In my considered opinion, Nigeria's world cup will come down to Kaliningrad on June 16. For me, given the schedule of games, the loser goes home; period....
The biggest tactical question Nigeria will face in this game in particular and in the world cup in general, will be how to play within limited space and time.
Nigeria's world cup will be defined by possession. But not in absolute numbers, rather the efficiency of possession, when she has the ball, and the organization in the non-possession phase when/if the opponent has controlled possession.
This is why I see an almighty 'gunfight' in central midfield at the Arena Baltika, and everybody better come with their weapons, fully loaded, with intent to execute, with neither malice nor charity, and no prisoners taken!!!
There's a quiet confidence within the Croatian camp that it would be a big mistake for Nigeria to high press in midfield, and that with elite midfielders in Modric, Rakitic, Brozovic and Kovacic, they possess the experience and craft to easily play through the first line of Nigerian high press by slowing the tempo and 'boxing' the Super Eagles, before switching to undefended zones and then unbalance Nigeria in defence, with quick through balls behind the fullbacks, or in the space on either side of central defence.
All available evidence points to the ability of the Nigerian first press to reach its mark, given the athleticism of the key central midfielders. Whether this can be accomplished without resort to card inducing fouls, is an open question, as we say in that friendly Croatia vs Senegal. However the first press is not my main concern. My concern is the second ball and the limited options around that ball in the attacking phase.
And why is this a concern? One word- the counter press! The limitation in options will increase the likelihood of success of the counter press, and this Nigerian team is not as yet well organized in this phase, although much better organized than Croatia faced against Senegal. There remains a critical lack of communication across the lines dividing the defined roles, with certain units not pushing up, or back in tandem.
Take the annoying friendly against England, which allowed Southgate fulfill all his tactical wet dreams..Kane's movement, like the gyrations of an experienced lap-dancer, would repeatedly draw Ekong out, with no corresponding defensive movement from midfield, leaving the Nigerian central defense wide open...
My second concern is what happens when the opponent inevitably raises the tempo and attempts to play through the Nigerian midfield at pace, having used possession to tire out the Nigerian central midfielders.
Offensively, the Nigerian attacking game appears to be at its most productive when the opponent is isolated in space. In the counterattacking phase, this Nigerian team will primarily beat you with pace and the dribble in open play. There needs to be more. There needs to be greater work on ball possession.
The first friendly against Poland gave a few glimpses of some of Nigeria's characteristics; the second was a complete wash, a nothing burger...For full disclosure, I am not a fan of pre-World Cup friendlies. For the most part, they show nothing and prove little. It leaves both players and managers in a no-win situation, and even the limited set of objectives that managers plan for, are never worth the price of tournament ending injuries....
However as I stated earlier, this is a different kind of Nigerian team, and Super Eagles fans are well advised to discard expectations of a typical Nigerian flamboyance. This is a team that is being built on organization, resilience and efficiency on the counter. Whether they can achieve this is an open question.
In Rohr, the team has a thoroughly understated, conservative and average manager, but one who is well aware of the strengths and limitations of his team.
The key question is, given everything said, can this Nigeria team beat Croatia? The simple answer is that given the vulnerabilities in the Croatian defense, Nigeria will get opportunities and can beat the Croats. But there is little doubt in my mind that Croatia will start with some clear advantages over Nigeria in both playing personnel and team structures. Overall a lot for Nigeria will depend on how well Rohr calibrates his tactics and the maximum concentration of the players.
In my opinion, it would be a mistake for Nigeria to implement a full-court high-press against Croatia. Instead, it must be situational, and the team must find the right moments to press and the right balance between the high press and a low/medium block. And with the blistering pace upfront and vertical threats like Musa, either out wide or centrally, the team can retain an attacking threat even while sitting deep.
Whatever happens, this could be a new phase in Nigerian national team football, both in terms of the players and the team tactics.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Nigeria's JMO-Sized Tactical Conundrum
On August 4 2016 at the Amazonia Arena in the sultry heat of Manaus, Brazil, Nigeria first unveiled a new tactical formation under Samson Siasia, in a wild game of Olympics football, which ended 5-4 in her favor, against Japan.
Contrary to what had become an established role at the heart of central midfield, Siasia would field John Mikel Obi (JMO) higher upfield, behind Sadiq Umar, the central striker, but in front of the two central midfielders, Azubuike and Muhammed.
Not much has been said by subsequent Nigerian managers, including Gernot Rohr on this new role definition, except a statement credited to Siasia that this was Mikel's preferred role.
In this role, going by Rohr's definition so far, Mikel becomes the outlet for hold-up play, higher up the pitch, building on one of his greatest strengths, the ability to retain the ball technically, without 'leftovers', and allow Nigeria transition to the final third with tranquility.
Since assuming the role of manager, Gernot Rohr has steadily installed a counterattacking regime in the Super Eagles, using the pace in wide areas for the breakaway from deep. In this new role therefore, Mikel offers an outlet for the deep ball (or knock down from the central striker), especially in the face of a high press.
When executed well, it has seen Nigeria develop play with much greater efficiency and arrive in the final third with stability and assurance. It has also increased Mikel's goals and assist rate for the national team.
The problem for Nigeria is that for much of his career outside youth football, Mikel has always received the ball to feet in the first stage of the build up play. Under Mourinho and subsequent Chelsea managers, the spacing of players enabled Mikel and his team move the ball quickly with a regime of short horizontal passes, to both evade the press as well as transition to the next attacking phase.
