Katsumoto:

Sagamite,

I commend you for your research and analysis. However, I do not think Amodu should be the main coach. He lacks the charisma or technical nous. He does not even command the respect of the players.

Explain how you came to this conclusion.

toba:

U ll c that naija no go far with amodu in both anc&wc.If u heard is press parley in lagos yestday u'll know he has no tactics but rellies on stars to succed.He critisized d local league that once fed him& brought him to limelite.Hes a failure&only just lucky

So because the local league brought him to limelight, he should not criticise it?

He was lucky in 22 competitive games?

On your list of preference for coaches in Nigeria, Amodu is no3 why should your number 3 be the head coach of a S.Eagles?

In fact, you don't have any argument.

deb:

On your list of preference for coaches in Nigeria, Amodu is no3 why should your number 3 be the head coach of a S.Eagles?

In fact, you don't have any argument.

He is No 3 in preference but since selection has done the job and his record is very good, why change him? That is not an argument?

Nice write up, Sagamite.

Giving Amodu the boot now or bringing in someone to lord it over him in any capacity will be a recipe for disaster. He delivered both tickets (ANC and WC). As a result, he should be in charge when the tournament starts.

I agreed with ur write-up until u suggested sacking him if we flop at the ANC. I dont think he should get the boot even then.
Reason: The NFF is incompetent, simple. After the ANC , the world cup will be barely 5 months away. If you think that the NFF, within that time frame, attract a top quality coach for the SE , then U dont know our NFF. 5 months is already a short time for any coach to come in and transform a team. Add that to the fact that the NFF will eat up half of that time playing around and u will quickly realize that rocking the boat is not the way to go.

However, what really worries me about Amodu when it comes to the long term, is the fact that he has been accused of not taking a peek at the NPL. I dont know how true this is but the fact that there are no young talents coming thru the ranks of the SE lends credence to that allegation. Even when the Nigerian league was a joke in terms of standard , it still gave us players like Finidi, Amokachi et al. I think thats a big failure on his part as he just depends on our so called established stars.

Out of the whole qualifying process across the world only Spain, Germany, Italy, Holland, Nigeria, CIV and South Korea never lost a single match.

Amodu has the 4th best qualifying stats worldwide with the highest number of clean sheets.

Spain won all their matches. Clean. Coach's Salary: $2200K
GD +23, 6 clean sheets out of 10

Holland won all their matches. Clean. Coach's Salary: $2700K
GD +15, 6 clean sheets out of 8

Germany won all their matches bar 2 which they drew. Coach's Salary: $2600K
GD +21, 7 clean sheets out of 10

Nigeria won all their matches bar 3 which they drew. Coach's Salary: $180K
GD +15, 9 clean sheets out of 12 (Best at 75% with Holland, so the defence is not that horrible, could be better though)

Italy won all bar their matches bar 3 which they drew. ^{But they played 2 matches less than Nigeria, so Nigeria won 2 matches more.} Coach's Salary: $4100K
GD +11, 5 clean sheets out of 10

CIV won all their matches bar 4 which they drew. Coach's Salary: $740K
GD +23, 7 clean sheets out of 12

South Korea won all their matches bar 7 which they drew. Coach's Salary: $600K
GD +15, 8 clean sheets out of 14

Uche2nna:


Nice write up, Sagamite.

Giving Amodu the boot now or bringing in someone to lord it over him in any capacity will be a recipe for disaster. He delivered both tickets (ANC and WC). As a result, he should be in charge when the tournament starts.

I agreed with your write-up until u suggested sacking him if we flop at the ANC. I dont think he should get the boot even then.
Reason: The NFF is incompetent, simple. After the ANC , the world cup will be barely 5 months away. If you think that the NFF, within that time frame, attract a top quality coach for the SE , then U dont know our NFF. 5 months is already a short time for any coach to come in and transform a team. Add that to the fact that the NFF will eat up half of that time playing around and u will quickly realize that rocking the boat is not the way to go.

Thanks, Bruv. I guess you have a point here.

Uche2nna:

However, what really worries me about Amodu when it comes to the long term, is the fact that he has been accused of not taking a peek at the NPL. I dont know how true this is but the fact that there are no young talents coming thru the ranks of the SE lends credence to that allegation. Even when the Nigerian league was a joke in terms of standard , it still gave us players like Finidi, Amokachi et al. I think thats a big failure on his part as he just depends on our so called established stars.

