and for you omar22 i hope your not in any way defending lars playing keita at right wing, there is absolutely no excuse even against colombia he was totally useless in that position he never played any good game in that position, he is not good enough to clean osaze boots, and there is no way on earth that a real nigerian would put a silly mallam keita in right wing ahead of osaze absolutely no reason

I couldnt careless who Lagerback drops,  a manager lives or dies by his decision if Nigeria had qualified for the next round the same people who knocking the manager would be praising him,  but Osaze is a disgrace,   Theirs reason why the Russian manager who managed Cameroun at Italia 90, had to go and beg Thomas Nkono out of retirement despite Cameroun having Antonio Bell a very good keeper,  if your attitude sucks you wont get far,  Osaze showed his true colour after things didnt go his way, , I have seen both Alex Ferguson, Fabio Capello and Van Gaal boot out very good player from their clubs dues to poor attitude or character,  Osaze thinks he is the don of the team

texazzpete:

As soon as you own up to being wrong about the formation Largerback used, i will.

 You need to shaping your game reading even Telegraph     said we used a 4-3-3 formation, how u came to think we played 4-4-2 is beyond me http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/news/7814310/Argentina-v-Nigeria-live.html The only game we used 4-4-2 was against greece.

It would not have just been 'nice'. It would have been extremely good. It would have been doing what any good coach is supposed to do. it's not the option, the luxury people like you try and make it out to be. It is a neccessity to keep the team competitive. And Amodu failed us in that regard.

Different coaches different approaches. Some coach prefer to focus on the * established* players and allow the developmental coaches to do the job of bringing in new talent. some (like Onigbende) Would rather tire down the house and start from scratch. Your man Las Largerback falls in the former category judging by the selection he named to the world cup.

I'm interested as to how you're so convinced that Siasia 'will not take BS from any player'. The man has been a youth team coach for Nigeria - he has never had to contend with the oversized egos and the 'mafia' and 'cabals' within the team. As Junior team coach, he has not been placed under the same pressure from the NFF as Amodu was I'm not saying he's not all you describe him as, but the man has not yet gone through that baptism of fire.  .

 I don't think so Nigeria is football crazy country and I even though he has not coached the national team, he has coached the Olympic Team and the pressure there is close to that of the national team. Concerning Oversized Egos of the players. Like I said Siasia is a no nonsense coach. He has been there and dont that, he played and scored in the world cup, he was a vital member of the last golden generation of super eagles and has a Nations cup gold to show for that. He has played in the Top league in Europe at a time when the present crop of players were still playing Monkey post. Remember how he excluded Mikel from the Olympic team in-spite of everything many said? I think Siasia is more than ripe for the eagles Job. But would be get it? that is a big question because the power that be don't like people like siasia. there see him too transparent and can not be used as a stooge or bullied.

What i find funny is that in your own words, you admit that amodu is not very enterprising, adventurous and is somewhat susceptible to player influence. Is this the kind of coach you as a self-described Eagles fan would love to see coaching Nigeria?

When Amodu was picked as Nigerian coach I was one of the people who raised my concern about it. He is not my favorite coach. However to blame everything that has happened in nigerian football on him is taking things too far. My point is he is not as bad as people make him to be, and whether u accept it or not he did deliver the mandate given to him by the FA. Qualify Nigeria to the world cup and take us to at least the semi final of the nations cup. He did all that. The issue of whether he struggled to do that or whether he was lucky becomes a subjective matter. Facts is that he delivered on his mandate. Maybe not in grandstyle but no matter what he did not deserve the abuse criticism many are showering on him now. This man served his country the best way he can. I for that I would forever be great-full to him. Does this mean he is the best man for the Job? I think not. Does it mean he should be treated as he was? hell no he deserved much better. judging from the circumstance he had to contend with.  

And yes, luck does exist in football. SOmetimes you make your own luck, like the US yesterday sending waves of strikers up front at the Algerians, exerting serious pressure until they scored. But sometimes you're just plain lucky. Take a look at the South Korean players and coach's faces when Yakubu missed that ball that even my 80 year old grandmother will score. Against Mozambique away, we were repeatedly torn to shreds and saved by the bar on more than one occasion. I will not dwell on this point. Suffice it to say that the Eagles under Amodu stumbled their way to many undeserved wins and draws. And that is no comfort to true fans.

