mundial too in the dying minutes of the game but Tunisia was no Italy.
CCC could have done the very basic of coaching: Shore up the middle and hence the back with just 8 minutes to go. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, what the hell CCC was thinking.
Unfortunately, it is this type of intangibles, which a lot of people cannot discern, that'll keep a country of 150 milion to continue to underachieve.
It's a darn shame.
CCC could have done the very basic of coaching: Shore up the middle and hence the back with just 8 minutes to go. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, what the hell CCC was thinking.
Unfortunately, it is this type of intangibles, which a lot of people cannot discern, that'll keep a country of 150 milion to continue to underachieve.
It's a darn shame.
...but with God all things are possible...
Ayo Akinfe,
It's only talent that has gotten us far and nothing else... It's been happening for to long and do you expect things to change overnight? Until someone comes in where both players and coaches will sit down together and iron things out one step at a time we are still going to have this kind of problems....
It's only talent that has gotten us far and nothing else... It's been happening for to long and do you expect things to change overnight? Until someone comes in where both players and coaches will sit down together and iron things out one step at a time we are still going to have this kind of problems....
Soldier of Fortune...
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Ayo Akinfe
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Some people will soon come here and tell you that the right things was done. Man, looking at Morocco, I just cannot believe the gulf in organisation between the two teams.geminikoat wrote:I do not need this analysis to know the minds on our bench were elementary in their thinking. We lost the game 8 minutes to go. Ofcourse we lost to italy at the Mundial too in the dying minutes of the game but Tunisia was no Italy.
CCC could have done the very basic of coaching: Shore up the middle and hence the back with just 8 minutes to go. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, what the hell CCC was thinking.
Unfortunately, it is this type of intangibles, which a lot of people cannot discern, that'll keep a country of 150 milion to continue to underachieve.
It's a darn shame.
This Zaki must have gone to that French academy bicos him tactics na helele. Me wey think say I sabi organise back three for 3-5-2 have been taught a serious coaching lesson. We are light years behind man!
But hey this is Naija coach at work here, the coach everyone loves to have handling the SE... The same people whose eyes are closed to reality and will support mediocrity no matter what...
geminikoat wrote:I do not need this analysis to know the minds on our bench were elementary in their thinking. We lost the game 8 minutes to go. Ofcourse we lost to italy at the Mundial too in the dying minutes of the game but Tunisia was no Italy.
CCC could have done the very basic of coaching: Shore up the middle and hence the back with just 8 minutes to go. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, what the hell CCC was thinking.
Unfortunately, it is this type of intangibles, which a lot of people cannot discern, that'll keep a country of 150 milion to continue to underachieve.
It's a darn shame.
Soldier of Fortune...
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Ayo Akinfe
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Have you understood anything that was written here at all? We are not talking about who did more showboating, dribbling, bicycle kicks, reverse nutmegs, flicks, back heels or fancy dragbacks, we are talking about team organisation here.Janganza wrote:Ol'boy, me I no go buy all this stuffs in CE anymore. Our team was not bad period. We improved with every game. Tunisia with its world class coach did not outplay us.
The likes of Egypt and Algeria were a lot more solid in midfield than Nigeria and their teams have definitive structures. When you study a team technically, you are looking for shape, organisation and structure.
Kenya were very entertaining with Denis Oliech. Indeed Kenya provided me with more pleasure than Tunisia but hey, the Tunisians were twice a team as them.
What was the statistic of our match agaist Tunisia?
Have you understood anything that was written here at all? We are not talking about who did more showboating, dribbling, bicycle kicks, reverse nutmegs, flicks, back heels or fancy dragbacks, we are talking about team organisation here.
The likes of Egypt and Algeria were a lot more solid in midfield than Nigeria and their teams have definitive structures. When you study a team technically, you are looking for shape, organisation and structure.
Kenya were very entertaining with Denis Oliech. Indeed Kenya provided me with more pleasure than Tunisia but hey, the Tunisians were twice a team as them.
Have you understood anything that was written here at all? We are not talking about who did more showboating, dribbling, bicycle kicks, reverse nutmegs, flicks, back heels or fancy dragbacks, we are talking about team organisation here.
The likes of Egypt and Algeria were a lot more solid in midfield than Nigeria and their teams have definitive structures. When you study a team technically, you are looking for shape, organisation and structure.
Kenya were very entertaining with Denis Oliech. Indeed Kenya provided me with more pleasure than Tunisia but hey, the Tunisians were twice a team as them.
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Ayo Akinfe
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Chei! Offside trap na conjecture. I take it you do not know what this means. All those headers Yobo won were just my imagination. Hmmmmm!RudeBoy wrote:AA: Your analysis reminds me of a woman who tries to analyse a game of football but can't because she has never played the game! Your argument on this occasion is extremely weak, it is without facts and is full of wishy washy conjecture! This is dropping to Yujam levels and that is not good!