I think in that team, the only player I feel is missing is Rabiu Ibrahim.

Adeleye, Echiejile, Nsofor, Adefemi, Ajilore, Apam, Mohammed Yusuf, Ejide, TT, Mikel, Kaita, Obasi are all young players. At least their ages say they are all U-25.

I think most of us are not aware of this because we have over-familiarised ourselves with these players from seeing them in Youth tournaments and Olympics, all of the sudden, they are old legs.

So I can't really fault him in regards to young players coming in. Maybe HB, yes. But if the team performs without HB, then I no really care.

Sagamite:

Out of the whole qualifying process across the world only Spain, Germany, Italy, Holland, Nigeria, CIV and South Korea never lost a single match.

Amodu has the 4th best qualifying stats worldwide with the highest number of clean sheets.

What about England?
They won 9 out of their 10 WCQ amassing 27 points out of 30 with +28 GD.
Surely, that is better than Germany, Italy and CIV.

@ topic,

U have valid points with the Amodu analysis but your theory has only proven Amodu is the best in Nigeria. . .He is not world-class.
Nigeria must go to the world cup with a manager that possesses a vast technical/tactical nous. A manager that can change the course of a game with smart substitutions and tactical approach - I am not convinced Amodu can outfox Dunga, Maradona, Domenech or Capello.

Let's not be deceived with what Amodu has achieved yet. Nigeria used to be a super power in Africa.
By default, Nigeria should be qualifying for World Cup tournaments/ACN with or without a manager.
The Nations Cup should be used as Amodu's litmus test. If he fails to deliver, then he should be fired. A manager that fails to excel in Africa will fail tremendously when the World Cup kicks off next summer.

Spain won all their matches. Clean.
GD +23, 6 clean sheets out of 10

Holland won all their matches. Clean.
GD +15, 6 clean sheets out of 8

Germany won all their matches bar 2 which they drew.
GD +21, 7 clean sheets out of 10

Nigeria won all their matches bar 3 which they drew.
GD +15, 9 clean sheets out of 12 (Best at 75% with Holland, so the defence is not that horrible, could be better though)

Italy won all bar their matches bar 3 which they drew. But they played 2 matches less than Nigeria, so Nigeria won 2 matches more.
GD +11, 5 clean sheets out of 10

CIV won all their matches bar 4 which they drew.
GD +23, 7 clean sheets out of 12

South Korea won all their matches bar 7 which they drew.
GD +15, 8 clean sheets out of 14

Thank you Sagamite for these stats.

And did Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy, CIV and SK give their countrymen the high blood pressure the SE gave Nigerians?

Secondly did Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy, CIV and SK wait until the last day, only qualifying because the favourite team surprisingly lost their last game?

Amodu should remain as coach ONLY because it is barely 3 weeks to the mundial.

Maybe HB, yes. But if the team performs without HB, then I no really care.

Who is HB? Do you mean Haruna Babangida?

IbrahimB:

Who is HB? Do you mean Haruna Babangida?

Home Based, Bruv.

El Razur is here for some Pro Evolution thrashing. brb.

Sagamite:

Home Based, Bruv.

El Razur is here for some Pro Evolution thrashing. brb.

Sagamite, connect online make i beat una small.
I hope y'all have improved.

~Sauron~:

U have valid points with the Amodu analysis but your theory has only proven Amodu is the best in Nigeria. . .He is not world-class.
Nigeria must go to the world cup with a manager that possesses a vast technical/tactical nous. A manager that can change the course of a game with smart substitutions and tactical approach - I am not convinced Amodu can outfox Dunga, Maradona, Domenech or Capello.

That brings us back to the argument of foreign coach versus local coaches. I have been always of the opinion that I dont care what the nationality of the SE coach is as long as he is world class. However, Amodu was chosen cos those in favor of local coaches won. Its too late now to change it given that we have two tournaments to prepare for in a space of 9 months.

~Sauron~:

If he fails to deliver, then he should be fired. A manager that fails to excel in Africa will fail tremendously when the World Cup kicks off next summer.

Yeah, except for the small fact that the replacement might be no better. Check out the pedigree of the NFF in hiring and firing of coaches. Pathetic.
If firing Amodu means bringing in someone in the caliber of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, then we do better stick with Amodu.

he has qualified us for two world cups . 2002 world cup and 2010 world cup and that's enough reason why he should lead us to the world cup

let him do what he has to do,but i do not think any coach with his normal sense will invite players to camp and tell the press that the players are training materials?

