[quote author=Mujtahida post=66508225]
I want to make a prediction: our team might not make it out of the first round. But if the core of the team stays together we will do well going forward.

What I have said is not my heart desire oo[/quote ] Sir, I wont make any bold prediction now. We were humiliated by Holland prior to the 1998 world cup in a friendly. Based on that performance no one gave us a prayer. We still came out of the group. Do not read too much into friendlies. Brazil everyone is hailing today might not make it out of their group. Football is a funny old game.

Don't think people realize we are the underdogs in our group. Personally I'm 50/50 as to if we can make it to the second round.
Our over reliance on Mikel is seriously a terrible thing. I didn't think it'd be this bad.

edi287:
Don't think people realize we are the underdogs in our group. Personally I'm 50/50 as to if we can make it to the second round.
Our over reliance on Mikel is seriously a terrible thing. I didn't think it'd be this bad.

It's really terrible... Our midfield was so poor over both friendly games.

bengine:


Umar is a very mobile forward and can retain possession also with his style of play..his finishing and decision making is not there yet but a guy like that at 21 has age on his side to improve..

Since we are looking for another forward, he offers something most of our other strikers don't have.. he can be our third striker behind Ighalo and nacho ..but i really do think he has something to offer this team...

The only reason I think so is because of our style of play, we rely a lot on our inverted wingers, I think he could make the Nigerian side look more dangerous even thou is finishing is not there yet..

I dont think we lack 3rd and 4th choice players. We need players who can add something straight to the first team. I suggested Ideye because he's no stranger to this team. The excuse of blending in won't be a problem.

Recall, I blew the whistle on the apparent lack of prolific goalscorers in this team but I was waved aside for being an alarmist.
Jungle don dey mature, the scales are falling.

By the way, Aaron Samuel seems to be doing well of late. I will rather take him to the front lines than Umar. I'm sorry if you're offended

Balogun is presently on for Mainz05 as the trail 0-1 to FC Koln

goldfish80:


I dont think we lack 3rd and 4th choice players. We need players who can add something straight to the first team. I suggested Ideye because he's no stranger to this team. The excuse of blending in won't be a problem.

Recall, I blew the whistle on the apparent lack of prolific goalscorers in this team but I was waved aside for being an alarmist.
Jungle don dey mature, the scales are falling.

By the way, Aaron Samuel seems to be doing well of late. I will rather take him to the front lines than Umar. I'm sorry if you're offended

Ideye? Are you recapping what you've said before or you are making a new suggestion? If the latter is the case, I disagree with you.

We don't just need another striker-we need a potent and clinical one and Ideye does not fit the description.

On Samuel, he alongside Aluko didn't receive fair treatments by previous gaffers and their inability to feature consistently in the GWG has reduce their stock and nothing has shown they're in Rohr's plan-not even a rumour from the media...

Joebie:
watching his goals and assists last term I still see world class quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-hDNokRMdM

Dude even I could look world class on youtube

AIG07:
Ideye? Are you recapping what you've said before or you are making a new suggestion? If the latter is the case, I disagree with you.

We don't just need another striker-we need a potent and clinical one and Ideye does not fit the description.

On Samuel, he alongside Aluko didn't receive fair treatments by previous gaffers and their inability to feature consistently in the GWG has reduce their stock and nothing has shown they're in Rohr's plan-not even a rumour from the media...

With what we have on our hands currently, we need more than just a goal scorer. A guy like Kelechi can hang around the penalty area and get goals, so we have our poacher already. What I think this team lacks currently is a proper connector between the midfield and attack.
This is the kind of job an Ideye or even an Aaron Samuel could bring to the table. Aaron is big and very strong on the ball, he could be an asset, moreso Ideye, if he can get his head in the game .

It takes years to train a striker. There's no way we can find a potent and clinical striker like you put it just weeks to the world cup.

Joebie:
So how does one example of Marco prove me TOTALLY wrong.. And that was 1999.

Modified
we still need to jam for Warri oh.. u know say i don catch u..

No be Delta estate I grow na off avenue be my area.

You never raise head answer the query.

I CHALLENGE YOU, give me just five players were leave Seria A scatter EPL and I will vice versa give you 10 that left EPL to dominate Serie A.

I no run oh na u I deh wait.

No do camelion change colour oh or goal post, answer your name no run.

