Mujtahida:

The bolded is the recognition his stats has earned him and that's my point. Truth is tackling is not all there is about his game but thus far that is what stands him out and he deserves commendation.

isan:
I disagree big time ..world class players perform week in week out

daveP:
It's annoying. That Argentina match, the viewing centre I watched was filled up with patriotic pessimists. They came to look for loop holes and then watch dem Dybala and co roast us to the ashes. They were so happy that after the first goal, they were already shouting. Sad laughter followed after the second goal.



We equalized and the usual talks of that Argentina go still score was everywhere.


Only me and an old man(Obviously a golden generation fan) were optimistic.





Then I discovered the reason why they are that pessimistic in nature, which is no excuse atall still..... Nacho's freekick entered and allllll the pessimists jumped up to scream goaaaallllll.


Why did they scream goal when they had no hope for the team?


Simple...... It's been long we scored such goal from set piece against a very big team.


So you see, they just wanted exceptional play. Some of them injured during the celebration cos they heeded not the ceiling fans that was above their heads. But they cared not.



Three more goals and we all left the place on a high..... They sounded like the Jews in the era of Christ..... Hosanna today, Crucify him tomorrow!!!!!




They were now the ones that were hyping Nacho, Iwobi, and Brian Idowu Asif they've seen Idowu play like 20games for any team sef. SMH.



The old man told me that these are plastic fans, thanks to club football standards as he zoomed off in his SUV. He looked wealthy but he forsook his big house to join others in a viewing Centre!!!!

tbaba1234:


A possession club will help him improve that attribute. Arsenal can do with a ball winner with his ability. Xhaka is atrocious defensively but he can pass. See, how porous Arsenal's defense is..

edi287:

Mbappe still edges him in decision making. I've made that clear time and time again

TheGoodJoe:


It seems I have to repeat the same point over and over again.

I was captivated by Nacho's finishing and my stance has not change. Nacho is a more lethal finisher than Mbappe and Gabriel Jesus. Despite all the noise about Gabby, I watch him miss goals and sigh, Nacho will bury that. However, their other attributes, work rate, speed, skills and defending makes them a preference.

I respect the technical managers like Emery, Guardiola etc. They want the work rate over finishing. Just like Klopp prefers Firmino to Benteke or Guardiola prefers Gabriel Jesus to Aguero. I will pick Aguero ahead of Gabby any day.

The Spaniard (Guardiola) isn’t sold on the conventional striker, whose sole role is to find the back of the net and break scoring records, he also demands great off-the-ball work, technical prowess and tactical intelligence from his forwards. From Goal

When I watched Mbappe and Gabby Jesus, I did not see that lethal striking force I see in Nacho and rated Nacho ahead. Until today, Nacho is more lethal but in all round play they trump him.

Gerrit?

edi287:

Yeah he was so hyped up he played well in the ucl in his first season. 6 goals. That's half the goals Nacho scored in 46 games for City despite Mbappe playing as a support striker.
It's Mbappe facts that Pep benched Nacho for Sterling because of his off the ball movement
It's Mbappe facts that when Gabriel Jesus signed for City, you were saying how he'd play as a winger and wouldn't be affected yet Jesus ended up benching both him and Nacho.
Mbappe facts are true facts!! Majority of football fans love Mbappe facts. Heck even Pep loves Mbappe facts!!

Mickael2:



do you know that at some point last season a Southampton player had the highest number of interceptions and tackles as a midfielder but who cares? I sure can't even remember his name. Then there was Krychowiak when he was the top tackler too but he is in West Brom now. My point is tackling isn't everything, if you are a super tackler you will make a steady living in a mid-table team that loves to chase the ball, when you make that leap(like Krychowiak going to PSG) you discover that that isn't the only necessary tool.


By the way you know how much I fancy Ndidi, in fact Goldfish and I had a misunderstanding because I was blaming Onazi for our midfield issues instead of Ndidi who was understandably having a tough time then. The simple truth is that Ndidi is brilliant at what he does, but potential wise I would advice him to remain in Leicester or move to an underdog type of European powerhouse(like Monaco) but not Mancity or Barca were possession is everything

tbaba1234:


A possession club will help him improve that attribute. Arsenal can do with a ball winner with his ability. Xhaka is atrocious defensively but he can pass. See, how porous Arsenal's defense is..

