Aiyegbeni 's critics, check this out

Bigpokey24 · Post by **Bigpokey24** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 12:25 pm

Squad

Aiyegbeni Yakubu

Date of birth: 22 Nov 82
Nationality: Nigerian
Position: Striker
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 82.63kg

Portsmouth - Jun 03 / Present
Gls Apps Sub on Sub off

League * 8 30 2 9 2 0
FA Cup 1 4 0 1 2 0
League Cup 2 2 1 0 0 0
European/Others 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nigeria 0 0 0 0 0

we could all say he his among the top 3 Nigerian strikers on form this season

Ayo Akinfe · Post by **Ayo Akinfe** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 12:34 pm

Eight goals in 30 league games is a woeful return International strikers are expected to at least notch 20 a season.

The likes of Henry, Van Nistelroy, Viduka, Owen, Shearer and Beattie have shown how it is done. Nigeria has always had this problem. Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?

The likes of Trezeguet, Vieri, Shearer, Henry, Ronaldo, Raul, Klose and Van Nistelroy do it for threee seasons back to back! We have a long way to go!

Thought · Post by **Thought** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 1:48 pm

Coz our strikers are already peaked out by the time they get to europe. hopefully our young guns in Serie A will break into that fold, i.e recognized as deadly strikers.

Post by **nanijoe** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 2:55 pm

Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?

I firmly believe that if Yekini had played in any of those leagues in his prime, he would have scored 25 goals a season, the same applies to Agha-wonder.

Bigpokey24 · Post by **Bigpokey24** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 2:58 pm

Ayo Akinfe wrote:Eight goals in 30 league games is a woeful return International strikers are expected to at least notch 20 a season.

The likes of Henry, Van Nistelroy, Viduka, Owen, Shearer and Beattie have shown how it is done. Nigeria has always had this problem. Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?

The likes of Trezeguet, Vieri, Shearer, Henry, Ronaldo, Raul, Klose and Van Nistelroy do it for threee seasons back to back! We have a long way to go!

The reason why, is because, the team isnt built arond them.. (nigerian strikers)unlike the above players mentioned

Post by **YUJAM** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 2:58 pm

I think 8 in 30 is not too bad for a player like Aiyegbini. Only a few international strikers notch 20 a season. In fact, only the very best do. Aiyegbini's goal haul is nothing to be ashamed of. The guy has proved his quality IMO.

Bigpokey24 · Post by **Bigpokey24** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:04 pm

YUJAM wrote:I think 8 in 30 is not too bad for a player like Aiyegbini. Only a few international strikers notch 20 a season. In fact, only the very best do. Aiyegbini's goal haul is nothing to be ashamed of. The guy has proved his quality IMO.

well said

omey2k4 · Post by **omey2k4** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:40 pm

Aiyegbeni hustles more for his team even when its clear there isnt even any creation coming from the middle.Anyway Ayo what u need to do is shut up and stop comparing players everytime.

Gotti · Post by **Gotti** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:45 pm

AYO:
How many top Nigerian strikers have played in those leagues? There is something called the Law`of Averages: to wit, the more Nigerian strikers that play in those leagues, the greater the chances of a Nigerian striker notching 20.

In the interim it may have escaped your attention that both Yekini and Owobukiri notched 30 in the Portuguese League.

maceo4 · Post by **maceo4** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 4:14 pm

Ayo Akinfe wrote: Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?

Victor Nosa Ikpeba was the closest....

chopeski · Post by **chopeski** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 6:43 pm

omey2k4 wrote:Aiyegbeni hustles more for his team even when its clear there isnt even any creation coming from the middle.Anyway Ayo what u need to do is shut up and stop comparing players everytime.

Omey:

Well said!!!

Do we always have to compare players every time? Why compare oranges with Apples?