Joebie:
You are mixing up two different discussions. In this discussion I was talking about multitude of examples to show him that club ranking is not a SINGLE reliable way to compare players.

In that context it's better to be a stand out player in weaker league than anonymous in a stronger league.

But then you have to look at it in context and in general.

Look at Solanke at Liverpool and Batshuayi, Tega, Aina and Lukaku from Chelsea.

Now these players never got a chance at Chelsea they could be called anonymous but they are still exceptionally good players. In addition Solanke is restricted by top class international players in his way.

Will we then say players who are playing in the backwaters of Turkey, Belguim and the Eredivisie are better. Certainly not.

Batshuayi has gone to Borussia Dortmund arguably second best team behind Bayern in the Bundesliga. A striker struggling in England and has scored 6 goals from 8 games that's simply INCREDIBLE.

The Bundesliga is ranked 4 the in UEFA ranking in Europe.

Bayern Munich falsely prop up the rankings for Germany because they are so far ahead of every body else in the Bundesliga. It's essentially a one club league Bayern wins everything.

For a team to the win the EPL back back is near impossible in the EPL particularly in the last decade.

What this says is that the EPL is considerably far ahead of the Bundesliga. How many German clubs made it to last 16 of the Champions league only 1.Hoe many EPL clubs 5. That's a huge gap.

That gap can be transferred with caution to players performance and ability as well. So it's not totally wrong to rank players perfomance to club and league standing all things being equal.

As good as we think Ebuehi is with his exploits in the Eredivisie. He got only interest from one Championship club in England, nothing from La Liga, Bundesliga,and Seria A. It's indicative of the level he is perceived to be by these league. Portuguese league is not in the top 5, it is below Russian league.

You watched how Arsenal demolished CSKA we do not need to say much more.

All the clubs in the last 16 have come from the top 20 leagues the Semi Finals will see clubs from only the top 5 rankings.

Just in the same way no team not ranked in the top 5 has ever got to a final in the world cup in modern times.

komekn:


In that context it's better to be a stand out player in weaker league than anonymous in a stronger league.

But then you have to look at it in context.

Look at Solanke at Liverpool and Batshuayi, Tega, Aina and Lukaku from Chelsea.

Now these players never got a chance at Chelsea they could be called anonymous but they are still exceptionally good players. In addition Solanke is restricted by top class international players in his way.

Will we then day players who are playing in the backwaters of Turkey, Belguim and the Eredivisie are better.

Batshuayi has gone to Borussia Dortmund arguably second best team behind Bayern in the Bundesliga. A striker struggling in England and has scored 6 goals from 8 games that's simply INCREDIBLE.

The Bundesliga is ranked 4 the in UEFA ranking in Europe.

Bayern Munich falsely prop up the rankings for Germany because they are so far ahead of every body else in the Bundesliga. It's essentially a one club league Bayern wins everything.

For a team to the win the EPL back back is near impossible in the EPL particularly in the last decade.

What this says is that the EPL is considerably far ahead of the Bundesliga. How many German clubs made it to last 16 of the Champions league only 1.Hoe many EPL clubs 5. That's a huge gap.

That gap can be transferred with caution to players performance and ability as well. So it's not totally wrong to rank players perfomance to club and league standing all things being equal.

How many chance was batshuayi given at chelsea? If he was the first choice striker he will get goals,batshuayi that struggles for game time at chelsea and he his given all opportunity at dortumund,there is nothing special about the EPL okay

So man u did not win the epl back to back in the last decade?

andrew444:


How many chance was batshuayi given at chelsea? If he was the first choice striker he will get goals,batshuayi that struggles for game time at chelsea and he his given all opportunity at dortumund,there is nothing special about the EPL okay

So man u did not win the epl back to back in the last decade?

Statistically prove your point not with emotional ramblings,but with facts and figures.

I said it's very difficult to win the EPL back to back not totally impossible, don't misrepresent me.

There were simply better strikers. How many goals did he score with his limited opportunity 19 in 53 starts good but not good enough for Chelsea.

Tell me one striker or player that left the Bundesliga as an anonymous player that ripped the EPL or became outstanding. The pertinent core issue is not outstanding in the Bundesliga or even reserve player.

Then I will count the multitude if players who left English football to rip it in the Bundesliga.

komekn:


Statistically prove your point not with emotional ramblings,but with facts and figures.

I said it's very difficult to win the EPL back to back not totally impossible, don't misrepresent me.

