komekn:


I would not say thats exceptional for any player maybe goalkeeper yes. But not for a Midfielder defensive or offensive.

However, the exponential rise of KC is close to miraculous his mother must be a prayer warrior.

Against all odds and predictions he has excelled, he is undoubtedly in the HERE and NOW the best forward player in the SE no contest.

I said very early on in the season that if he can score 12 goals in the EPL then we can say he has shaken off the cobwebs of the past 4 years of mediocrity.

He is now a major player for Leicester, has he overtaken Vardy not yet.

His mom is late sir.

Midfield looks very solid but I'm surprised at their lack of depth in the striker position. Gutted we lost Jamal but good one for the youngster. Who would have thought that Nigeria currently has a better pool of strikers than Germany

andrewbaba44:


There is no way they will make the squad at first self

Chai Germany having many average players like the Spanish team this days

chrisooblog:
I feel you Doc but that was a friendly. Don't forget they beat us in 2014.

Because we went to world cup with 11 players and other moving objects. When one key player was injured, no single player was on the bench to replace him. A look at mikels face when he looked at the bench that point told d whole story

chrisooblog:
Midfield looks very solid but I'm surprised at their lack of depth in the striker position. Gutted we lost Jamal but good one for the youngster. Who would have thought that Nigeria currently has a better pool of strikers than Germany

Yes ooo we got better pool of strikers than Germany

I think we got than Spainish team also

chrisooblog:
Midfield looks very solid but I'm surprised at their lack of depth in the striker position. Gutted we lost Jamal but good one for the youngster. Who would have thought that Nigeria currently has a better pool of strikers than Germany

Germany has always lacked top class strikers

Yeah but for every competition they have always had at least one person to rely on. Klinsmann, Beirhoff, Klose even Mario Gomez last time out. Guess why they recalled Muller because you surely are not going to put the hopes of a nation on Wernermighty.

Subzero047:


Germany has always lacked top class strikers

chrisooblog:
Yeah but for every competition they have always had at least one person to rely on. Klinsmann, Beirhoff, Klose even Mario Gomez last time out. Guess why they recalled Muller because you surely are not going to put the hopes of a nation on Wernermighty.

Yes they always rely on one decent striker, I wonder why a top footballing nation like that would be lacking strikers

Bascovanveli and I said so and proved it many pages ago. I reeled out a list of the Central attacking options of the Best football nations in the world currently compared to Nigeria's and we easily cracked Top 5-Top 7 in the world ahead of Germany and even the Netherlands.

It would shock you to know that even World No.1 Belgium doesn't touch us currently in terms of quality Strikers' depth.

chrisooblog:
Midfield looks very solid but I'm surprised at their lack of depth in the striker position. Gutted we lost Jamal but good one for the youngster. Who would have thought that Nigeria currently has a better pool of strikers than Germany

The Dribbling Kings Of Russia: V.Moses and Ejuke in Top 5

For context, Victor Moses had the least attempted take ons in the top 5 but he completed a large volume of them giving him 71% dribbling success.

Ejuke, on the other hand, attempted more than everyone in the league and in the top 5 (221 attempted take ons) but he completed only 145 of them giving him a Dribbling success percentage of 66%.


So all things considered, these two are among Russia's finest "send-to-market/gerrarahia" executors.

Cc Chrisooblog

Just a little throwback to this post made on Feb.5

Still stands true today so much that even the international media is beginning to take notice of Nigeria's mad depth in the Central forward/attacking position.

TheSuperNerd:
Elyte89, the lists you asked for.

The Strikers/Centre forwards-Depth (Quality+Quantity) of Various Nations with players all based in Europe.

Note: Players not based in Europe not counted. Example: Algeria's No.1 striker is not even based in Europe.

1. France:

Mbappe (PSG)
Griezmann (Barca)
Giroud (Chelsea)
Martial (Man Utd)
Ben Yedder (Monaco)
Marcus Thuram (Gladbach)
Lacazette (Arsenal)
Alessane Plea (Gladbach)
M.Dembele (Atletico Madrid)
Valere Germain (Marseille)
Jean Philippe-Mateta (Palace)
Ludovic Ajorque (Strasbourg)
Odsonne Edouard (Celtic)
Neal Maupay (Brighton)
Adrien Hunou (Rennes)
Serhou Guirassy (Rennes)

2. Spain:

Morata (Juventus)
Moreno (Villarreal)
Alcacer (Villarreal)
Aspas (Celta Vigo)
Rodrigo (Leeds)
Inaki Williams (Bilbao)
Santi Mina (Celta Vigo)
Loren slowpoke (Real Betis)
Rafa Mir (Huesca)
Mariano Diaz (Real Madrid)
Borja Mayoral (Roma)
Lucas Perez (Alaves)
Abel Ruiz (Sporting Braga)