Higher upfield when Nigeria use the outlet ball to Mikel, his skills and experience from Chelsea affect the speed of the counter. Even with his superb close control, the game at this stage would often require him to turn upfield, which he executes under regulation speed limits in a well heeled residential neighborhood...
What is more, Nigeria play a running game, with a long history of players adept at running at a defence, with speed and great individual technique. The tempo of the Nigerian game drops on the occasion that this is required of Mikel.
These combine to make Mikel highly susceptible to the press in this role and would require that the team develop options around the ball to exploit the space that would emerge when the opponent executes this. Rohr could also drop Mikel deeper in central midfield as he has sometimes done...
Whichever way this goes, this will be an interesting issue to watch in the mundiale, especially given the conservative nature of the Nigerian manager...
Contrary to what had become an established role at the heart of central midfield, Siasia would field John Mikel Obi (JMO) higher upfield, behind Sadiq Umar, the central striker, but in front of the two central midfielders, Azubuike and Muhammed.
Not much has been said by subsequent Nigerian managers, including Gernot Rohr on this new role definition, except a statement credited to Siasia that this was Mikel's preferred role.
In this role, going by Rohr's definition so far, Mikel becomes the outlet for hold-up play, higher up the pitch, building on one of his greatest strengths, the ability to retain the ball technically, without 'leftovers', and allow Nigeria transition to the final third with tranquility.
Since assuming the role of manager, Gernot Rohr has steadily installed a counterattacking regime in the Super Eagles, using the pace in wide areas for the breakaway from deep. In this new role therefore, Mikel offers an outlet for the deep ball (or knock down from the central striker), especially in the face of a high press.
When executed well, it has seen Nigeria develop play with much greater efficiency and arrive in the final third with stability and assurance. It has also increased Mikel's goals and assist rate for the national team.
The problem for Nigeria is that for much of his career outside youth football, Mikel has always received the ball to feet in the first stage of the build up play. Under Mourinho and subsequent Chelsea managers, the spacing of players enabled Mikel and his team move the ball quickly with a regime of short horizontal passes, to both evade the press as well as transition to the next attacking phase.
Higher upfield when Nigeria use the outlet ball to Mikel, his skills and experience from Chelsea affect the speed of the counter. Even with his superb close control, the game at this stage would often require him to turn upfield, which he executes under regulation speed limits in a well heeled residential neighborhood...
What is more, Nigeria play a running game, with a long history of players adept at running at a defence, with speed and great individual technique. The tempo of the Nigerian game drops on the occasion that this is required of Mikel.
These combine to make Mikel highly susceptible to the press in this role and would require that the team develop options around the ball to exploit the space that would emerge when the opponent executes this. Rohr could also drop Mikel deeper in central midfield as he has sometimes done...
Whichever way this goes, this will be an interesting issue to watch in the mundiale, especially given the conservative nature of the Nigerian manager...
Saturday, March 24, 2018
First Thoughts on Nigeria at the World Cup...
A young Nigerian team became the first country to qualify for the World Cup from the African confederation, built on strong internal cohesion, a vibrant team spirit, and great athleticism.
Compared to previous versions, this is a very different Super Eagles team. The universal attention to nutrition and conditioning will mean that this is a world cup in which the gaps between teams will come from mentality and superior technique. Nigeria's athleticism will be a very important factor if well harnessed.
Going into the world cup, my main concerns for this team lie in the stagnation of key players. Mikel Obi is in China, Ogenyi Onazi is in Turkey, Kelechi Iheanacho is struggling to rekindle his young career at Leicester, and Alex Iwobi is caught up in the stasis at Arsenal.
Tactically, not many of the players have grown in the last season, but at the same time, it would be a mistake to reach hard conclusions about Nigerian players in the national team, solely on the basis of club performance, as a different dynamic obtains at this level, as we saw years ago with Samson Siasia, then at Nantes.
Given this background, it is understandable the approach adopted by Gernot Rohr, and no game captures this as best as the decisive game against Zambia in Uyo. This version of the Nigeria Super Eagles is being built to learn to 'suffer', be comfortable in it, and then take its opportunities. There is thus certainty in the way the team wants to play, where a team like Argentina, is still looking...
Tactically, there are two major areas of concern:
First is the ability to keep possession higher upfield, without an over reliance on the individual qualities of Mikel Obi in an advanced role. Individually, the players have the technical quality, but as a team, this is lacking, and I think, more as a consequence of coaching decisions. In Russia, I expect teams will look first to take away the option that Mikel presents for keeping possession high upfield.
In the mundiale, it is hard to see Nigeria effectively control a game from a defensive position, while simply booting the ball upfield as they did against Poland.
The second concern is the organization of the team behind the line of press. This is the first manager to harness the natural athleticism of Nigerian players in a high pressing game, without the need to commit multiple players or to significantly advance the defensive line. Of course this is not the first time Nigeria has used a pressing system (the late Keshi's team did in some games), but none of Nigeria's previous managers had players with the qualities of this team, especially Ndidi in central midfield.
The problem here is that without increasing the share of possession in the game, the team is often playing in one tempo, and as was the case in the second half in Worclaw, gaps will begin to appear in midfield as players start to tire, and the opponent plays faster through midfield as the Poles did in the second half last night.