There were simply better strikers. How many goals did he score with his limited opportunity 19 in 53 starts good but not good enough for Chelsea.

Tell me one striker or player that left the Bundesliga as an anonymous player that ripped the EPL or became outstanding. The pertinent core issue is not outstanding in the Bundesliga or even reserve player.

Then I will count the multitude if players who left English football to rip it in the Bundesliga.

The reason of no regular back to back winners is because the teams are relatively equal just like Nigerian league

komekn:


Statistically prove your point not with emotional ramblings,but with facts and figures.

I said it's very difficult to win the EPL back to back not totally impossible, don't misrepresent me.

There were simply better strikers. How many goals did he score with his limited opportunity 19 in 53 starts good but not good enough for Chelsea.

Tell me one striker or player that left the Bundesliga as an anonymous player that ripped the EPL or became outstanding. The pertinent core issue is not outstanding in the Bundesliga or even reserve player.

Then I will count the multitude if players who left English football to rip it in the Bundesliga.

Mr Pointless....Ask your self how many German strikers has played in the EPL?

How many player has left the German league to play in the EPL,I guess firmino is from japan league,firmino is banging goals this season,he was an Attacking MD in germany and now a striker in Germany

How many English player has shone outside the EPL? Michael owen at madrid 13 laliga goals in 36 games,Not too bad but his epl stats was more better than that,he could not last more than a season,Joe hart on loan at torino> he commited some blunders

I guess Per Mertesacker is not from the german league and i guess he flopped at arsenal.

Okazaki is a japanese from the German league mainz,in his first season at Leicester he won the EPL,i guess you see him as a flop

What happened to micah richards of mancity as of then when he was loaned to fiorentina?

What about highly rated ravel morrinson when he was at lazio? Ravel morrinson career is now on the cross road side,i think he should be in mexico at age 25

You know nothing about football,you only think the EPL is on an all,you are just a epl fan boy or maybe epl fan man.

goldfish80:


With what we have on our hands currently, we need more than just a goal scorer. A guy like Kelechi can hang around the penalty area and get goals, so we have our poacher already. What I think this team lacks currently is a proper connector between the midfield and attack.
This is the kind of job an Ideye or even an Aaron Samuel could bring to the table. Aaron is big and very strong on the ball, he could be an asset, moreso Ideye, if he can get his head in the game .

It takes years to train a striker. There's no way we can find a potent and clinical striker like you put it just weeks to the world cup.

Nice suggestion!
Ideye is a good guy. I so much admire his style of play-he creates room/space for his mates(in most cases a SS) to thrive. He has good positional ability and knows how to draw out defenders. But his lack of goal instinct is his undoing.

Bringing Ideye back will only force/take rohr back to the match against Zambia @ Ndola where Ideye led our attach line with Nacho playing behind him. This will definitely see Mikel play from deep as a CM which I don't see Rohr doing.

The other options are retaining Mikel in the AMF role and playing Ideye as a lone striker which is not better off having Ighalo as the lone striker.

The best option for him(brown) to me is playing in a 3-man front line of V. Moses-Ighalo-Ideye in 4-3-3 (^) which will see Ighalo and Ideye swap positions easily {just like we had him with Emenike} with J. Obi/Ogu-Mikel-Ndidi as our 3 men in midfield. But the question is, do we have the time to try it out before the tournaments proper.

Chrismario:


The reason of no regular back to back winners is because the teams are relatively equal just like Nigerian league

Thank you my broda...when the team are not consistent how will they be a regular winner? even as madrid was winning the champions league they are finding it hard to life the laliga

goldfish80:


My opinion is very objective. Last I watched Ideye, he was hands down the man of the match against Valencia (I think), even though he was on the loosing side. If he haven't made the bench over the the past few weeks, it should be an indication that he's injured and maybe the injury was not reported by the associated press.

Secondly, the Eredivisie is a very weak league. Dutch football is no longer taken seriously in Europe. Can you name any serious world cup contender who will parade a single player from the Eredivisie? The answer is a capital NO! That should tell you how embarrassing low Dutch football have gone.

I have caught a few glimpse of Umar at Nac Breda but honestly, I still the old turn over merchant Umar ,who trips over his shoe laces.

With the poverty football on display in the 2 last friendlies, we actually need more naturally gifted players up front, who can unlock defenses with shear creativity not another hipster in the front lines.