Luck can only take u so far in football, maybe u win a match due to luck. But to qualify a team to the world cup, (remember he didnt lose in Mozambique.  there are lots of what ifs in football. what if Yak had scored would we have still had the penalty? what if Mozambique had scored the goal that hit the bar, would nigeria have been inspired to school more goals and even gone on to win the game? the fact is you never know, this are mere uncertainties and we can only be sure of one thing. The outcome of the game. Amodu's team may not be flamboyant in victory but the fact still remained that he lost only one game in delivering the mandate he was giving by the FA. That is one fact which can not be changed. And luck had nothing to do with it. Even if it did than by God we need a coach who brings the  unexplainable element of luck to the team he coaches.  

Forget all the hype; Amodu's allowances were being paid. Perhaps sometimes not as promptly but they were being paid. ,

you contradict yourself, I am a salaried worker and I know what it means when u dont get your allowance as at when due, the fact remained that this guy here never got his allowance as at when due. It is hardly a good working condition ask the people who work for monthly pay.

When you're the coach of your national team and you're reasonably well off yourself, pride and patriotism is a good enough motivation to get you through

. This is why u completely miss the mark. Patriotism does not pay the bill. If I do something for my country my country too should do something for me, its a social contract. How many FA Chairmen are patriotic? how many players? if the same standard of patriotism is not applied to our football administrators why should Amodu's own be different? Patriotism in nigerian football went out the door in Saundi '89 when players who played and toiled for their father land had thiner shopping bags to take home compared to the FA chairman. That was the period patriotism dead. Amodu is a professional and when u are a pro you should be paid for what you do simple as that asking for your allowance does not mean you arent motivated or patriotic. It just mean you are not working under the best environment.

I'm not suprised you're descending into melodrama; No one told Amodu to his face that they were going to replace him even if he did well or not. And i do not imagine that stumbling to a third place finish in the Nations cup was 'doing well'.

There is nothing Melodramic about it, it was a known thing then, the presidential committee was in Angola to pressure the FA chairman to sack amodu, that was a known fact. and he amodu came to say he was called and informed that he would be replaced and that was a sure thing. In fact people thought it would be the coach of the Mozambican team till amodu's boys thrashed them.  You may have a short memory on that I don't.

The World Cup is where the real deal is at. Go ask Egypt - they'd have gladly traded places with Algeria. We just could not trust Amodu with doing anything good with the team at the world cup, not after their poor displays at the Nations Cup.

Does who do not learn from history are likely to be consumed by it. 2002 Amodu was called in to save the nations qualification after Bonferejo had derailed it. He came in and we qualified in grand style. then he took the team to Mali where there were beaten by Mali in a kinly contested game ( were we even lost a penalty) Amodu accused of "slow motion football" and was fired. Onigbende was hired to take the country to the world cup. The end result? we lost to games and drew one. fast forward 2010 (8 years later) samething happened. OK agreed amodu was not competent to take us to the world cup abi? there say the ends determine the means and if that is the case Largerback gamble was a failure because he came and the much feared poor showing we wanted to avoid by sacking amodu was the very thing that happened to us. Maybe if Amodu was in charge his "luck" might have seen him through with a better showing. But history would have it that Lagerback failed after lifting the hopes of Nigerians and making mouth about how he would take the team to the semis yada yada yada. he failed.

Stop swallowing Amodu's FUD about his 'work condition'. He was given a job to do and paid to do it. if at any time he felt that he was not being well rewarded for his services, the honourable thing to do would have been to quit. When you stay on a job on which the hopes and dreams of Nigerians rest upon, you damned well better do the Job. Of all the excuses you've given, this is the silliest.
I hope you're this generous when doctors, police, teachers and firemen give you for rendering poor services to you.

Why are u talking with two side of your mouth, on one hand u are saying patriotism he should be motivated by service to father land, now u are saying if he was not happy with the work condition he should have left. anyway I think he should have left. But I think he wanted to proof a point and in my book he did. in-spite of the pressure and non payment of allowance as at when due, he did deliver the world cup ticket and got us our usual bronze in the nations cup. The hopes and dreams of Nigerians has been dashed way before amodu, our league is in shambles, we hardly produce playser from the youth team as we use to. The last major supply we got from the Youth team was in 1993 and the players them formed the 2 second Golden generation of Nigerian football and went on to rule africa and the world. since then players have just not come through. as we key players we have not been able to replace them. we lost Olise, Finidi, Amokaci, Ikpeba, Amunike, Uche Okechuwhu (gentle gaints) Taribo west, Yekini. etc where are the replacements for this players? where is the continuity in our youth team? or are u going to also blame amodu for that too? the problem of Nigerian football and the rot is deeper than amodu or any coach for that matter. Unless we fix the administrator side of things we would continue to wumble and fumble even if u bring Jose Mourinho.