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Ayo Akinfe
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You clearly are unable to view games technically. Here are a few features of the game you would do well to remember:Janganza wrote:Did Tunisia with all their basic fundamentalities outshut us?
(1) Lemerre dropped Ben Achor, arguably, his most talented player for that game to shore up the midfield.
(2) Bouazizi was given a man-marking job on JJ
(3) Badri and Jaidi were told to defend deep to stop Utaka using his pace to get behind them
(4) Boazizi was told to ping long balls forward to Dos Santos and Jaziri as soon as possible to catch out the two Nigerian centrebacks
(5) Dos Santos kept hanging on the shoulder of the last defender and peeling off at the last minute to latch on to through balls.
I can go on until 10 but will leave it here as you clearly appear out of your depth. When I watch games, I am not looking for extravagant nonsense and showboating but am searching for the finer technical points which were glaringly lacking in the Eagles.
AA: I saw the defence push up on numerous occassions! That's why the Tunisians and Morrocans got behind us!
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797)
Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist - Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797)
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Ayo Akinfe
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RudeBoy----truth can not be eroded----I think AA compounded some truth.
Let us not look at the characterization of AA himself and how he has been characterised by most Cybers----
AA mention some very important truth---
The only thing I heard clearly and right from Rudeboy is the fact that--- AA your argument on this occasion is extremley weak-----you right RB.
AA it can only be for the fun of it and it does not matter----but it will bring on you the usuall rage of abuse by your adversaries on this forum---
Mennnn!!!! you get though skin---nna you still dey come back and dey come back and dey come back------
Let us not look at the characterization of AA himself and how he has been characterised by most Cybers----
AA mention some very important truth---
The only thing I heard clearly and right from Rudeboy is the fact that--- AA your argument on this occasion is extremley weak-----you right RB.
AA it can only be for the fun of it and it does not matter----but it will bring on you the usuall rage of abuse by your adversaries on this forum---
Mennnn!!!! you get though skin---nna you still dey come back and dey come back and dey come back------
For a child of God, silence in the face of problem is an act of ignorance
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Cyber Saint
Ayo Akinfe wrote:Some people will soon come here and tell you that the right things was done. Man, looking at Morocco, I just cannot believe the gulf in organisation between the two teams.geminikoat wrote:I do not need this analysis to know the minds on our bench were elementary in their thinking. We lost the game 8 minutes to go. Ofcourse we lost to italy at the Mundial too in the dying minutes of the game but Tunisia was no Italy.
CCC could have done the very basic of coaching: Shore up the middle and hence the back with just 8 minutes to go. I cannot imagine, for the life of me, what the hell CCC was thinking.
Unfortunately, it is this type of intangibles, which a lot of people cannot discern, that'll keep a country of 150 milion to continue to underachieve.
It's a darn shame.
This Zaki must have gone to that French academy bicos him tactics na helele. Me wey think say I sabi organise back three for 3-5-2 have been taught a serious coaching lesson. We are light years behind man!
Ayo have u taken any coaching courses
Delusions?-------men you check your dictionary----that word described your stand lot better-----
Plus truth can not be denied denied can only be delayed----why pick abuse on the man----you just sounded like a clown too----
Just let the man do is talking----ignore him or contribute rather than place abuse on him
Plus truth can not be denied denied can only be delayed----why pick abuse on the man----you just sounded like a clown too----
Just let the man do is talking----ignore him or contribute rather than place abuse on him
For a child of God, silence in the face of problem is an act of ignorance
but Ayo keeps abusing everyone that challenges him. making smart remarks. This whole FC - LC stuff is soo easy to fix. but trust naijas to make a mountain out of a mole hillKelechi wrote:Delusions?-------men you check your dictionary----that word described your stand lot better-----
Plus truth can not be denied denied can only be delayed----why pick abuse on the man----you just sounded like a clown too----
Just let the man do is talking----ignore him or contribute rather than place abuse on him
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confuscius
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Re: Fundamental basics that were lacking in the Eagles at da
You mean its taken you a week to think this up....and you still can't get it right?Ayo Akinfe wrote:We all saw the African Cup of Nations and obviously cannot doubt the fact that the best two teams were in the final. Even the most ardent Nigerian fan will concede that the Super Eagles were simply not good enough to be in the finals.
If the team had got past Tunisia on penalties, it would have been a great travesty. Even oif the team had managed it, I doubt if they would have been able to withstand the well organised Moroccan side in the finals.
Effectively, this was a tournament won by coaches. Roger Lemerre and Badou Zaki stood head and shoulders above all the other managers in Tunisia and quite rightly got their just rewards.