In Russia, tactically, I expect Nigeria's approach to face its stiffest examination against Croatia, largely because of the different characteristics of the Croats, and their ability to suddenly transition to attack even from deep. But watching the performance last night, Nigeria can overcome in what will similarly be a 'trench warfare' in central midfield vs Croatia, but it must find greater options in attack for the out ball, and better organization on the break.
The return of Joel Obi is especially wellcome. He brings additional technical quality to central midfield that is lacking with Onazi, even while recognizing the latter's combative qualities. It remains to be seen whether he can be fully integrated into the team, and especially whether he can stay fit.
Sadly for the team, the wide player Henry Onyekuru has had a difficult season with injuries and has been unavailable for integration into the side. His qualities on the left would have complimented Moses on the right, especially with the indifferent season of Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi. This in turn means increased pressure on the left side of the defence.
Overall, the various elements of how the team play, or the composition of the squad are well in place, and only a few questions remain. This will be an interesting mundiale....
How far can this team go?
Hard to say at this point, but it has a good chance to get out of the group. The team lacks exceptional individuals, like Argentina or top professionals, like Croatia, but it has its own qualities from a youthful and vibrant side. It also has a manager who is well aware of the team's capabilities, and who will play within this, regardless....
Compared to previous versions, this is a very different Super Eagles team. The universal attention to nutrition and conditioning will mean that this is a world cup in which the gaps between teams will come from mentality and superior technique. Nigeria's athleticism will be a very important factor if well harnessed.
Going into the world cup, my main concerns for this team lie in the stagnation of key players. Mikel Obi is in China, Ogenyi Onazi is in Turkey, Kelechi Iheanacho is struggling to rekindle his young career at Leicester, and Alex Iwobi is caught up in the stasis at Arsenal.
Tactically, not many of the players have grown in the last season, but at the same time, it would be a mistake to reach hard conclusions about Nigerian players in the national team, solely on the basis of club performance, as a different dynamic obtains at this level, as we saw years ago with Samson Siasia, then at Nantes.
Given this background, it is understandable the approach adopted by Gernot Rohr, and no game captures this as best as the decisive game against Zambia in Uyo. This version of the Nigeria Super Eagles is being built to learn to 'suffer', be comfortable in it, and then take its opportunities. There is thus certainty in the way the team wants to play, where a team like Argentina, is still looking...
Tactically, there are two major areas of concern:
First is the ability to keep possession higher upfield, without an over reliance on the individual qualities of Mikel Obi in an advanced role. Individually, the players have the technical quality, but as a team, this is lacking, and I think, more as a consequence of coaching decisions. In Russia, I expect teams will look first to take away the option that Mikel presents for keeping possession high upfield.
In the mundiale, it is hard to see Nigeria effectively control a game from a defensive position, while simply booting the ball upfield as they did against Poland.
The second concern is the organization of the team behind the line of press. This is the first manager to harness the natural athleticism of Nigerian players in a high pressing game, without the need to commit multiple players or to significantly advance the defensive line. Of course this is not the first time Nigeria has used a pressing system (the late Keshi's team did in some games), but none of Nigeria's previous managers had players with the qualities of this team, especially Ndidi in central midfield.
The problem here is that without increasing the share of possession in the game, the team is often playing in one tempo, and as was the case in the second half in Worclaw, gaps will begin to appear in midfield as players start to tire, and the opponent plays faster through midfield as the Poles did in the second half last night.
In Russia, tactically, I expect Nigeria's approach to face its stiffest examination against Croatia, largely because of the different characteristics of the Croats, and their ability to suddenly transition to attack even from deep. But watching the performance last night, Nigeria can overcome in what will similarly be a 'trench warfare' in central midfield vs Croatia, but it must find greater options in attack for the out ball, and better organization on the break.
The return of Joel Obi is especially wellcome. He brings additional technical quality to central midfield that is lacking with Onazi, even while recognizing the latter's combative qualities. It remains to be seen whether he can be fully integrated into the team, and especially whether he can stay fit.
Sadly for the team, the wide player Henry Onyekuru has had a difficult season with injuries and has been unavailable for integration into the side. His qualities on the left would have complimented Moses on the right, especially with the indifferent season of Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi. This in turn means increased pressure on the left side of the defence.
Overall, the various elements of how the team play, or the composition of the squad are well in place, and only a few questions remain. This will be an interesting mundiale....
How far can this team go?
Hard to say at this point, but it has a good chance to get out of the group. The team lacks exceptional individuals, like Argentina or top professionals, like Croatia, but it has its own qualities from a youthful and vibrant side. It also has a manager who is well aware of the team's capabilities, and who will play within this, regardless....
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
What the Balon d'Or Won't Tell You...
Readers of this blog would be right in wondering why the sudden departure from a strict focus on African football to discuss, of all things, the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry!
My response is to ask for patience...This in reality is about African footballers, and in this case, the specific example of a young African player, Isaac Success...
On the surface of it, and based on number of Balon d'Ors won by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both players are locked in a head to head battle as the best two players in their generation.
But I think this is the case if we only permit ourselves to look at all the conventional metrics of determining greatness in football. I write this as a fan of both players, but what the Balon d'Or voters and the awards as a whole cannot answer is the question, how do you measure genius?