Sagamite:

I think most of us are not aware of this because we have over-familiarised ourselves with these players from seeing them in Youth tournaments and Olympics, all of the sudden, they are old legs.

So I can't really fault him in regards to young players coming in. Maybe HB, yes. But if the team performs without HB, then I no really care.

True.

I hope he (Amodu) is pro-active in getting players from grassroots and not just waiting for the ones that play youth tournaments. Kanu Nwankwo might not be the most decorated African player if Westerhoff had not recommended him to James Peters for Mauritius'93.

We don't have the players that will shake the world again . That is the problem we are facing, mates. A good number of our players are average in rating with many of them not being committed to the game. A new Super Eagles team has to be built and I think we should just go and see what happens at the World Cup. I also feel we should start fielding real U-17 and U-21 players in FIFA and CAF tournaments so that we can have players who will not fade out easily when they make into the senior national side. Cheers.

Dear Sagamite, You know Amodu's pedigree more than I. I did not know that he achieved these in SA when he was there. What was the achivement  of Westhanhorf when he was in SA. Some Naijas want him back. Amodu is far better than Westhanhorf . But Keshi must go with him to SA 2010.
We need your unbiased analysis of the ANC matches of SE in Jan. I will not read any other apart from yours. Most of the people we have here are too sentimental.

Katsumoto:

Sagamite,

I commend you for your research and analysis. However, I do not think Amodu should be the main coach. He lacks the charisma or technical nous. He does not even command the respect of the players. He should remain as a number two to a more tactically astute coach. During all the qualifying games, he just sat on the bench looking morose even when the players needed motivation.

I agree that we do not have the players but that is because the coach is not doing his job. Must all the players in the team play in Europe? Can he not discover a creative player in the league? After all, Okocha was discovered playing street soccer in Germany. The same with Lua Lua. A coach should know the weakness of his team and make moves to nullify such weakness. Why has he not found a 10, 11, 7, and a 4 in two years? What is the point of having 8 strikers in a team and playing two of them on the wings? Nigeria is the only that has more strikers than mid-fielders and all four are usually defensive mid-fielders. Isn't it time he started playing rabiu Ibrahim with Mikel/Ayila in the centre? Yobo is not a Leader; I would give the captaincy to Enyeama or Mikel. That may raise Mikel's commitment to the team.

all the highlighted are not the work of SE coach, it is the responsibility of club coaches /development programmes to bring out good 10, 11, 7 and 4, the nat. coach looks at what is available and then call then up,i say it with all boldness most of our clubs do not have good players in this positions, expecially 11,even our recent GE and FE never had a good 11, so its a developmental issue which is far beyond Amodu,
I am not saying that there are no good players in Nigeria, but rather the good players are not in the NFL, the best players are daily being shipped to obscure clubs abroad for peanuts by desperate agents.(this for me is a big issue, cos this is the major reason we seem to be lacking in talents,once the agents targets this players at their youth clubs/academicals, they dont push these players into the local league, rather they ship them out to these clubs that evetually destroy the talents these players initially possessed)
i know about 15 players that have gone abroad from surulere area alone(ifeanyi emeghara for example was a promising MFD here at is academy before being turned into a DF in europe ) and none of them played in the NFL

good analysis, but soccer have change, we are talking of world cup, where the game have gone mathematical, the Tunisia match in lagos show amodu technical deficiency,he can be part of the coaching crew, but there is need for a technical person

Uche2nna:

That brings us back to the argument of foreign coach versus local coaches. I have been always of the opinion that I dont care what the nationality of the SE coach is as long as he is world class. However, Amodu was chosen cos those in favor of local coaches won. Its too late now to change it given that we have two tournaments to prepare for in a space of 9 months.

The $64,000 question. . . . . Is Amodu world class?

Yeah, except for the small fact that the replacement might be no better. Check out the pedigree of the NFF in hiring and firing of coaches. Pathetic.
If firing Amodu means bringing in someone in the caliber of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, then we do better stick with Amodu.

A seasoned European manager in the calibre of Hiddink, Juande Ramos or Walter Smith will do.

~Sauron~:

The $64,000 question. . . . . Is Amodu world class?

He's not world class but I reckon he's decent enough handle Nigeria.

~Sauron~:


A seasoned European manager in the calibre of Hiddink, Juande Ramos or Walter Smith will do.