You are not being objective. Clips do not tell the full story.

What was the standard of the last Olympics? You built an impression from a poor tournament and then label the dutch league a poor league to dismiss a player.

Several classy players have had their foundation in the dutch league.

I have so far seen Umar trouble Feyenord and PSV defences with his directness, pace and skill. I am not saying he is the finished article but he will trouble many defences with what he has. His hold up play is also very good.

Ola Aina and Balogun played 90 minutes

elyte89:



If we don't make it pass d 1st round


Most members of d team,at least 70percent won't b called again,at least for a while

And ROHR WOULD BE FIRED!!!

You must think this is sani Lulu's NFF

Sadiq Umar beats 4 Vitesse's defenders, got pulled down and Angelino scores from the freekick

His falling down is not a bad thing

1:0 NAC Breda

komekn:


Statistically prove your point not with emotional ramblings,but with facts and figures.

I said it's very difficult to win the EPL back to back not totally impossible, don't misrepresent me.

There were simply better strikers. How many goals did he score with his limited opportunity 19 in 53 starts good but not good enough for Chelsea.

Tell me one striker or player that left the Bundesliga as an anonymous player that ripped the EPL or became outstanding. The pertinent core issue is not outstanding in the Bundesliga or even reserve player.

Then I will count the multitude if players who left English football to rip it in the Bundesliga.

Never a time has batshuayi been 1st Choice at chelsea so you cannot throw in stats like 19goals in 53 games forgetting that he comes in as late subs in most of those games.

Why not check the minutes to goal ratio? Or are you picking stats that suit your narrative?

Batshuayi's record of a goal every 60.57 minutes makes him the deadliest striker in EPL history.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/654450/Chelsea-Michy-Batshuayi-Alvaro-Morata-Premier-League

Compare that to Bundesliga where he is scoring a goal in over 100minutes

goldfish80:


I dont think we lack 3rd and 4th choice players. We need players who can add something straight to the first team. I suggested Ideye because he's no stranger to this team. The excuse of blending in won't be a problem.

Recall, I blew the whistle on the apparent lack of prolific goalscorers in this team but I was waved aside for being an alarmist.
Jungle don dey mature, the scales are falling.

By the way, Aaron Samuel seems to be doing well of late. I will rather take him to the front lines than Umar. I'm sorry if you're offended

Nothing to be offended for sir, you are only expressing your opinion...Ideye doesn't have Umars dynamism and unpredictability..they both have poor finishing in common...I doubt ideye has anything to offer this team..his hold up play and linkage is already being offered by Ighalo...

As it stands, Rohr wants to use Musa has our third striker but that doesn't stop him from playing him on the wing..all this guys we are clamouring for might not make the 23man list..I really don't want Musa has our third striker,.

Musa Yahaya scored a goal today...

bengine:


Nothing to be offended for sir, you are only expressing your opinion...Ideye doesn't have Umars dynamism and unpredictability..they both have poor finishing in common...I doubt ideye has anything to offer this team..his hold up play and linkage is already being offered by Ighalo...

As it stands, Rohr wants to use Musa has our third striker but that doesn't stop him from playing him on the wing..all this guys we are clamouring for might not make the 23man list..I really don't want Musa has our third striker,.

Spot on..

The boy can trouble a lot of defenses... He showed the good and the bad sides today.. Missed a great chance and then beats multiple defenders before he was fouled.. The free kick led to a goal..

I do not see any of our strikers that can make things happen out of nothing..

goldfish80:


With what we have on our hands currently, we need more than just a goal scorer. A guy like Kelechi can hang around the penalty area and get goals, so we have our poacher already. What I think this team lacks currently is a proper connector between the midfield and attack.
This is the kind of job an Ideye or even an Aaron Samuel could bring to the table. Aaron is big and very strong on the ball, he could be an asset, moreso Ideye, if he can get his head in the game .

It takes years to train a striker. There's no way we can find a potent and clinical striker like you put it just weeks to the world cup.

What do you mean it takes years to train a striker? If you have it, you have it bro..did anyone teach nacho to be a deadly finisher? He has the talent..you can always improve a striker but when u see a great striker, you know right away..the training they get only enhances what they already have..its all about talent bro..

komekn:


Statistically prove your point not with emotional ramblings,but with facts and figures.

I said it's very difficult to win the EPL back to back not totally impossible, don't misrepresent me.