The history of football is replete with the careers of many great footballers, but few geniuses have graced the beautiful game, and in my view Lionel Messi belongs to this small group, in spite of not winning the World Cup, a failure that belongs to the Argentine Football Association, rather than the player.
Having said this, Cristiano Ronaldo's career and Balon d'Or victories represent the ultimate expression and reward for professional dedication to the sport and to one's craft. It represents at the same time both a shinning example of personal ambition and a reflection of the failures of African footballers.
When many years ago, Ronaldo Koeman, then manager at Ajax expressed the view that many an African player, in that instance, Pius Ikedia, merely played for a contract, and did not show ambition beyond that, I thought he was talking from the hat...
Over the years, I've come to understand some of the frustrations apparently embedded in those statements; some but not all...
Take the case of the young Watford player, Isaac Success, who burst onto the scene at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. As a result of a thigh injury, he only played two games in the tournament. However watching the technique behind his volley in pulling a goal back for Nigeria in a pulsating 3-3 draw with Sweden, it was easy to tell this was a special talent.
That spectacular goal has come to underline much of his career; exceptional at the Santiago Bernabeu for Grenada two years ago; brilliant for Watford recently against Bournemouth; but interspersed with large doses of anonymity.
But lets be clear, I am well aware that many young African players come from poor backgrounds and have typically had to assume responsibility, well beyond their years, a burden that many of their European peers are often not saddled with. But that is not enough excuse!
True, many young African players have been misled into signing unfavorable contracts or forced by financial circumstances to jump at the first contract paper waved at their faces, or been saddled by average European managers without the intelligence (or the patience) to properly harness the talents of the players to the benefit of both the team and the long term future of the player...
However it is also true that too many young African players with the potential to 'do a Ronaldo' have fallen by the wayside from a lack of professional dedication to the sport and their careers, too easily comfortable in the trappings of a contract, and failing to challenge themselves to be the best that their talent allows them to, as Cristiano Ronaldo's story aptly demonstrates, almost from his first day at the Carrington training ground. Nii Odartey Lamptey, Daniel Addo, Christopher Nwosu, Etim Esin....
Sadly I see similar signs of Isaac Success, a player with the potential to play at a much higher level than he has shown thus far, brilliant one day, tripping over his stepovers the next! Too content with where he's at and not showing enough desire to propel himself beyond the here and now...I see similar signs of Kelechi Iheanacho, still struggling with his first touch, going into his second year in the first team squad at City.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Gernot Rohr: Dancing with the Wolves!
Watching Nigeria dominate Algeria in a 3-1 triumph, you get the unmistakable impression that German coach, Gernot Rhor might be on the cusp of building a young, dynamic team, with the attacking verve to trouble many teams.
But in two back to back games, his attempt at game management after establishing a dominant opening half, has left much to be desired, leaving open the clear possibility of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!
The challenge of coaching Nigeria does not often weigh heavily on how to structure the attacking game, (unless you are an old school German coach, stuck in a time warp of rigid tactical systems like Herr Berti Vogts). Rather it is on how to organize the team in the non-possession phase and maximize it's natural dynamism in attack, without compromising balance.
So I choose to focus on the latter! While this was an important win, if you look at this game from the perspective of the Algerian attacking game, this was an inept Nigerian performance on the defensive side.
In Pix 1 above, watch Bentaleb in the opening half burst into the box from deep unchallenged creating what should've been the equalizer in Pix 2.
Nigeria again played with a double pivot in central midfield, which meant that John Mikel Obi again played at the apex of the midfield triangle.
Clearly the introduction of Etebo alongside Onazi in central midfield enabled the team move a level up, but he needs guidance on the tactical side of his game, and the relationship between the two pivots needs to improve. In addition, his major skills set requires the design of plays that enables him surge into the box from deep, and unbalance rigid defensive lines. It would be unfortunate to take that side of his game away...
But more importantly, the gap between Mikel and the two pivots is dangerously wide, and seems to grow in geometric proportion with a match, as the Chelsea man's lack of proper conditioning increasingly manifests.
In the screenshots below, watch Mikel's position in the lead up to Bentaleb's goal.
And herein lies the main object of my concerns with Rohr's game management and rather feeble attempts at positioning for the counterattack on establishing a lead.
It took 73mins to finally make a sub (Anderson for Ideye) well after Zambia had snatched control of the game and deservedly scored. Ten minutes later, Musa would come on for a thoroughly ineffective Simon, by which time, Nigeria had stabilized the game...
Against Algeria, outside the injury enforced substitution of Omeruo on 66mins, it took 77mins to try to seriously address the Algerian second half dominance, with Ndidi's introduction finally bringing some stability and creating the foundation for the counterattack by Musa that led to the third goal.
As I've often said, when a team plays it leaves tactical footprints on the field. There are clear tactical problems with the Nigerian midfield. We need to address these before the decisive games against Cameroon that will decide who qualifies from the group.
In attack, the decision to start Iheanacho at the top of the attack, initially suggested to me to be a design at maximizing fluidity and flexibility between the attacking trio. But throughout the game, his starting position did not change much and rather exposed most of the limitations in his game that the coaching staff at Man City are still working on. Iheanacho needs to arrive in the box not be fixated in it or looking to hold up play with back to box. There are still too many technical leftovers in his game for this to be effective.
On a final note, can we please cut out the excesses? There is no need for the showboating and other such unprofessional habits that none of these players would exhibit at Arsenal, Chelsea or Lazio...