3. Portugal:

CR7 (Juventus)* We all know he plays striker for Portugal most/some times now.
Andre Silva (Frankfurt)
Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
Paulinho (Sporting Lisbon)
Lucas Joao (Reading)
Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
Fabio Silva (Wolves)



4. Brazil:

Firmino (Liverpool)
Gabby J (ManCity)
Richarlison (Everton)* plays 9 sometimes.
Willian Jose (Wolves)
Carlos Vinicius (Spurs)
Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin)
Joelinton (Newcastle)
Wesley (Villa)
Joao Pedro (Watford)
Evanilson (Porto)
Danilo (FC Twente)


5. England:

Kane (Spurs)
Rashford (Man Utd)
DCL (Everton)
Ings (Southampton)
Bamford (Leeds)
Tammy (Chelsea)
Che Adams (Southampton)
Ollie Watkins (Villa)
Callum Wilson (Newcastle)
Michail Antonio (West Ham)

*Vardy (Retired) (Leicester)


6. Argentina:

Aguero (Man City)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
Mauro Icardi (PSG)
Giovanni Simeone (Cagliari)
Dario Benedetto (Marseille)
Lucas Alario (Leverkusen)
Ezequiel Ponce (Spartak Moscow)
Adolfo Gaich (Benevento)
Jonathan Calleri (Cagliari)



7. Nigeria:

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester)
Ebere Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk)
Sadiq Umar (Almeria)
Terem Moffi (Lorient)
Emmanuel Dennis (FC Koln)
Taiwo Awoniyi (FC Union Berlin)
Josh Maja (Fulham)
Simy Nwankwo (Crotone)
Cyriel Dessers (KRC Genk)
David Okereke (Club Brugge)
Ike Ugbo (Cercle Brugge)



8. Belgium:

Lukaku (Inter Milan)
Mertens (Napoli)
Origi (Liverpool)
Batshuayi (Palace)
Benteke (Palace)
Lois Openda (Vitesse)
Landry Dimata (Espanyol)
Aaron Iseka Leya (Metz)
Laurent Depoitre (Gent)
Renaud Emond (Nantes)



9. Italy:

Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Andrea Belotti (Torino)
Moise Kean (PSG)
Andrea Petagna (Napoli)
Patrick Cutrone (Valencia)
Francesco Caputo (Sassuolo)
Andrea Pinamonti (Inter Milan)
Manolo Gabbiadini (Sampdoria)
Sebastiano Esposito (Venezia)
Pietro Pellegri (Monaco)


10. Netherlands:

Memphis Depay (Lyon)
Luuk De Jong (Sevilla)
Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg)
Sam Lammers (Atalanta)
Bas Dost (Club Brugge)
Joshua Zirkzee (Parma)
Donyell Malen (PSV)
Myron Boadu (AZ Alkmaar)
Brian Brobbey (Ajax)


11. Colombia:

Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Luis Muriel (Atalanta)
Jhon Cordoba (Hertha Berlin)
Alfredo Morelos (Glasgow Rangers)
Cucho Fernandez (Getafe)
Luis Suarez (Granada)
Falcao (Galatasaray)
Bacca (Villarreal)


12. Germany:

Timo Werner (Chelsea)
Kevin Volland (Monaco)
Mergim Berisha (RB Salzburg)
Davie Selke (Werder Bremen)
Daniel Ginczek (Wolfsburg)
Yousouffa Moukoko (Dortmund)


13. Norway:

Haaland (Dortmund)
Sorloth (RB Leipzig)
Frederik Gulbrandsen (Basaksehir)
Ohi Omoijuanfo (Molde FK)
Jorgen Larsen (FC Groningen)
Torgeir Borven (Ankaragucu)


14. Senegal:

Habib Diallo (Strasbourg)
Boulaye Dia (Reims)
Mbaye Niang (Rennes)
Ibrahima Niane (Metz)
Abdallah Sima (Slavia Prague)
Youssouf Badji (Club Brugge)
Mbaye Diagne (West Brom)
Moussa Konate (Dijon)
Famara Diedhiou (Bristol City)
Cherif Ndiaye (Goztepe)

15. Serbia:

Mitrovic (Fulham)
Vlahovic (Fiorentina)
Luka Jovic (Frankfurt).


16. USA:

Josh Sargent (Wolfsburg)
Timothy Weah (Lille)
Sebastian Soto (Norwich)
Matthew Hoppe (Schalke 04)




Some others:

- Mexico: Raul Jimenez (Wolves)

- Algeria: Boundejah (Qatar based), Slimani (Lyon), Delort (Montpellier), Belfodil (Hoffenheim)

- Denmark: Poulsen (RB Leipzig), Braithwaite (Barca), Dolberg (Nice), Zohore (West Brom), Jonas Wind (FC Copenhagen).