I dont mind Nigeria emplying a world class coach at anytime. What I really wonder is Is bringing
in a world class coach the solution to Nigeria's footballing problem? Especially with all the average
players we have?

I took a look at our back four and fear grab me

folly24:

good analysis, but soccer have change, we are talking of world cup, where the game have gone mathematical, the Tunisia match in lagos show amodu technical deficiency,he can be part of the coaching crew, but there is need for a technical person

How? Was Tunisia better? How come Nigeria is the country going to SA?

Sagamite:

I think in that team, the only player I feel is missing is Rabiu Ibrahim.

Adeleye, Echiejile, Nsofor, Adefemi, Ajilore, Apam, Mohammed Yusuf, Ejide, TT, Mikel, Kaita, Obasi are all young players. At least their ages say they are all U-25.

I think most of us are not aware of this because we have over-familiarised ourselves with these players from seeing them in Youth tournaments and Olympics, all of the sudden, they are old legs.

So I can't really fault him in regards to young players coming in. Maybe HB, yes. But if the team performs without HB, then I no really care.

Seconded! but someone should please tell Amodu to stop inviting Obinna Nwaneri to the S.E team though. That guy is so pathetic

akinalabi:

He's not world class but I reckon he's decent enough handle Nigeria.

Are you sure about this?
I cannot remember the last time the SE played with any formation or tactics.
Everyone just seems to be running with the ball with no plan A or plan B.
That we managed to scrape through to SA with the margin slimmer than the skin of ma teeth does not make Amodu decent.

I dont mind Nigeria emplying a world class coach at anytime. What I really wonder is Is bringing
in a world class coach the solution to Nigeria's footballing problem? Especially with all the average
players we have?

I took a look at our back four and fear grab me

I think a world class coach with an excellent back room staff can actually improve the mentality of our players.
The coach just needs to change our style of play. Know when to pass the ball and when to knock it long.
U musta noticed how Capello changed the way England play footie these days. The long hopeless balls have stopped.

~Sauron~:

Are you sure about this?

Yes. When I say he's good to handle Nigeria, it simply means Nigeria is not a super power in
football so a decent enough coach should be okay. I've followed Amodu's career a bit (since 1991)
and he's okay. Just okay.

~Sauron~:


I cannot remember the last time the SE played with any formation or tactics.
Everyone just seems to be running with the ball with no plan A or plan B.
That we managed to scrape through to SA with the margin slimmer than the skin of ma teeth does not make Amodu decent.

There is something I find amusing about the Eagles. When we play African qualifiers against
other African teams, it looks so ridiculous (its been like that since I was a kid) but when we play
European teams, we look quite good. The Austrian and French friendlies come to mind. I cant
really ecplain why.

~Sauron~:


I think a world class coach with an excellent back room staff can actually improve the mentality of our players.
The coach just needs to change our style of play. Know when to pass the ball and when to knock it long.
U musta noticed how Capello changed the way England play footie these days. The long hopeless balls have stopped.

I'm sure when you're thinking about Nigerian players, the Yobos, the Martins etc come to mind. That
is on the surface. Do you have an idea who our right back is for instance? Too many average players.

Capello has done a great job. There is no question about that. The difference is that there was no
doubting the quality England's got (even though some are over hyped). Just look at the FIF pro list
and we had Terry (5 times in a row) and Stevie G. Even in Africa, very few people reckon with Naija
players any longer.

Merry Xmas Sauron. Its XMAS here. You guys have to wait an hour

akinalabi:

Merry Xmas Sauron. Its XMAS here. You guys have to wait an hour

Merry Christmas in advance. . . . .
We have about 57 mins yet to clock that.

akinalabi:

Yes. When I say he's good to handle Nigeria, it simply means Nigeria is not a super power in
football so a decent enough coach should be okay.

I agree. . . . .but can Amodu replicate Bruno Metsu's tactical nous with Senegal in 2002?
Majority of the Senegalese players were average until that Mundial but they were fantastic to watch.

There is something I find amusing about the Eagles. When we play African qualifiers against
other African teams, it looks so ridiculous (its been like that since I was a kid) but when we play
European teams, we look quite good. The Austrian and French friendlies come to mind. I cant
really ecplain why.

African football factor.
The officiating in Africa is a disgrace. Referees don't blow for foul until they see blood or compound fracture.
It makes everything messy and players just want to kick and battle it out.