But in two back to back games, his attempt at game management after establishing a dominant opening half, has left much to be desired, leaving open the clear possibility of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!
The challenge of coaching Nigeria does not often weigh heavily on how to structure the attacking game, (unless you are an old school German coach, stuck in a time warp of rigid tactical systems like Herr Berti Vogts). Rather it is on how to organize the team in the non-possession phase and maximize it's natural dynamism in attack, without compromising balance.
So I choose to focus on the latter! While this was an important win, if you look at this game from the perspective of the Algerian attacking game, this was an inept Nigerian performance on the defensive side.
Pix 1
Pix 2
In Pix 1 above, watch Bentaleb in the opening half burst into the box from deep unchallenged creating what should've been the equalizer in Pix 2.
Nigeria again played with a double pivot in central midfield, which meant that John Mikel Obi again played at the apex of the midfield triangle.
Clearly the introduction of Etebo alongside Onazi in central midfield enabled the team move a level up, but he needs guidance on the tactical side of his game, and the relationship between the two pivots needs to improve. In addition, his major skills set requires the design of plays that enables him surge into the box from deep, and unbalance rigid defensive lines. It would be unfortunate to take that side of his game away...
But more importantly, the gap between Mikel and the two pivots is dangerously wide, and seems to grow in geometric proportion with a match, as the Chelsea man's lack of proper conditioning increasingly manifests.
In the screenshots below, watch Mikel's position in the lead up to Bentaleb's goal.
Pix 3
Pix 4
Pix 5
Pix 6
And herein lies the main object of my concerns with Rohr's game management and rather feeble attempts at positioning for the counterattack on establishing a lead.
It took 73mins to finally make a sub (Anderson for Ideye) well after Zambia had snatched control of the game and deservedly scored. Ten minutes later, Musa would come on for a thoroughly ineffective Simon, by which time, Nigeria had stabilized the game...
Against Algeria, outside the injury enforced substitution of Omeruo on 66mins, it took 77mins to try to seriously address the Algerian second half dominance, with Ndidi's introduction finally bringing some stability and creating the foundation for the counterattack by Musa that led to the third goal.
As I've often said, when a team plays it leaves tactical footprints on the field. There are clear tactical problems with the Nigerian midfield. We need to address these before the decisive games against Cameroon that will decide who qualifies from the group.
In attack, the decision to start Iheanacho at the top of the attack, initially suggested to me to be a design at maximizing fluidity and flexibility between the attacking trio. But throughout the game, his starting position did not change much and rather exposed most of the limitations in his game that the coaching staff at Man City are still working on. Iheanacho needs to arrive in the box not be fixated in it or looking to hold up play with back to box. There are still too many technical leftovers in his game for this to be effective.
On a final note, can we please cut out the excesses? There is no need for the showboating and other such unprofessional habits that none of these players would exhibit at Arsenal, Chelsea or Lazio...
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Zambia vs Nigeria: A tactical Review
Nigeria and Zambia played out an entertaining and a typically high energy African game at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, with the Super Eagles off to a great start.
Two goals from, first Iwobi and then a superb finish by Iheanacho, from a brilliantly constructed team play saw Nigeria race to a two-goal lead. Zambia would come back in the second half, but Nigeria held on to win.
1. Defensive Organization:
Nigeria started with Ndidi at right-back and Omeruo in place of Balogun at centerback, with a defensive line in low to medium block, but shifting occasionally. This particularly denied Mbesuma and Zambia the ball-over-the-top option, but Kalengo did find the occasional joy attacking from wide, especially on the Nigerian right.
Gaps between the Lines and a Tactical Disconnect:
The key defensive issue for Nigeria was the over exposure of the fullbacks in open play, and crucially, gaps between the lines when Zambia switched from wide to attack diagonally. Two things were responsible for this.
(i) The disconnect between Onazi's role as the first line of pressure in central midfield and Mikel's role further upfield.
(ii) the lack of sustained and effective cover from the wide midfielders, Simon and Iwobi.
Poor Rotation in the Non-Possession Phase:
Related to (i) above, Mikel repeatedly failed to rotate into the space vacated by Onazi, a direct result of his positioning further upfield and the well known weakness of his lateral movement. This meant that beyond the press, gaps remained in front of the Nigerian defence, which Mbesuma exploited very well playing with back to goal, or Kalengo, to lesser effect, on the dribble run.
Poor rotation especially manifested itself in the second half during a period of sustained Zambian pressure, with Mbesuma again key; receiving the ball with back to goal and then executing the give and go, with no corresponding movement from the Nigerian midfield to pick up the runner from deep.
This proved to be Zambia's main attacking weapon, and moving forward, Nigeria needs to address this. There also needs to be better understanding of positional roles between the wide players and fullbacks, and where best to channel the opposition wide player.
Overall, the team looked increasingly lethargic in the rotation of the zonal formation from the strong to weak side. A more adept team at crossfield switch will find and perhaps exploit better this weakness of the Nigerian team.
The Counterpress:
Even recognizing the challenges of executing this in the conditions in Ndola, the Nigerian team needs to organize better in this phase. As Eddy Murphy said in the movie Harlem Nights, 'its not how many you shoot, but who you shoot'. Similarly, its often not how much you press, but who you press. As I had written about years ago, Sinkala in central midfield remained a rich target for the counterpress and it was disappointing to see Nigeria repeatedly pass up on the opportunity.