- Sweden: Alexander Isak (Sociedad), Larsen (Spartak Moscow), *Zlatan (AC Milan)








In conclusion, Nigeria definitely makes the Top 10 for strikers-depth. We even have far more depth in quality and quantity than Germany of all nations!

Subzero047:


Germany has always lacked top class strikers

Rudi voeller, Jurgen Klinsmann, Gerd Muller, Mario Gomez. No say Germany has not always lacked top class strikers.

AndSunGorilla:

Rudi voeller, Jurgen Klinsmann, Gerd Muller, Mario Gomez. No say Germany has not always lacked top class strikers.

Well since Klose I mean

Subzero047:


Well since Klose I mean

I agree with you.

Thanks for the Reminder. The French really have some serious firepower up front. England on paper too looks good. Nigeria dey try sha been a while we had a group of good number 9s.

The Martins and Yakubu period was the last good period of depth of strikers in my opinion.

TheSuperNerd:
Cc Chrisooblog

Just a little throwback to this post made on Feb.5

Still stands true today so much that even the international media is beginning to take notice of Nigeria's mad depth in the Central forward/attacking position.

chrisooblog:
Thanks for the Reminder. The French really have some serious firepower up front. England on paper too looks good. Nigeria dey try sha been a while we had a group of good number 9s.

The Martins and Yakubu period was the last good period of depth of strikers in my opinion.

What's the point of having the best cars in the world but a bad driver driver who drives a sports car like say na Keke Napep!

I still wonder why laporte cannot play for France

The French coach looks like a stubborn man

Even as good as Varane I don’t think he is even better than laporte

Deschamps doesn’t like benzema Lacazette and laporte

It took benzema 6 years after that scandal to make the team

Laporte just finished processing his papers to play for Spain.

andrewbaba44:
I still wonder why laporte cannot play for France

The French coach looks like a stubborn man

Even as good as Varane I don’t think he is even better than laporte

Deschamps doesn’t like benzema Lacazette and laporte

It took benzema 6 years after that scandal to make the team

I did a top 5 for the latest match day in the NPFL in case anyone wants to check out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVxlzLYG5_Q

chrisooblog:
Laporte just finished processing his papers to play for Spain.

Yes I saw that ,I was just suprised why Deschamps refused to call the guy

Maybe he's always wanted to play for Spain. Just looking up his profile he has strong Basque roots and his formative years were in Spain.

France hasn't lacked good CBs so maybe that is why Laporte wasn't chased like that.

andrewbaba44:


Yes I saw that ,I was just suprised why Deschamps refused to call the guy

The French have the best attacking options across the final third in International football today. If you noticed, I didn't even add Karim Benzema to that post showing the mad list of french central attacking options because at the time, he was still considered out of the French team. But now he is back. Just how much more lethal can they get?

And yes, the period of 2006-2010 (I think) really saw Nigeria boast her last era of Abundance in the central strikers position. Martins, Yakubu, Ike Uche, Joseph Akpala, etc.

chrisooblog:
Thanks for the Reminder. The French really have some serious firepower up front. England on paper too looks good. Nigeria dey try sha been a while we had a group of good number 9s.

The Martins and Yakubu period was the last good period of depth of strikers in my opinion.

Just to throw more light on your factual statement.

French CBs missing/dropped from the Euros this summer:

- Wesley Fofana (Leicester)
- Maxence Lacroix (VFL Wolfsburg)
- Benoit Badiashile (Monaco)
- Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
- Ibrahima Konate (RB Leipzig)
- Mohammed Simakan (Strasbourg)
- Samuel Umtiti (Barca)
- Dan Axel Zagadou (Dortmund)
- Axel Disasi (Monaco)**Could turn out for DRC.
Etc...

And ofcos they ignored Laporte who is gonna play for Spain.

Abeg ehn... If France fit find way dash us Wesley Fofana and Simakan. Omo, our Own CB options will be having a major lift in quality. Damn! France is over-loaded abeg.

chrisooblog:
Maybe he's always wanted to play for Spain. Just looking up his profile he has strong Basque roots and his formative years were in Spain.

France hasn't lacked good CBs so maybe that is why Laporte wasn't chased like that.

chrisooblog:
Not so pleasant news seems Ebere Eze might have suffered an achilles injury could be out well into next season. Wish him quick recovery.

https:///RaeXRfVTcU?amp=1

Not our problem sha. I hope he recovers in time to join England U-23 next year

chrisooblog:
Maybe he's always wanted to play for Spain. Just looking up his profile he has strong Basque roots and his formative years were in Spain.

France hasn't lacked good CBs so maybe that is why Laporte wasn't chased like that.