I'm sure when you're thinking about Nigerian players, the Yobos, the Martins etc come to mind. That
is on the surface. Do you have an idea who our right back is for instance? Too many average players.

Nigerian players stopped developing. . . . .
So many rogue agents here n there. Compare the players we had in 1993/94 to 2009.
Westerhof was able to shop our local players to BIG TEAMS in Europe where they developed into better players but these days. . . .the reverse is the case.  Whatever happened to Chrisantus?

Capello has done a great job. There is no question about that. The difference is that there was no
doubting the quality England's got (even though some are over hyped). Just look at the FIF pro list
and we had Terry (5 times in a row) and Stevie G. Even in Africa, very few people reckon with Naija
players any longer.

We also have players who can mix with the best.
Martins, Kanu, Yakubu, Osaze, Taiwo, Odiah, Yobo and Kalu Uche are decent players.
Nigeria must get a manager that will make them gel together.

~Sauron~:

but can Amodu replicate Bruno Metsu's tactical nous with Senegal in 2002?

That we will have to wait and see. Remember the surprise factor was in favour of Senegal.

~Sauron~:

Majority of the Senegalese players were average until that Mundial but they were fantastic to watch.

Many of them were getting into the peak. Remember Diouf's mega deal to Liverpool was done BEFORE
the world cup meaning he was already rated.

~Sauron~:


We also have players who can mix with the best.
Martins, Kanu, Yakubu, Osaze, Taiwo, Odiah, Yobo and Kalu Uche are decent players.
Nigeria must get a manager that will make them gel together.

Thats the point. Decent players. That is what we now have. If we are to pick the African footballer
of the year, none would make the top 5. Imagine. . . Within Africa

I can remember the mid 90's with nostalgia. We'll have at least 5 players in a list of ten.

I'm praying for a second round appearance. If we dont make it, we shouldnt get discgraced
at the group stages.

SAGAMITE has taken the pains to set out why he believes SHUAIBU AMODU should remain in the saddle as SE coach. It is imperative that those of us in the opposing camp present a counter-argument. I will like to admit here that the NFF has left things too late for any change (on the eve of a major tournament) to be anything but positive. But that should not preclude us from entertaining the thought of having a real World Class coach for the Super Eagles.

SAGAMITE painted such a rosy picture of AMODU that I was nearly persuaded AMODU is the best man for the SE (not that SAGAMITE said that, but based on the statistics he posted, it can be assumed). But lets not allow statistics to fool us, and do a reality check instead. Football isn't Arithmetic, and hence any attempt to compare statistics drawn from AFRICAN qualifiers with Global (or top Leagues) is self-serving. Below, I present a global perspective and why it is AMODU has been 'fortunate' (not lucky) thus far and his lack of tactical nous isn't too glaring.

1. Quality of opposition.  In a match between NIGERIA and ERITREA, who would you expect to win? NIGERIA, of course. So AMODU winning against minor opponents ain't a big deal. What is upsetting NIGERIAN supporters is that the team struggles to win. Hence the victories have been dubbed 'unconvincing'. But then, the statistics doesn't mention that.

2. Pattern of play. That NIGERIA doesn't play well is an understatement. They play badly without any pattern. Just kicking the ball to any available player. SAGAMITE even conceded that ODEM's individual brilliance fetched the first goal against TUNISIA. This should tell us that AMODU hasn't built a team yet in the period he has been in charge. And that should be unnerving. AMODU's policy is to hold/keep the ball, no plan as to what to do with it and when.

3. No value-added. AMODU has been more of a presence than an impact. He hasn't added any value to the team. The players would still have played the way they did without AMODU present. And could have played better under a good coach. KENYA played without a coach in the last qualifying match against NIGERIA. The SE were awarded an off-side goal in the said match, and that was what allowed the SE to qualify because without that goal, NIGERIA would have played a draw and TUNISIA would have qualified ahead of us. That a team made up of players without any pedigree and without a coach could so confidently take the game to their more renowned opponents with a 'World class' coach should speak volumes about the credentials of the said coach.

(to be continued, )

Amodu complained about one thing (TIME), let's leave him to handle the team, once the nations cup is over, he should be able to create a play pattern for the eagles in 5 months.

^^^
honeric01,

Is that sarcasm? A coach that says he doesn't have time to build a team after 2 years in charge, should be expected to do so in just 6months? Let's wait and see. Already, people are giving excuses for his performance in ANGOLA. Did you read ODEGBAMI's reasons? I just pray they know something we don't.