Mickael2:



I am not sure that anyone complained when Iheanacho scored against Peterborough

edi287:

Yeah he was so hyped up he played well in the ucl in his first season. 6 goals. That's half the goals Nacho scored in 46 games for City despite Mbappe playing as a support striker.
It's Mbappe facts that Pep benched Nacho for Sterling because of his off the ball movement
It's Mbappe facts that when Gabriel Jesus signed for City, you were saying how he'd play as a winger and wouldn't be affected yet Jesus ended up benching both him and Nacho.
Mbappe facts are true facts!! Majority of football fans love Mbappe facts. Heck even Pep loves Mbappe facts!!

edi287:

Wenger who stupidly sold Coquelin, would never buy Ndidi. Coquelin while not as good as a destroyer is better in tight spaces and can dribble small yet Wenger sold him.

TheGoodJoe:


Simple, it is easier to score braces in France than England.

Finito.

Mickael2:



but Banega is a CMF na. You saw Ben Yedder yesterday right? He got less than 30mins and scored 2 goals, back then we used to say that 30mins cameo isn't enough for Kelechi to score for Mancity, but someone actually did that for Sevilla against Manchester United. It is of course very very possible that Kelechi if given the chance can bench that Muriel guy no doubt but saying that he will be a certain starter for Sevilla isn't true

TheGoodJoe:
I have watched Ndidi closely and it is clear he is capable of doing more than Tackling. My advice to him is to take the leap when a more quality club with room in the defensive midfield comes for him.

eterisan:
should be the Everton player formerly at aston villa... Forgotten the name too.... Used to top the tackling stats... Nd distance covered.... We did not here world class... O now I remember... Idrissa gueye..... Some fans here can be so gwg biased they cannot see beyond their nose....

daveP:
It's annoying. That Argentina match, the viewing centre I watched was filled up with patriotic pessimists. They came to look for loop holes and then watch dem Dybala and co roast us to the ashes. They were so happy that after the first goal, they were already shouting. Sad laughter followed after the second goal.



We equalized and the usual talks of that Argentina go still score was everywhere.


Only me and an old man(Obviously a golden generation fan) were optimistic.





Then I discovered the reason why they are that pessimistic in nature, which is no excuse atall still..... Nacho's freekick entered and allllll the pessimists jumped up to scream goaaaallllll.


Why did they scream goal when they had no hope for the team?


Simple...... It's been long we scored such goal from set piece against a very big team.


So you see, they just wanted exceptional play. Some of them injured during the celebration cos they heeded not the ceiling fans that was above their heads. But they cared not.



Three more goals and we all left the place on a high..... They sounded like the Jews in the era of Christ..... Hosanna today, Crucify him tomorrow!!!!!




They were now the ones that were hyping Nacho, Iwobi, and Brian Idowu Asif they've seen Idowu play like 20games for any team sef. SMH.



The old man told me that these are plastic fans, thanks to club football standards as he zoomed off in his SUV. He looked wealthy but he forsook his big house to join others in a viewing Centre!!!!

Icon79:


Apples to apples, if given a fair and equitable chance to compete, I can count on my fingers tips the number of teams in the world that Kelechi is not good enough to start. Fact is, there is politics and covert racism in modern football. And again, I can cite the case of Kelechi vis-à-vis Alexis Sanchez. How many games did KC start for Leicester City after his transfer before they concluded that he wasn't "good enough" to start? Now how many games has Alexis Sanchez started for Man Utd despite showing that he's out of hid depth? Do you sincerely think that Kelechi couldn't have delivered if he were given the same opportunities that Alexis had been given so far? And don't even let me talk about Fernando Torres at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, my hope and prayer is that our boys would show the world how good they really are in June/July. Bottom line, our players will not start getting any respect and/or fair opportunities in Europe until we start playing well at the World Cup. The whole world would definitely take notice if peradventure we reach the semi finals in Russia. Or even the quarter finals sef.


O pari

Icon79:
Don't mind them let them continue to underestimate our players. Just a few days Mauricio Pochettino, one of the best coaches in the world, listed our own Jay Jay Okocha alongside Diego Maradona and Ronaldihno as 3 of the greatest footballers he has seen play the game! How many Nigerian soccer fan can accord Jay Jay such honors?

I used to underestimate our guys as well, based on the football clubs they play or don't play for, until after the Beijing Olympics. That tournament opened my eyes to regarding putting things in perspectives when it comes to evaluating our players. I believe that I had posted that revelation on this thread, if you make a quick search.