Lateral Defense: A Continuing Work in Progress:
Ndidi started in place of Musa Mohammed at right back and in spite of his efforts, was clearly the weak link in the Nigerian defence. On the left, Echiejile did well in shutting down Tembo, but struggled as the game wore on in the second half, and offered little in attacking the spaces being created out wide by Iwobi's diagonal movement.
If he is reading this, Amaju Pinnick and the NFF Technical Committee must as a matter of urgency step forward to support Mikel's attempt to recruit Chelsea's young right-back, Ola Aina. Although on the fringes of the first team, Aina is a fundamentally sound defender, with a good understanding of the role.
The other defender of interest is Kevin Akpoguma, who plays as a centerback for Fortuna Dusseldorf in Bundesliga 2. He is 1.92 metres (6’4in), has speed, good technique and is a dynamic player and was a 2013 Fritz-Walter gold medal winner for the best German players of U17, U18 and U19. He started out his career as a right back but he has played his best football for his current team at CB. He will take some strong recruiting effort, but would be a GREAT asset to this young emerging team.
2. Attacking Game: 3v1 in Midfield.
As expected, the Nigerian team was strong in the attacking phase, with good rotation, repeatedly outnumbering a clueless Zambian team in midfield, and you got the sense, on a better pitch and better conditions, could've inflicted even greater damage. This was indeed Nigeria's real strength and Rohr and his crew must have taken great satisfaction in how the team is coming along in this area.
Of the two wide midfielders, Simon had the wider role in the first half, and although he saw a lot of the ball, did not do enough to stretch the play, and his final ball was often lacking. I expect Moses to replace Simon in a similar role and considerably upgrade the team.
The Nigerian attack was especially effective when the passing and movement was uptempo, with frequent switching of the point of attack and rotation of players. But it clearly showed its work in progress in controlled possession phase, lacking the movement and patience to complete moves and twice gifting Zambia a chance on the counter.
Even of greater concern, was the inability of the team to develop counterattacking opportunities in the second half especially, even with an abundance of pace upfront. And often having pulled the Zambian defence into a central block, never could find the pass for effective blind-side runs behind the Chipolopolo defence.
3. Game Management:
The Zambian push-back in the second half was always expected, and overall, Nigeria did well to hold on and secure a win on the road, never an easy thing in the continent, with sometimes atrocious conditions.
However what was unexpected was Gernot Rohr's timidity in responding to changing events in real time, rather than live on hope and holding the course. Clearly the Nigerian team was starting to tire on the hour mark, especially in midfield under hot and humid conditions. At right-back, Ndidi was increasingly struggling, with Simon's efforts at support hardly sufficient.
It seemed that among other things, a slight adjustment in Kelechi's position to bring him closer to Mikel and Onazi could've helped the course of "controlled possession", which the team appeared to have set out to accomplish in that half. And the one time this tactic came through successfully, Ideye failed to take the chance that would've ended the game as a contest. That was Brown Ideye in a nutshell- never quite there!
What's more, his inability to effectively hold up play, meant the team couldn't follow through on to the second phase of the attack. Nigeria must continue to develop all aspects of its team and personnel, and must never be satisfied too soon.
4. Continued Team Development:
We must keep looking for options to improve the team or present multiple options for national team selectors. In attack we need to keep an eye for young players like Awoniyi and Osimhen, especially the latter. We need additional options in goal, fullbacks and central defence.
For the first time in a while, their appears to be the beginnings of some sort of sustained stability in the Super Eagles. Pinnick must work hard to build on this...
Reflecting further on the match, and as a long time follower of the African game, this was a disappointing Zambian team, with ageing players and a failure to reinvent itself.
Two goals from, first Iwobi and then a superb finish by Iheanacho, from a brilliantly constructed team play saw Nigeria race to a two-goal lead. Zambia would come back in the second half, but Nigeria held on to win.
1. Defensive Organization:
Nigeria started with Ndidi at right-back and Omeruo in place of Balogun at centerback, with a defensive line in low to medium block, but shifting occasionally. This particularly denied Mbesuma and Zambia the ball-over-the-top option, but Kalengo did find the occasional joy attacking from wide, especially on the Nigerian right.
Gaps between the Lines and a Tactical Disconnect:
The key defensive issue for Nigeria was the over exposure of the fullbacks in open play, and crucially, gaps between the lines when Zambia switched from wide to attack diagonally. Two things were responsible for this.
(i) The disconnect between Onazi's role as the first line of pressure in central midfield and Mikel's role further upfield.
(ii) the lack of sustained and effective cover from the wide midfielders, Simon and Iwobi.
Poor Rotation in the Non-Possession Phase:
Related to (i) above, Mikel repeatedly failed to rotate into the space vacated by Onazi, a direct result of his positioning further upfield and the well known weakness of his lateral movement. This meant that beyond the press, gaps remained in front of the Nigerian defence, which Mbesuma exploited very well playing with back to goal, or Kalengo, to lesser effect, on the dribble run.
Poor rotation especially manifested itself in the second half during a period of sustained Zambian pressure, with Mbesuma again key; receiving the ball with back to goal and then executing the give and go, with no corresponding movement from the Nigerian midfield to pick up the runner from deep.
This proved to be Zambia's main attacking weapon, and moving forward, Nigeria needs to address this. There also needs to be better understanding of positional roles between the wide players and fullbacks, and where best to channel the opposition wide player.