 

Yeah, local coach, local methods. Unlucky for us that FIFA lists other members apart from African Nations.
Shebi Osaze confessed that Amodu had NEVER used game videos as part of their training program? remember that these are not the words of an embittered player, so that's much more likely to be an honest statement.
The taste of the pudding is in the eating. And when entrusted with the Eagles, Amodu made sure he was responsible for the future decline of the team.

You yourself said Osaze should not be taken seriously. He had lots of things to say about Largerbacks tactic too so do not be selective in picking out just his opinion which favour your argument. He criticized his 4-3-3 formation saying it left lots of gap in the Medfield and a his instructions that the forward line should not come back to help the defense. He had many things to say about Largerback and having compared him to Amodu said sacking Amodu was a mistake so we can infer that he felt Amodu was way better than Largerback. at least using ur own logic.

'Someone like Utaka'
When last did Utaka turn in a decent performance for club or country? After seeing his shitty display against Chelsea, i wanted no part of him. You'll find that most SE fans were even questioning Utaka's inclusion in the squad sef.

Then the next question is if he is so bad why include him in the squared? i mean we needed someone u could play from the right and give us width there if he know ukata was not good enough he should have allowed maybe Anichebe to come in and play that role? or probably ask Amokachi for a local league player who was good enough for that role?  
Also do u know another player who had almost a zero playing time for his club? Shittu!

Your comments about Kaita are valid opinions, but the same Kaita had been glorying in the attention his position on the right got after the Colombia match. Supersport reported that his teammates were thrilled will his performance, dubbing him the 'new finidi'
http://www.supersport.com/football/article.aspx?Id=351446
Kaita himself was so thrilled, he put this up on this Facebook page as 'Link to article calling me the new Finidi' So for all intents, kaita had an 'outstanding' game on the right against Colombia. Why is Largerback now being reviled for playing this same fellow on the right?

2002 A player called Ogbeche was taken to the world cup because of a over head kick he did in a friendly game against Paraguay. Even though he did not score such was the beauty of the kick that he was included to the world cup squad he went on to be a huge flop. A good coach doesn't plays a player to his strength and is not carried away but one fluke performance, Kaita is a defensive midfielder, his strength is the ability to break down attacks or the opposing team. Its ok to play him in central defence if need be but as a right side of midfield? you need players who can hold on to the ball and who has speed and can put in crosses. Can u honestly say that Kaita has this attributes? Fine its ok to even resort to him during a tournament where all the first choice are our due to card or injury, but to build a team plan on him playing from the left is taking things to far. If u knew u had a problem in the right wing. Then why did he take Ukata who is more natural in that wing? if he  knew he was not going to play him he should have taken someone else. Perhaps one of the under 21 players? If it were Amodu you would have been the first to jump on his case.

Osaze's comments are not to be taken seriously, and anyone who does so needs to be seriously ashamed of himself. This was how Yekini came out blasting Westerhof after we narrowly lost to italy, claiming his teammates were instructed not to pass the ball to him.
If you believe Osaze's comments, why not also accept Yekini's silly accusations against the likes of Siasia and Westerhof (our most successful coach ever)?

See how inconsistent you are now. This is the lack of consistency which hikes me about Nigerians. You were ready to use Osaze's criticism of Amodu to justify your claim that amodu is a bad coach but the same criticism of largarback makes him unserious? You and Osaze are one and the same then. I condemned him when he did it to Amodu and I condemn him now with Largarback.

Talk of Westerhof people now find it easy to say he is the best coach for Nigeria. What many failed to remember is that it took him 5 years to deliver and take us to the promise land. Infact his first game for Nigeria we lost 5-1 to Algeria (even though we still got to the final and lost 1-0 to same team)  Westerhof was successful because he was given a free hand not just by the NFA (which he had serious issues with) but by Babangida Administration. He had the full support and access to the presidency at that time and even then it still took him 5 years to win the cup of nation. his first attempt was a silver medal, second was a bronze in senegal 92 (I game we were favorite to win)but lost to 2-1 to Ghana after who came from behind after Mutiu Adepoju's header. It was in 1994 that he finally got the goal after 2 failed attempt and we qualified to the world cup same year. So it is not co-incidental that Westerhof and Bonferejo the two most successful coaches in Nigeria had full support of presidency and were also the longest serving coaches we had.

