Joebie:
This reminds me of Cameroon at the WCQ. I like reading news like this..
I hope Argentina's coach also toes this same line of thinking.

tbaba1234:
I posted this earlier but i still find this story unbelievable.. Never heard a story like this before.. Stealing? You are in a position where several young Nigerian players hope to be and you are stealing from the team.

Icon4s:


Hmmmm...noted.

Iheanacho the "press" master you get work here.

TheGoodJoe:


Do not lecture me on grant. You can say maybe Nsofor had a poor attitude or something else. Not get into gear. When Nsofor was dropped, he was in full gear. I had a friend who used to laugh at West Ham during their losing spell when Nsofor was dropped.

Even Slimani who is the top forward of Algeria is Finding it hard getting playing time. Playing for the U21 shows a player ready to work hard despite not seeing sufficient games. It is also a Sign of Humility. I think in Manchester United, Victor Valdes did the same when he was not seeing games at Manchester United. We are talking of a multiple Champions League winning goal keeper and a keeper who won multiple League titles.

lexyman:



the scoreline of our match against Croatia will be similar to the scoreline of France 98 ...Nigeria vs Spain 3;2

forgiveness:


Now, you are talking and I agree with you 100%. This is why we have to look a CF of both modern and traditional point man in our team.

Finito finally.

Kalapizim:
Even Chelsea's Batsuwayi played for the youth side yesterday, 24hrs after playing against Athletico Madrid on Tuesday. getting fit is the key.

TheGoodJoe:


Two Championship footballers were today charged with burglary after items were allegedly stolen from a nightclub staff room, police said.

Southampton players Nathan Dyer, 20, and Bradley Wright-Phillips, 23, were charged following an incident at the Bar Bluu club in Southsea, Hants, on Feb 28.

Police were alerted after the pair were allegedly captured on CCTV entering an unlocked staff room at the club with a group of friends during the early hours of the morning.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2145283/Footballers-Bradley-Wright-Phillips-and-Nathan-Dyer-charged-with-burglary.html

It happened before. Back then when it happened, Bradley being a known City former player shouldered the weight of the negative publicity. Today, as I checked the news, I was shocked to see the second player was Dyer who played for Swansea.

goldfish80:


I had to lecture you on Avram Grant incase it escaped you he was the manager at West Ham at the time.
West Ham in that particular season were very poor. They were in a relegation fight from start of the season till the end. At the time, they had accomplished international players like Demba Ba, Diamanti, Carlton Cole and Beni Mccarthy. It was academic they will rotate the team especially with the circumstance surrounding them that season.

TheGoodJoe:


Do not lecture me on grant. You can say maybe Nsofor had a poor attitude or something else. Not get into gear. When Nsofor was dropped, he was in full gear. I had a friend who used to laugh at West Ham during their losing spell when Nsofor was dropped.

Even Slimani who is the top forward of Algeria is Finding it hard getting playing time. Playing for the U21 shows a player ready to work hard despite not seeing sufficient games. It is also a Sign of Humility. I think in Manchester United, Victor Valdes did the same when he was not seeing games at Manchester United. We are talking of a multiple Champions League winning goal keeper and a keeper who won multiple League titles.

tbaba1234:


It is one thing to mess up at a night club. It is another to mess up at your place of work

Icon4s:


I am looking at a 4-4-2 with 2 false 9s.

I am not so comfortable with that 3 back line. What do you think?

goldfish80:


I had to lecture you on Avram Grant incase it escaped you he was the manager at West Ham at the time.
West Ham in that particular season were very poor. They were in a relegation fight from start of the season till the end. At the time, they had accomplished international players like Demba Ba, Diamanti, Carlton Cole and Beni Mccarthy. It was academic they will rotate the team especially with the circumstance surrounding them that season.

Slimani haven't leaved up to his reputation. Two seasons ago, he was one of the lost sort after strikers in the world after scoring 30+goals for sporting Lisbon. I don't know his numbers with Leicester but I'm pretty sure he haven't scored up to 5 goals for the team. Its not a matter of bias or prejudice. He simply haven't performed.

Humility or no humility, Kelechi didn't make a good career decision staying back in England. A world cup striker shouldn't be playing at the U21 level.

Icon4s:


Does Alex Iwobi not play with the U21s once in a while?

Just a couple of years back Oxlade-Chamberlein and Walcott also featured for the Arsenal U21s even though they were already full members of the 3 Lions.

It is just a bid to keep them match fit.

I don't see any thing wrong with that

TheGoodJoe:
Kovacic, Modric and Rakitic is sure a deadly combination for us to face due to their intense work rate in the midfield. They might not offer the right defensive balance but their overall work rate is certainly a problem for us to face.

MetalJigsaw:
When we're defending its 5-3-2. The two wingbacks join the defence to make it five defenders.

junnyjake:


Truth be told.

None of those FBs would ever take Nigeria as their only option.