Overall, the team looked increasingly lethargic in the rotation of the zonal formation from the strong to weak side. A more adept team at crossfield switch will find and perhaps exploit better this weakness of the Nigerian team.
The Counterpress:
Even recognizing the challenges of executing this in the conditions in Ndola, the Nigerian team needs to organize better in this phase. As Eddy Murphy said in the movie Harlem Nights, 'its not how many you shoot, but who you shoot'. Similarly, its often not how much you press, but who you press. As I had written about years ago, Sinkala in central midfield remained a rich target for the counterpress and it was disappointing to see Nigeria repeatedly pass up on the opportunity.
Lateral Defense: A Continuing Work in Progress:
Ndidi started in place of Musa Mohammed at right back and in spite of his efforts, was clearly the weak link in the Nigerian defence. On the left, Echiejile did well in shutting down Tembo, but struggled as the game wore on in the second half, and offered little in attacking the spaces being created out wide by Iwobi's diagonal movement.
If he is reading this, Amaju Pinnick and the NFF Technical Committee must as a matter of urgency step forward to support Mikel's attempt to recruit Chelsea's young right-back, Ola Aina. Although on the fringes of the first team, Aina is a fundamentally sound defender, with a good understanding of the role.
The other defender of interest is Kevin Akpoguma, who plays as a centerback for Fortuna Dusseldorf in Bundesliga 2. He is 1.92 metres (6’4in), has speed, good technique and is a dynamic player and was a 2013 Fritz-Walter gold medal winner for the best German players of U17, U18 and U19. He started out his career as a right back but he has played his best football for his current team at CB. He will take some strong recruiting effort, but would be a GREAT asset to this young emerging team.
2. Attacking Game: 3v1 in Midfield.
As expected, the Nigerian team was strong in the attacking phase, with good rotation, repeatedly outnumbering a clueless Zambian team in midfield, and you got the sense, on a better pitch and better conditions, could've inflicted even greater damage. This was indeed Nigeria's real strength and Rohr and his crew must have taken great satisfaction in how the team is coming along in this area.
Of the two wide midfielders, Simon had the wider role in the first half, and although he saw a lot of the ball, did not do enough to stretch the play, and his final ball was often lacking. I expect Moses to replace Simon in a similar role and considerably upgrade the team.
The Nigerian attack was especially effective when the passing and movement was uptempo, with frequent switching of the point of attack and rotation of players. But it clearly showed its work in progress in controlled possession phase, lacking the movement and patience to complete moves and twice gifting Zambia a chance on the counter.
Even of greater concern, was the inability of the team to develop counterattacking opportunities in the second half especially, even with an abundance of pace upfront. And often having pulled the Zambian defence into a central block, never could find the pass for effective blind-side runs behind the Chipolopolo defence.
3. Game Management:
The Zambian push-back in the second half was always expected, and overall, Nigeria did well to hold on and secure a win on the road, never an easy thing in the continent, with sometimes atrocious conditions.
However what was unexpected was Gernot Rohr's timidity in responding to changing events in real time, rather than live on hope and holding the course. Clearly the Nigerian team was starting to tire on the hour mark, especially in midfield under hot and humid conditions. At right-back, Ndidi was increasingly struggling, with Simon's efforts at support hardly sufficient.
It seemed that among other things, a slight adjustment in Kelechi's position to bring him closer to Mikel and Onazi could've helped the course of "controlled possession", which the team appeared to have set out to accomplish in that half. And the one time this tactic came through successfully, Ideye failed to take the chance that would've ended the game as a contest. That was Brown Ideye in a nutshell- never quite there!
What's more, his inability to effectively hold up play, meant the team couldn't follow through on to the second phase of the attack. Nigeria must continue to develop all aspects of its team and personnel, and must never be satisfied too soon.
4. Continued Team Development:
We must keep looking for options to improve the team or present multiple options for national team selectors. In attack we need to keep an eye for young players like Awoniyi and Osimhen, especially the latter. We need additional options in goal, fullbacks and central defence.
For the first time in a while, their appears to be the beginnings of some sort of sustained stability in the Super Eagles. Pinnick must work hard to build on this...
Reflecting further on the match, and as a long time follower of the African game, this was a disappointing Zambian team, with ageing players and a failure to reinvent itself.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Zambia vs Nigeria: 5 Key Points
Nigeria meets Zambia in the Africa World Cup Qualifiers on Sunday October 9 at Ndola, in a game of two African greats struggling to re-establish themselves in the continent.
For Nigeria and German coach Gernot Rohr these are the five key tactical points in previewing the game:
1. How high will the defensive line be. Will Nigeria set up in a low or medium block?
Against an average Tanzania side, Nigeria sought to press the ball with modest results, primarily as a result of haphazard organization behind the first line of the press. On the road, it will be interesting to see how brave Rohr will be, especially considering that the Zambian attack is not particularly endowed with great pace. Conversely, many in the Nigerian back-four are of average speed.
African team football, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is based first on expressive individual technique and spontaneous creativity. While this can sometimes be devastating in the final third, it also leaves massive room for turnover of possession. This is why I have often maintained that teams with a modicum of compact organization and a threat of the counterattack, will always make hay in the continent, as we see with Cape Verde currently.