There were simply better strikers. How many goals did he score with his limited opportunity 19 in 53 starts good but not good enough for Chelsea.

Tell me one striker or player that left the Bundesliga as an anonymous player that ripped the EPL or became outstanding. The pertinent core issue is not outstanding in the Bundesliga or even reserve player.

Then I will count the multitude if players who left English football to rip it in the Bundesliga.

Bro sometimes your analysis seems robotic sometimes or mathematical..if A=B &B=C then A=C...football is not as simple as the way u analyse players..there are always a lot of factors that affect player performance in a club such as chemistry, team style of play..if the team you play for doesn't play to your strength, you might not excel at that club..

So we can't say because a bench warmer at EPL went to Bundesliga And started scoring means the Bundesliga is lower quality to EPL..it might just be the players that surround that striker are playing to his strength thereby making him excel in that league...

Manchester derby was lit today like never before..

Entertainment wey dey for EPL no be here..

tbaba1234:


Spot on..

The boy can trouble a lot of defenses... He showed the good and the bad sides today.. Missed a great chance and then beats multiple defenders before he was fouled.. The free kick led to a goal..

I do not see any of our strikers that can make things happen out of nothing..

It seems most of the ppl doubting Umar haven't really taken their time to watch him for 90mins recently at his club instead of watching highlights...I watched this guy live at the ford field against PSG last summer...they look at his Olympics display and form an opinion instantly about him..they forget he was just a 19yrs old boy at that time..he was even our top scorer in that tournament..he made a lot of mistakes like some one of his age would which I attribute to poor decision making..that aspect of a player definitely improves with time..

I have mentioned attributes Umar has that he would bring to the team..let everyone mention what this other strikers would bring to the table compared to what we have on ground.. Umars dynamism and Unpredictability with his play, no other striker has this on the team..he also has strength, pace, dribbling..

They should please list what ideye and Aaron Samuel would bring to that striker position..

i don put two monikers on ignore mode..

AIG07:
Nice suggestion!
Ideye is a good guy. I so much admire his style of play-he creates room/space for his mates(in most cases a SS) to thrive. He has good positional ability and knows how to draw out defenders. But his lack of goal instinct is his undoing.

Bringing Ideye back will only force/take rohr back to the match against Zambia @ Ndola where Ideye led our attach line with Nacho playing behind him. This will definitely see Mikel play from deep as a CM which I don't see Rohr doing.

The other options are retaining Mikel in the AMF role and playing Ideye as a lone striker which is not better off having Ighalo as the lone striker.

The best option for him(brown) to me is playing in a 3-man front line of V. Moses-Ighalo-Ideye in 4-3-3 (^) which will see Ighalo and Ideye swap positions easily {just like we had him with Emenike} with J. Obi/Ogu-Mikel-Ndidi as our 3 men in midfield. But the question is, do we have the time to try it out before the tournaments proper.

Ighalo or Ideye don't have the defensive discipline to play in a 4-3-3..one of them would have to track back to help defensively..you can only play one of them as strikers..both can't work..both are pure strikers..nacho with one of them works because he is not a pure striker. And u can't even play nacho in a 433 with Ighalo leading the line..

bengine:


It seems most of the ppl doubting Umar haven't really taken their time to watch him for 90mins recently at his club instead of watching highlights...I watched this guy live at the ford field against PSG last summer...they look at his Olympics display and form an opinion instantly about him..they forget he was just a 19yrs old boy at that time..he was even our top scorer in that tournament..he made a lot of mistakes like some one of his age would which I attribute to poor decision making..that aspect of a player definitely improves with time..

I have mentioned attributes Umar has that he would bring to the team..let everyone mention what this other strikers would bring to the table compared to what we have on ground.. Umars dynamism and Unpredictability with his play, no other striker has this on the team..he also has strength, pace, dribbling..

They should please list what ideye and Aaron Samuel would bring to that striker position..

How can you have an impression of a player without watching his recent games?

There are two types of strikers, One who needs to be supplied to have an impact and another who can make things happen even when supply is not great.

We have plenty of the first option. I think Umar offers the second option.. The willingness to take on defenders directly is something we do not have amongst our striking options. He has been responsible for several penalties and freekicks this season. That could be vital in a tight game.

Aaron Samuel?? Really?? Aaron scored in his last game but has anyone watched Aaron recently.. A shadow of the player called up by Keshi.