If you look at the France team how many cb can you even say that’s better than him ?

Na zouma lenglet or who ? Some people will take Varane ahead of him ,but who will pick lenglet Kimpembe zouma ahead of laporte

Umtiti is no more who he used to be due to injury and no more in the squad ,he was easily their best CB at the World Cup

Well he had a basque root so he can come and help the Spanish team

TheSuperNerd:
Just to throw more light on your factual statement.

French CBs missing/dropped from the Euros this summer:

- Wesley Fofana (Leicester)
- Maxence Lacroix (VFL Wolfsburg)
- Benoit Badiashile (Monaco)
- Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
- Ibrahima Konate (RB Leipzig)
- Mohammed Simakan (Strasbourg)
- Samuel Umtiti (Barca)
- Dan Axel Zagadou (Dortmund)
- Axel Disasi (Monaco)**Could turn out for DRC.
Etc...

And ofcos they ignored Laporte who is gonna play for Spain.

Abeg ehn... If France fit find way dash us Wesley Fofana and Simakan. Omo, our Own CB options will be having a major lift in quality. Damn! France is over-loaded abeg.

But nerdy talk true ,how many France current cb wey dem carry go euros better pass laporte ?

True but also note that over the 3-4 year period that Laporte came to prominence France already had a steady partnership between Umtiti (Barca) and Varane (R. Madrid). Laporte has also been injured periodically which would have affected his chances with Les Blues.

As Supernerd kindly shared France is currently building another great generation of defensive stalwarts so the desperation to go after Aymeric would have reduced. IMHO i think Laporte made up his mind 2 years back to represent Spain when the Umtiti/Varane partnership was still strong.

andrewbaba44:


If you look at the France team how many cb can you even say that’s better than him ?

Na zouma lenglet or who ? Some people will take Varane ahead of him ,but who will pick lenglet Kimpembe zouma ahead of laporte

Umtiti is no more who he used to be due to injury and no more in the squad ,he was easily their best CB at the World Cup

Well he had a basque root so he can come and help the Spanish team

chrisooblog:
True but also note that over the 3-4 year period that Laporte came to prominence France already had a steady partnership between Umtiti (Barca) and Varane (R. Madrid). Laporte has also been injured periodically which would have affected his chances with Les Blues.

As Supernerd kindly shared France is currently building another great generation of defensive stalwarts so the desperation to go after Aymeric would have reduced. IMHO i think Laporte made up his mind 2 years back to represent Spain when the Umtiti/Varane partnership was still strong.

Well Said

I reckon only 1 or 2 to be honest. Laporte is more than good enough to make the list of 5CB options selected.
But you see, that's why I used the word "ignored" for only him because he was never even part of the French set-up.

Good thing Chrisooblog has already explained why France really didn't see Laporte as an option back then and even now. And I would not say it's france's loss because they have such a wonderful pool of CB talents rising strong and doing very well but it is certainly Spain's gain because they can do with a player of Laporte's quality and experience especially as a LCB.

andrewbaba44:


But nerdy talk true ,how many France current cb wey dem carry go euros better pass laporte ?

TheSuperNerd:
I reckon only 1 or 2 to be honest. Laporte is more than good enough to make the list of 5CB options selected.
But you see, that's why I used the word "ignored" for only him because he was never even part of the French set-up.

Good thing Chrisooblog has already explained why France really didn't see Laporte as an option back then and even now. And I would not say it's france's loss because they have such a wonderful pool of CB talents rising strong and doing very well but it is certainly Spain's gain because they can do with a player of Laporte's quality and experience especially as a LCB.

Yes jare Chrisooblog had explained better

zuchyblink:
Lozano is a Beast in front of goal but Mexico is beatable

Mexico's biggest player is Lozano, and we see Osimhen at Napoli with him everyday. The difference is, we have multiple payers like Osimhen in their various positions, players like Ndidi, Chuks, Nacho etc. The only things we need to do to beat Mexico are:
1. Close up our defense. Our defense is still a bit shaky.
2. Make tactical decisions during the game
3. Be able to work in unison, like a team.

zuchyblink:
Lozano is a Beast in front of goal but Mexico is beatable

You come yarn like say mexico na one kind big team

Very beatable my broda

Dont forget Raul Jimenez is from there sha

chrisooblog:


It's not fear just being realistic.

Yeah I remember that game Ike Uche was fantastic that day.

Uche Brothers always repping from La liga. Camp no dey vibe till they land that year.

Well the reality is relative. I still strongly believe that if we really mean France with all their star players, we would pull a Senegal on them anyday. We've had close envounters enough to make any SE fan to know that their starstuddedness doesnt translate to superiority vs SE.

I hope we build a rivalry similar to Mexico's.

I don taya to dey see SE vs Mexico.