2. What will be the team's structure in midfield? Specifically, what will be the position of Mikel Obi? How close will the lines be in the non-possession phase?
Starting especially with Samson Siasia's Olympics team, Mikel's position has surprisingly moved further upfield, and Rohr appears to have continued with this. This has good and bad sides. On the positive side, it gives Nigeria a platform, high in the opposition half to retain possession technically, without loss of the ball, in the second or third phase of the build up.
On the downside however, it slows the team down and reduces the fluidity of the team. I am clearly not a fan of this move...I think that Nigeria is better served with Mikel in his Chelsea role, as a screen in front of the back-four in an inverted triangle.
3. How close will be the lines between the defenders, especially between the CDs and the fullbacks?
Zambia typically look to play quickly through midfield, interspersed with the long ball behind the fullbacks especially, with Mbesuma and Kalongo often spreading wide. But the key to unbalancing a close defensive line is Rainford Kalaba. I will especially be watching the performance of Musa Mohammed at right back and how well the centerbacks squeeze the space behind the fullbacks.
As Nigeria looks to recover with Rohr as the new manager, it is imperative that efforts be made to look for options in defence, and there are quite a few. But it will require strong diplomacy and proper scouting, especially in the local league.
4. Related to #3 above, what will be the starting position of the wide midfielders? What will be the default pattern of movement in the attacking phase?
I raise this especially because Nigeria's best options in this position, have often not been renowned for their defensive contribution. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, many of them (excluding Moses) play decidedly more advanced roles than they are made to play in the Super Eagles, a good example being Ahmed Musa, who is no longer a winger, but repeatedly placed in that role for Nigeria.
I am equally interested in observing the positioning of Alex Iwobi, whose great, great quality is his movement between the lines. What will their role definition reveal- more tradition, stasis or greater fluidity?
5. Who replaces Odion Ighalo?
Watching Ighalo play for Nigeria often leaves me with some conflict. Clearly the most established Nigerian center forward, but an old school forward who thrives best with an attacking partner, in the middle of an attacking trio of quick and flexible forwards. Not necessarily a negative, if the lines of movement around him is better defined...
Brown Ideye is suggested as the odds on favorite to start. In my considered opinion, the quickly Rohr moves away from options such as these, the better for Nigeria. Brown may get you a goal or two, eventually, but best not to resurrect ghosts....
For Nigeria and German coach Gernot Rohr these are the five key tactical points in previewing the game:
1. How high will the defensive line be. Will Nigeria set up in a low or medium block?
Against an average Tanzania side, Nigeria sought to press the ball with modest results, primarily as a result of haphazard organization behind the first line of the press. On the road, it will be interesting to see how brave Rohr will be, especially considering that the Zambian attack is not particularly endowed with great pace. Conversely, many in the Nigerian back-four are of average speed.
African team football, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is based first on expressive individual technique and spontaneous creativity. While this can sometimes be devastating in the final third, it also leaves massive room for turnover of possession. This is why I have often maintained that teams with a modicum of compact organization and a threat of the counterattack, will always make hay in the continent, as we see with Cape Verde currently.
2. What will be the team's structure in midfield? Specifically, what will be the position of Mikel Obi? How close will the lines be in the non-possession phase?
Starting especially with Samson Siasia's Olympics team, Mikel's position has surprisingly moved further upfield, and Rohr appears to have continued with this. This has good and bad sides. On the positive side, it gives Nigeria a platform, high in the opposition half to retain possession technically, without loss of the ball, in the second or third phase of the build up.
On the downside however, it slows the team down and reduces the fluidity of the team. I am clearly not a fan of this move...I think that Nigeria is better served with Mikel in his Chelsea role, as a screen in front of the back-four in an inverted triangle.
3. How close will be the lines between the defenders, especially between the CDs and the fullbacks?
Zambia typically look to play quickly through midfield, interspersed with the long ball behind the fullbacks especially, with Mbesuma and Kalongo often spreading wide. But the key to unbalancing a close defensive line is Rainford Kalaba. I will especially be watching the performance of Musa Mohammed at right back and how well the centerbacks squeeze the space behind the fullbacks.
As Nigeria looks to recover with Rohr as the new manager, it is imperative that efforts be made to look for options in defence, and there are quite a few. But it will require strong diplomacy and proper scouting, especially in the local league.
4. Related to #3 above, what will be the starting position of the wide midfielders? What will be the default pattern of movement in the attacking phase?
I raise this especially because Nigeria's best options in this position, have often not been renowned for their defensive contribution. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, many of them (excluding Moses) play decidedly more advanced roles than they are made to play in the Super Eagles, a good example being Ahmed Musa, who is no longer a winger, but repeatedly placed in that role for Nigeria.
I am equally interested in observing the positioning of Alex Iwobi, whose great, great quality is his movement between the lines. What will their role definition reveal- more tradition, stasis or greater fluidity?
5. Who replaces Odion Ighalo?
Watching Ighalo play for Nigeria often leaves me with some conflict. Clearly the most established Nigerian center forward, but an old school forward who thrives best with an attacking partner, in the middle of an attacking trio of quick and flexible forwards. Not necessarily a negative, if the lines of movement around him is better defined...
Brown Ideye is suggested as the odds on favorite to start. In my considered opinion, the quickly Rohr moves away from options such as these, the better for Nigeria. Brown may get you a goal or two, eventually, but best not to resurrect ghosts....
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