I think you're underestimating the level of Nigerian players due to the football clubs they play or do not play for. A few years ago I published an article in a Naija daily regarding a peculiar Nigerian perspectives in football: when the Nigerian U-23 team lined up at the Beijing Olympics soccer event final, the profile of the players could not have been more different from their Argentine counterparts.

At CD Argentina had Ezekiel Garay of Real Madrid, Nigeria had Dele Adeleye from the bench of Dutch basement club Sparta Rotterdam. Just over a year ago, he was at Shooting Stars, oscillating between Division 1 and 2.

At LB, with the responsibility of marking the dreaded Leo Messi; yes Lionel Messi of Barcelona, was Chibuzor Okonkwo from Bayelsa United, a right footed player converted to LB.

In CM, where Argentina had Riquelme, Gago and Mascherano, arguably the best DM in the world at that time, Nigeria presented Ebenezer Ajilore of Mydjtilland and from the bench at Sparta, Sanni Kaita. A few years ago, Ajilore plied his trade at Ebiede Babes, a Lagos youth club.

But as the game unfolded, the confidence of the Nigerian players and the cautious approach their opponents showed, belied the reputation and CV of Argentina's players.

This effectively proved two things, if you can believe it:

(i) that the club status of the Nigerian players does not accurately reflect their real quality; and that

(ii) a new measure is urgently required to determine the quality of our players; one that is not entirely dependent on the judgment of European club managers whose philosophy of the game and needs, vis a vis their clubs, may not necessarily be in alignment with the development of the average Nigerian player, or the SE.

Likewise I had argued with someone of this forum regarding Kelechi Iheanacho vs Ever Banega, when they claimed that KC isn't good enough to start for Sevilla. Well, we played Argentina a few days after that argument .... guess what? Kelechi scored 2 goals and Banega scored ZERO!


O pari

Mickael2:



so it's easier to score braces against Peterborough and Fleetwood than it is to score against Angers? You see when you people say something today then you come tomorrow to change your position it gets funny. Now it's scoring braces in England isn't easy, so scoring braces against Blackpool isn't easy? Heck, scoring braces against Colchester and Yeovil town requires a lot more than scoring braces against Monaco and Nantes

Mickael2:



so it's easier to score braces against Peterborough and Fleetwood than it is to score against Angers? You see when you people say something today then you come tomorrow to change your position it gets funny. Now it's scoring braces in England isn't easy, so scoring braces against Blackpool isn't easy? Heck, scoring braces against Colchester and Yeovil town requires a lot more than scoring braces against Monaco and Nantes

TheGoodJoe:
I have watched Ndidi closely and it is clear he is capable of doing more than Tackling. My advice to him is to take the leap when a more quality club with room in the defensive midfield comes for him.

TheSuperNerd:


Gosh.... Lol... Mbappe fanboy syndrome showing its symptoms again.... But go on..... Tell us more... Looll

eterisan:
man city is in need of a dm... Why are we not going for him.... Plz and plz answer the question...

Mickael2:



Yes!!! Everton not Southampton. In fact let me take it upon myself to find out the players that have topped the tackling dept for the last 5 seasons

Mickael2:



I still do not understand y'all. Before Iheanacho came to Leicester who was he? Who knew his name? Why would you all of a sudden send Vardy to the bench? When Alexis came who was he? The best player in Arsenal, who was going to bench him? Martial? Rashford? Not to mention that Alexis never took part in the ManU preseason, so you can say that this is his own preseason and there is no shame in that, he is adapting

Mickael2:



I still do not understand y'all. Before Iheanacho came to Leicester who was he? Who knew his name? Why would you all of a sudden send Vardy to the bench? When Alexis came who was he? The best player in Arsenal, who was going to bench him? Martial? Rashford? Not to mention that Alexis never took part in the ManU preseason, so you can say that this is his own preseason and there is no shame in that, he is adapting

TheGoodJoe:


That is like saying Ronaldinho was not top quality because Guardiola did not want him.

City is a team that relies on keeping possession. Everyone including the Goalkeeper play towards that notion. Ndidi is not in a club that promotes that kind of play and he will not fall under our radar due to that.

This is so simple and does not even need explaination.

kingphilip:
did you consider Iheanacho not adopting tii because he didn't partake in preseason