Ryan knows he won't get a place with the Eagles now, the midfield position is choked, which is why he says he'd like to concentrate more on his club.

goldfish80:


I dint know about Alex Iwobi playing for the arsenal U21's.

I don't know about Walcott's case in particular but I do know that an injured player is often made to play with the U21 for fitness. Wilshere this seasons started out at the U21's to regain match fitness. Immediately he got fit, he was drafted straight to the main team.

In essence, if a player is not injured but made to play with the U21's, it usually signals demotion.
Nobody should be happy about this situation.

Icon4s:


That Iwobi-Iheanacho with Mikel behind the duo front line against Argentina na killer o.

I think we need to switch to a 4-4-2 in one of our friendlies so we try that combo again. Omo! the fluency and efficiency of that attack too sweet. Iwobi and Iheanacho upfront with Mikel providing the passes. And V.Moses doing his own damage from one of the wings and Simon/Onyekuru doing the other.

TheGoodJoe:


I do not think the debate is still about career decision. I also feel and before he left, hammered it was not the best move. It is not about how a man falls but how he Picks himself up. Nacho playing with the U21 is a good move that should be encouraged.

If the passport is the issue, he waits and gets it. The hunts for a club with a history of playing free flowing football and with a manager that shares the ideology. Then move on from there.

Icon4s:


That is one of the demerits of that 3-5-2 formation. It will not allow us to maximize our potentials.
But If we must play 3-5-2 and we have to bring in Victor Moses we line up like this:

............Moses..........Iheanacho

........................Iwobi
Idowu......Mikel.............Ndidi....Shehu

.......Balogun......Awaziem.......Ekong


I prefer Moses in the attack and not as Wing Back. He is our major attacking weapon.

Icon4s:


Likewise Iheanacho just recovering from Injury.

goldfish80:
This can't be right. Never knew things have gotten this bad for Kelechi.
Under twenty what?

MetalJigsaw:
Yeah! But what about the midfield? We'll need distinguished DMs and an AM in the midfield which is Mikel, Ndidi and Ogu/Onazi. Because 4-4-2 leaves just two midfielders.

Icon4s:


Watch that Argentina's second goal. The one Aguero scored. The LWB was completely in a no man's land when Pavon led that attack before crossing to Aguero. That is one of the demerits of the Wing Back play.
This kind of formation suits you when you score first and then you need to maintain the lead and then comfortably switch to 5 defenders formation.
That second goal came because we decided to push out to get an equalizer. You can easily find yourself 3 goals down within 45mins.

I still feel that formation will limit the team's full potentials. Wingers and Full backs would now be battling for 2 positions rather than 4 positions. Many of our wingers and Full backs will not make it to Russia then.

goldfish80:

Which injury was he recovering from? I thought he played against Argentina and Algeria?

Icon79:
Actually, I beg to differ. They are all very skillful and technical players but they are slow. I think we'll outrun them in the midfield. I like our chances in pitting Onazi, Ndidi, and Mikel against Rakitic, Kovacic, and Modric.


O pari

TheGoodJoe:


Nsofor was firing with all cylinders. His drop did not look as a case of rotation. It looked totally unfair, dropping one of their best performing players. Funny part is that the team tanked after such comical decision. If it was an English boy, Heads will roll.

blueto:
What about Chelsea who won the league and are currently doing well with the three back line formation?

With that formation, it will be very difficult for Nigeria to concede in the first place. Nigeria conceded the first goal because of the mistake from the goalkeeper that resulted to that freekick, so we can say that Argentina may not have even scored in that game. Chelsea conceded few goals with the three back line last season, we have Iwodu who you even said it yourself that he is recovers in time to join the defense as a wing back, and also Shehu/Ebuehi doing okay. So as for me, the 3-5-2 formation is a formation that should be used against teams like Croatia and Argentina for now, if it proves to be better in the coming friendlies. A five man defence (wing backs inclusive) may be necessary to thwart the attacking threats of those star studded teams.

blueto:
What about Chelsea who won the league and are currently doing well with the three back line formation?

With that formation, it will be very difficult for Nigeria to concede in the first place. Nigeria conceded the first goal because of the mistake from the goalkeeper that resulted to that freekick, so we can say that Argentina may not have even scored in that game. Chelsea conceded few goals with the three back line last season, we have Iwodu who you even said it yourself that he is recovers in time to join the defense as a wing back, and also Shehu/Ebuehi doing okay. So as for me, the 3-5-2 formation is a formation that should be used against teams like Croatia and Argentina for now, if it proves to be better in the coming friendlies. A five man defence (wing backs inclusive) may be necessary to thwart the attacking threats of those star studded teams.

TheGoodJoe:


I think the Croatians have a faster midfield trio than us. Ndidi and Modric are about the same in respect to speed. Kovacic is faster than Onazi. Rakitic is faster than Mikel Obi. Coupled with the technical abilities in passing, shooting and Dribbling, makes the Croatians a better combo.

However, with effective strategy and tactics, we can match.

Questence:



How good is Ryan Sanusi?


Compared with Kelechi Nwakali



Questence.