Bigpokey24 · Post by **Bigpokey24** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 6:49 pm

omey2k4 wrote:Aiyegbeni hustles more for his team even when its clear there isnt even any creation coming from the middle.Anyway Ayo what u need to do is shut up and stop comparing players everytime.

u got that right

he is quality, he has been scoring week in week out, imagine the bobo dey better team, some folks here will be all the way up in his #$% kissing it none stop, just like the way dem dey do martins

General Trousers · Post by **General Trousers** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:49 pm

By and large Nigerian players often struggle when it comes to finishing. Even Utaka who is a good striker needs to be much more polished. The best are Agahowa and Martins, but the former struggles to create his own goals when he is not on a fast break ... Utaka is creative though, but ball placement and finishing need some work.

Ayo Akinfe · Post by **Ayo Akinfe** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:31 pm

Gotti wrote:AYO:
How many top Nigerian strikers have played in those leagues? There is something called the Law`of Averages: to wit, the more Nigerian strikers that play in those leagues, the greater the chances of a Nigerian striker notching 20.

In the interim it may have escaped your attention that both Yekini and Owobukiri notched 30 in the Portuguese League.

I disagree Gotti. Australia only has Mark Viduka as its recognised striker plying his trade in one of the major leagues and he bangs in 20 a season. The same goes for George Weah of Liberia and Andrei Shevchenko of the Ukraine.

Quality is quality, no matter how you want to put it. As per the Portuguese league, surely, you will agree with me that its standard is not up to that of La Liga, Le Championet, Serie A, Die Bundesliga or the Premiership.

Chopeski, please explain how comparing Aiyegbeni with Viduka is comparing apples with oranges? Last time I checked, they were strikers for teams in the same league. In case you are not aware, at the moment, Portsmouth and Leeds are actually tied on points with 31 apiece!

Ziontrain · Post by **Ziontrain** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:39 pm

8 goals in 30 games on a relegation team is not great but not bad. Particularly for a guy who clearly justs need a real coach who can work on his finishing.

Harry Redknapp is a good GM or collector of talent. But as a coach he's pretty mediocre. All his players get much better when they go elsewhere. That tells you he's a recuiter, not a trainer.

Aiyegbeni has done okay. He can easily get better still and he will.

Ayo Akinfe · Post by **Ayo Akinfe** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:52 pm

Ziontrain wrote:8 goals in 30 games on a relegation team is not great but not bad. Particularly for a guy who clearly justs need a real coach who can work on his finishing.

Harry Redknapp is a good GM or collector of talent. But as a coach he's pretty mediocre. All his players get much better when they go elsewhere. That tells you he's a recuiter, not a trainer.

Aiyegbeni has done okay. He can easily get better still and he will.

Please stop saying things you know little about. I cannot think of any two coaches a young player would beneit from working with than Harry Redknapp and Jim Smith.

If they cannot bring out the best in you, no one can. Go and ask Glenn Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard or Damien Defoe.

Ziontrain · Post by **Ziontrain** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 12:15 am

And which one didn't make a serious jump in performance upon leaving Redknapp's team?

Ayo Odumade · Post by **Ayo Odumade** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 6:06 am

I was at the game between Charlton and Portsmouth on saturday and I felt Aiyegbeni played very well. Even when he does not score he works hard for the team and keeps going. He always puts himself in a goalscoring position and when you do that you always have a chance. I am not so sure about his age though and do not believe the age of any Nigerian player including Obafemi Martins!

mastermind · Post by **mastermind** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 12:14 pm

Ayo Akinfe wrote:Eight goals in 30 league games is a woeful return International strikers are expected to at least notch 20 a season.

The likes of Henry, Van Nistelroy, Viduka, Owen, Shearer and Beattie have shown how it is done. Nigeria has always had this problem. Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?

The likes of Trezeguet, Vieri, Shearer, Henry, Ronaldo, Raul, Klose and Van Nistelroy do it for threee seasons back to back! We have a long way to go!

I think Martins is capable of scoring 20 goals a season but you have to put lots of thing into consideration. He plays in a team with up to 7 strikers, he will not get to start every game cos of striker rotation, might not get play as a point man on every game. Injury might also cut playing time.