Our group was relaitvely EASY. Why? because it contained Nigeria. On any milestone, any scorecard or any yardstick, we were always lumped among the weak teams. When people start blabbing about our group being 'easy', i wonder if they realise that Nigeria in there serves to reinforce the 'easy' tag. To South Korea, our group was 'easy' because it had us and Greece. ditto for the greeks. I can bet they would have been far more scared of drawing Cameroun or Ivory Coast.
That is Amodu's legacy - we are now a weak, third rate team. Sure, we can hold our own in Africa (for the smaller teams), but even then i'd be extremely apprehensive going up against the likes of Egypt, Ivory Coast, Cameroun and Ghana. Hell, we look more shaky than the South Africans.

Don't even try to spin this one we failed woefully even Onigbinde performed better in a more difficult group 8 years ago. we needed just a win to qualify and we failed and u blame amodu? what legacy did he leave? he employed and given a mandate. he satisfied that mandate that is his legacy. You man Largerback choose to follow amodu's legacy by using the same players Amodu used, playing the same formation Amodu played. even his first 11 was same thing with Amodu (more or less)

Amodu is not responsible for the rot in nigerian football ask the people administering it. Where are the U17 U21 boys? who is coaching them were are they camped? There whole NFF federation every single one of them took themselves to south africa even though we have a league going on here.  What is the faith of our league. where are the boys who won the U17 with Yemi Tela? where are the boys who got to the finals some months ago? what happened to them? or u want to blame amodu for that too? You have an FA that can not even tell you who the highest goal scorer in the league is. or is that Amodu's fault too?

Have u ever wondered why experienced good coaches never take Nigeria seriously? and why we always settle for coaches who are past their prime, unknown coaches looking for someone to shine with, or losers. Largerback was a loser before he came to nigeria (facts!)- its because of offcial meddling by the FA. Largerback is there cus he is a stooge we see it happening its not the first time. Unless you have presidential support nothing for you. That is why no good foreign coach want to come here and tarnish their image. Again you can't blame Amodu for that.

That is Amodu's legacy. And Largerback (Or perhaps Siasia) will have their work cut out for them to lead us out of this mess.

Amodu's legacy is that of a man who qualified his country twice to the world cup. The only local guy to have achieved such a fit too.

Amodu is not responsible for the rot in nigerian football ask the people administering it. Where are the U17 U21 boys? who is coaching them were are they camped? There whole NFF federation every single one of them took themselves to south africa even though we have a league going on here.  What is the faith of our league. where are the boys who won the U17 with Yemi Tela? where are the boys who got to the finals some months ago? what happened to them? or u want to blame amodu for that too? You have an FA that can not even tell you who the highest goal scorer in the league is. or is that Amodu's fault too?

Agree but African players are bought through the basis of exposure, what's wrong with Amodu looking for a replacement for Kanu in the local league……. In reality Amodu was only concern about the 15k – 20k him and Ogunjobi would get from each player joining the squad…. Knowing that player has to achieve a certain criteria before their work permit was renewed, I know why a certain Charlton Athletic player was called to the squad in a friendly under Amodu… a Charlton player?

Topic Summary
Posted on: Today at 02:21:23 PM Posted by: omar22
Agree but African players are bought through the basis of exposure, what's wrong with Amodu looking for a replacement for Kanu in the local league……. In reality Amodu was only concern about the 15k – 20k him and Ogunjobi would get from each player joining the squad…. Knowing a knowing that player has to achieve a certain criteria before their work permit was renewed, I know why a certain Charlton Athletic player was called to the squad in a friendly under Amodu… a Charlton player?

Why didn't largerback do the same? or Beti Volts or Bonfereejo, or many of the coaches we have employed before Amodu.

I refer u to this post. summed up my take on the whole amodu issue.

"""Truth be told, this issue about the national team's performance at the World Cup is drilling deep into my bones. Not because our team's performance was unexpected, frankly I expected them to do badly, but because of the reaction of Nigerians to the whole fiasco.

Why do we have this terrible inferiority complex?

Truth is this: Amodu was not the best man for the Eagles' job, and he did not even top the interview. However, when the decision to sack him was stupidly made after the Nations Cup, why were the three guys who trumped him in the initial selection process not called? Why did all of the new people who were called have to be white?

I am no racist, however from a financial point of view, I am more interested in the Return on Investment yardstick. If you take what happened to us in this World Cup, the return has been ZERO. I say build from the bottom up. Engaging foreign coaches is a lazy way out of reaping where we've not sown.