To put it bluntly, the Eagles (and Cameroon and Mali) played schoolboy football with too little team co-ordination. Let us look at some of the comical aspects of the team, particularly with the way it defended:
(1) I cannot recall one instance where there was a shout and the back four stepped up in unison. Please tell me one offside decision awarded against any of Nigeria's opponents
(2) Nigeria played with only one anchorman - Seyi Olofinjana
(3) Whereas Morocco and Tunisia's backlines were very fluid, defending deep and moving up as the situation dictates, Nigeria's defence appeared rooted to whatever position it was in
(4) In the game against Tunisia, Jaziri was fed a through ball in the first half which split the Eagles defence to pieces. Just contrast this with the way Badri and Naybet organised their backlines to avoid this.
(5) Against Cameroon, when Ndiefi came on, the Indomitable Lions had two quick strikers and they constantly got behind the defence. Have we never heard of defending deep and closing the space between the backline and the keeper?
(6) Nigeria relied heavily on Joseph Yobo winning headers. If the defence had any structure to it that would not have been necessary as a lot of those balls would have been floating back harmlessly to the goalkeeper.
(7) In the game against Tunisia, as soon as the Eagles went one up, you knew the Tunisians would equalise. At no point in time was there indication that the coach would beef up the midfield and start winning balls there to cut off the Tunisian supply.
(8) Nigeria still appears unable to understand the concept of two-way midfielders. The likes of Okocha and Ikedia are all, offense, while Lawal and Ekwueme looked all defence. Seyi was the only two-way man in the team, apart from maybe Ekong. Not having at least three two-way players on the foield at every point in time was naive and schoolboy-like.
(9) There was very little width to Nigeria's play. In the games against Tunisia and Mali, it is clear the technical crew still think the idea of using traditional wingers is still in vogue. Did they not see how the likes of Redragi, Trablesi and Hagui showed that in the modern game, it is wing backs and full backs that give you width. Against Tunisia, we saw Udeze get forward on one occassion to good effect.
(10) I must credit JJ Okocha for his work rate in this tournament. He tracked back like I have never seen him do before and fought for more than his share of balls in midfield. However, it was clear that he was struggling and this is not his role. Playing JJ in the last third of the pitch where he struggles as against in the last third where he can hurt the opposition, was just suicidal and tantamount to pressing the self destruct button.
Nigeria were very lucky to come third in my opinion. It was only the talent of the boys that got the tesam that far.
It is my fantasy to fata si, je n'bu obe si, je n'wobe
Ayo Akinfe,
Whilst it is true that 2 good teams got to the final, it is in my view unreasonable to claim that Tunisia in particular were better than Nigeria. Please go and watch the Eagles-Tunisia match again from minute one. The tunisians were under serious pressure for the first 25 minutes. They resorted to playing the long ball which was beating the unfortunately unfit Okoronkwo but not Yobo. Although they were quick, we had more composure in our build-up and if Seyi had simply escorted Jaziri rather than naively stick his leg out for Jaziri to dive on, they will not have got a penalty. For own penalty, was it not naivety that led their defenders to crowd Kanu and trip him in the box when it was obvious to anyone that played the tournament that Kanu was a soft target?
During the last 10 minutes Osaze had 3 clear chances to put us through but his efforts were weak because he was tired. Likewise, you would have wanted Ikedia not to go the floor when the desperate tunisian keeper goofed in extra time.
CCC's game was 70% defensive and 30% offensive and although we defended very deep in our box especially in the second half, Tunisia could not break us down. I am not sure any conclusion that they are better than us holds any water.
If we could ask any tunisian, he/she will confirm that they found the final easier than the semi-final and will certainly not want to face us again in a hurry.
I am not sure we are as bad as we are being painted.
Whilst it is true that 2 good teams got to the final, it is in my view unreasonable to claim that Tunisia in particular were better than Nigeria. Please go and watch the Eagles-Tunisia match again from minute one. The tunisians were under serious pressure for the first 25 minutes. They resorted to playing the long ball which was beating the unfortunately unfit Okoronkwo but not Yobo. Although they were quick, we had more composure in our build-up and if Seyi had simply escorted Jaziri rather than naively stick his leg out for Jaziri to dive on, they will not have got a penalty. For own penalty, was it not naivety that led their defenders to crowd Kanu and trip him in the box when it was obvious to anyone that played the tournament that Kanu was a soft target?
During the last 10 minutes Osaze had 3 clear chances to put us through but his efforts were weak because he was tired. Likewise, you would have wanted Ikedia not to go the floor when the desperate tunisian keeper goofed in extra time.
CCC's game was 70% defensive and 30% offensive and although we defended very deep in our box especially in the second half, Tunisia could not break us down. I am not sure any conclusion that they are better than us holds any water.
If we could ask any tunisian, he/she will confirm that they found the final easier than the semi-final and will certainly not want to face us again in a hurry.
I am not sure we are as bad as we are being painted.