Henry and Trezeguet was in the same france team that didnot qualify for 2nd round in wc 2002. soccer is not mathematics mehn.

Post by **Waffiman** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 12:57 pm

nanijoe wrote:
Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?
I firmly believe that if Yekini had played in any of those leagues in his prime, he would have scored 25 goals a season, the same applies to Agha-wonder.

I disagree on Yekini but it is all subjective and filled with arguements. The fact is Yekini never did it consistently over a period of time in a top European league.

We still need a striker in the calibre of those mentioned above, so far Yak and Martins look lke the likely duo. But you never know, maybe one of the younger ones can gatecrash the party. I pray so.

Ayo Akinfe · Post by **Ayo Akinfe** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:43 pm

Look at the Nigerian strikers in Europe's five major leagues:

Serie A
Obafemi Martins - Inter Milan
Ayo Makinwa - Modena

Le Championet
John Utaka - Lens
Bartholomew Ogbeche - Bastia

The Premiership
Yakubu Aiyegbeni - Portsmouth
Nwankwo Kanu - Arsenal

Die Bundesliga
Victor Agali - Schalke
Samuel Okoronkwo - Hertha Berlin

Not one of these guys is anywhere near scoring 20 goals a season. I suppose the likes of Okoronkwo, Makinwa, Martins and Ogbeche can be given more time as they are just finding their feet but Aiyegbeni and Utaka play week in week out. Kanu and Agali have had three years to deliver the goods but have so far failed woefully.

mastermind · Post by **mastermind** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:09 pm

Waffiman wrote:
nanijoe wrote:
Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?
I firmly believe that if Yekini had played in any of those leagues in his prime, he would have scored 25 goals a season, the same applies to Agha-wonder.
I disagree on Yekini but it is all subjective and filled with arguements. The fact is Yekini never did it consistently over a period of time in a top European league.

We still need a striker in the calibre of those mentioned above, so far Yak and Martins look lke the likely duo. But you never know, maybe one of the younger ones can gatecrash the party. I pray so.

I don't think we need a striker that scores 20 goals a season in seria A to go places in the world cup. First of all, we need a cohesive team, then the rest will follow. When france won WC in 1998, they don't have any top strikers in their team. Henry then was a juve reject, he ain't banging in 20 a season then but he scored 3 goals in WC 98. Zidane is not a striker, he scored up to 3 goals too. They won cos they have a complete team not a complete striker.

What we need is quality players like utaka, martins, Yak and osaze leading our attack, with okocha and oruma playing behind them. Look for good CDs to support yobo and play obodo and seyi as our DMs. Good coach is needed too.

Ayo Akinfe · Post by **Ayo Akinfe** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:22 pm

mastermind wrote:
Waffiman wrote:
nanijoe wrote:
Has Nigeria ever had a striker in La Liga, Le Championet, Die Bundesliga, the Premiership of Serie A that has scored 25 goals a season?
I firmly believe that if Yekini had played in any of those leagues in his prime, he would have scored 25 goals a season, the same applies to Agha-wonder.
I disagree on Yekini but it is all subjective and filled with arguements. The fact is Yekini never did it consistently over a period of time in a top European league.

We still need a striker in the calibre of those mentioned above, so far Yak and Martins look lke the likely duo. But you never know, maybe one of the younger ones can gatecrash the party. I pray so.
I don't think we need a striker that scores 20 goals a season in seria A to go places in the world cup. First of all, we need a cohesive team, then the rest will follow. When france won WC in 1998, they don't have any top strikers in their team. Henry then was a juve reject, he ain't banging in 20 a season then but he scored 3 goals in WC 98. Zidane is not a striker, he scored up to 3 goals too. They won cos they have a complete team not a complete striker.

What we need is quality players like utaka, martins, Yak and osaze leading our attack, with okocha and oruma playing behind them. Look for good CDs to support yobo and play obodo and seyi as our DMs. Good coach is needed too.

That is a different argument altogether. I agreee with a lot of what you are saying but it does not negate the fact that none of Nigeria's strikers have proven to be world class.