Let's gather the most intelligent of our ex-players - I suggest Siasia/Oliseh - and get them to mould a team that fits into the character of the nation. If we need a qualified coach, look no further than Kadiri Ikhana. The man has won the CAF Champions League back to back, has won Nigerian titles with different clubs! He is the one who in charge of the Nigerien team got them to beat our home based Eagles. A feat that I would never have dreamed of in my worst nightmares!

Look at Argentina and Germany today, their teams are not coached by geniuses like Capello or Lippi but their teams are exciting to watch and add a spontaneity to the game we haven't seen with the overblown and over-coached European teams.

Let's take a risk on our futures and in my opinion, the results wouldn't be any worse than we have now.""
http://chxta..com/2010/06/complexes.html

Why didn't largerback do the same? or Beti Volts or Bonfereejo, or many of the coaches we have employed before Amodu.

I refer u to this post. summed up my take on the whole amodu issue.

"""Truth be told, this issue about the national team's performance at the World Cup is drilling deep into my bones. Not because our team's performance was unexpected, frankly I expected them to do badly, but because of the reaction of Nigerians to the whole fiasco.

Why do we have this terrible inferiority complex?

Truth is this: Amodu was not the best man for the Eagles' job, and he did not even top the interview. However, when the decision to sack him was stupidly made after the Nations Cup, why were the three guys who trumped him in the initial selection process not called? Why did all of the new people who were called have to be white?

I am no racist, however from a financial point of view, I am more interested in the Return on Investment yardstick. If you take what happened to us in this World Cup, the return has been ZERO. I say build from the bottom up. Engaging foreign coaches is a lazy way out of reaping where we've not sown.

Let's gather the most intelligent of our ex-players - I suggest Siasia/Oliseh - and get them to mould a team that fits into the character of the nation. If we need a qualified coach, look no further than Kadiri Ikhana. The man has won the CAF Champions League back to back, has won Nigerian titles with different clubs! He is the one who in charge of the Nigerien team got them to beat our home based Eagles. A feat that I would never have dreamed of in my worst nightmares!

Look at Argentina and Germany today, their teams are not coached by geniuses like Capello or Lippi but their teams are exciting to watch and add a spontaneity to the game we haven't seen with the overblown and over-coached European teams.

Let's take a risk on our futures and in my opinion, the results wouldn't be any worse than we have now.""

Look I agree with everything you say, but how much experience does Oliseh / Siasia have? Judging from the contract the NFF gave out, is a short one…. I was extremely disappointed with how we played during qualification, and that’s when I wanted Amodu to be sacked but no they didn’t learnt from the 2002 saga, watching Nigeria having over 50 players in a training camp, Onigbinde invited non league players…… every FA in the world wants someone they could control this includes most top nations, I know what Brazil went through when Scolari was in charge, the English FA refuses to give the job to Brian Clough, the Italian couldn’t stand Capello and with Nigeria the FA do not like Siasia because he is not a poster boy like Amodu…

i am shocked to hear this comment from osaze, like others, my repect for him has vanished. he siad it all though that all nigerian players including him are not doing well even in their clubs, he failed to impress me not to talk of largerback. players are selected according to form and game plan, not according to previous performance. a good winger is a good winger, he should be able to play be it right or left. if Eto Fills can be played at the right at inter and he performed i dont see why osaze can not do well in the left and i no he has played in that left position sometimes for eagels and delivered.

osaze was right in a way, sacking amodu was never the solution to nigerian football's myriad of problems, worse still ousting him 3 months to the start of a major competition was kust plain daft not to talk of replacing hi with a man who had 3 weeks to acquaint himself with his team before his 1st match. This just smacks of unprofessionalism on the part of the association.
If they had any doubt about amodu he should have been sacked after qualifying in Nov that way whoever takes over would have had the chance to shape his team with the nations cup

i wonder how nigerians think, have u ppl analyzed wat he said,what is wrong if he said sacking amodu was a mistake, the truth is sacking amodu for lagerback was a big mistake because we saw lars selections, totally wrong ,he couldnt read the game on time and when he did it was always late,late substitutions and the likes, lets look at the last game, why did he put lukman on the bench , why did he leave obafemi on the bench ,we could feel the life obafemi and nsorfor brought into the game though they had less time to make an impact,osaze was supposed to play that game,rabiu was not suppose to e in that game,imean it was so glaring,if sacking and amodu and bringin in lars was getting us at the bottom of a winnable group then ithink it was wrong sacking amodu.now to the issue of captaincy , i know osaze very well and i know he will always stand up or the players,he has don that for martins before.he has done that for mikel even kanu so i think he deeserves to vent his anger afterall martins qualified us for the world cup and as far as am concern he deserved more playing time