A Close Look At The Final 23 Man Squad

The Super Eagles final 23 man list for the World Cup in Russia which commences on June 14 later this month was announced on Sunday a day after the international friendly against Engand in which the Eagles lost 2-1.

The list as expected has generated some controversy on social media and not a few Super Eagles fans have voiced their discontent at some of the players that made the final 23 man list.

The general consensus though is that  Ogenyi Onazi and Joel Obi should not make the squad to Russia due to their poor performances during the recent friendly games against Congo DR and England.

The last straw for many has to be the 2 players' showing in the game against England where their shocking performances in midfield exposed the Nigerian defence causing them to be under undue pressure and also failing abysmally to control possession with several misplaced passes. 

The performace of the team in that first half against England was woeful and the root of it was in the midfield where Onazi and Obi where having a shocker. 

It was so bad that even the English media felt unsure how to come to terms with England's dominant display because their performance had to be evaluated within the context of a very poor performance by the Super Eagles. 

They knew this was not the best the Super Eagles could offer and of course, when Rohr made the necessary tactical tweaks and changes, the Super Eagles put in a far better showing in the second half.

At the end though, Gernot Rohr had a decision to make and one wonders if the FIFA rules had not been a stumbling block whether Rohr might have looked for alternatives outside his provisional squad. 

Members of the provisional squad: Dele Ajiboye, Stephen Eze, Junior Lokosa, Uche Agbo, and Moses Simon had been dropped after the Congo DR friendly while Mikel Agu and Ola Aina were both dropped after the England game. 

From all indications, Rohr has stuck with the players he used to prosecute the World Cup qualifiers. Moses Simon though misses out due to injury. As for the home based players, Rohr probably feels this tournament has come too soon for the likes of Lokosa and Eze to challenge the established order.

The surprise inclusions have to be Simy Nwankwo who after a decent debut against Congo DR makes the cut and Joel Obi who has failed to impress in 4 friendly matches he has started for the Eagles this year.

Chelsea full back, Ola Aina sadly misses out after a poor showing against Congo DR which culminated in a reckless challenge that led to Congo's equaliser from the penalty spot. It has to be said though that Ola did not play in his best position which is right back.

Who should start and what needs to improve?

Starting with the goal keeper, it appears Rohr feels Francis Uzoho represents Super Eagles' safest hands. Since his debut against Argentina last year, Uzoho has been in goal and it's unlikely Ifeanyi Ezenwa will upstage Uzoho at this stage. 

Would Ezenwa have allowed Harry Kane's shot to creep under him like Uzoho did in the England friendly? Very unlikely, but Ezenwa seems jittery when dealing with crosses, perhaps a factor in Rohr's decision to settle for Uzoho as his number 1.

Uzoho however, needs to avoid a repeat of his error in the England friendly during the tournament proper. He has so far shown he can deal with crosses easily.

In the defence, Tyrone Ebuehi has emerged as a strong contender for the right back position after 2 commanding displays against Congo DR and England. 

He should be given the nod to start at the World Cup as Shehu Abdullahi who is a midfielder by trade was exposed in the first half by Raheem Sterling and Ashley Young in the England friendly. Shehu was also often caught out of position thus exposing Troost Ekong.

The central defence pairing of Ekong and Leon Balogun still looks solid and even though they had some difficult moments against England in the first half they were not helped by a porous midfield that had Joel Obi and Onazi having an embarrassing performance.

Whoever Rohr picks at left back, it might not make much difference in an attacking sense. Bryan Idowu or Elderson Echiejile seem good defensively but offer little going forward. Idowu though seems to be the one that has Rohr's trust.

In midfield, John Obi Mikel played his first game for the Super Eagles since the Argentina friendly and seemed slightly off the pace. Another game against the Czech Republic should help bring him up to the levels he should be at the World Cup.

Hopefully in Nigeria's match against Croatia, Wilfred Ndidi will be fit to partner Mikel in midfield. Rohr obviously sees his importance to the team and has elected not to risk him until he is fully fit. Onazi's poor form as well would have convinced Rohr not to gamble with Ndidi's fitness.

As for who partners Mikel and Ndidi in midfield, this will depend on Rohr's tactics and what he believes may be our best combination. Alex Iwobi seems to relish a central role and his performance early in the second half against England helped galvanise the team.

The third midfielder would probably be between Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu and Iwobi.

In the forward line, Moses will always get the nod on any of the wings as well as Iwobi if Rohr elects to go for a 4-3-3 formation. Musa who seems to be rediscovering his form can be useful as an impact player.

With Moses Simon's injury causing him to miss out, a lot of the forwards could be made to play on the wings. Kelechi Iheanacho could also fill in on the wings if  the situation demands such.

One problematic spot for the Eagles seems to be the striking position. Odion Ighalo seems to be Rohr's preferred option but he has so far proved inconsistent, wasteful and unprolific. His hold up play and strength is good but his finishing has to be better if the Eagles are to progress beyond the group stages.

Iheanacho is more clinical but lacks height and strength. And against the best defences this shortcoming may pose a problem especially if the Eagles are chasing the game.

Can Simy Nwankwo turn out to be the solution? He seems to have good feet, tall and hopefully, decent in the air. He had a good showing against Congo DR but will he be able to cut it at the World Cup since he remains relatively inexperienced? Would Rohr start him over the likes of Ighalo or Iheanacho?

The Verdict

Based on what the Super Eagles have showcased so far this year in friendlies, Nigerians had better hope that there is more to come from the team. If the kind of mediocre and shoddy display the team  exhibited in the friendlies against Serbia, Congo and England are anything to go by, then expect the Super Eagles to end up bottom of Group D.

End Of An Era: Arsene Wenger

Last weekend, Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger dropped the bombshell that shocked many as he announced that he would be leaving Arsenal at the end of the season. He is leaving with one year remaining on his contract. 

The announcement which came out of the blue has, as it should be expected, sparked joy and relief for the 'Wenger  Out' brigade while it has led neutrals and supporters of Wenger to wax lyrical and pay tribute to his achievements and legacy at Arsenal.

Sir Alex Ferguson, arguably Wenger's most bitter rival, commended his decision to step down. He statement was: "I am pleased he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season as he can now have the send off he truly deserves".

" He is without doubt one of the greatest premier league managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague, and a friend to such a great man". Ferguson added.

Arsenal captain, Per Mertasacker, who is also stepping down at the end of the season to join the Arsenal coaching staff said he was 'sad and emotional' at the announcement. 

Other premier league managers such as Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte also had some kind words to say about the Frenchman.

Arsene Wenger, who has endured a turbulent season this year and the year before, paid tribute to the fans and the club. 

"I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the clubs for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity." He said.

Wenger joined Arsenal on 1st October 1996. And at the end of this season, he would have spent 22 years at the helm. He won 3 premier league titles and a record 7 FA cups during his reign. He also led Arsenal to the final of the UEFA cup and Champions League.

Wenger who is currently the premier league's longest serving coach is also overseeing Arsenal's worst premier league position since he became manager. Arsenal currently lie 6th on the league table and will have to win the Europa league if they are to return to the Champions league next season.

Why is Wenger stepping down?

The last few seasons has seen an increase in fans discontent about the failure of Arsenal to challenge for the premier league title. Arsenal last won the premier league title in 2004-the season they went unbeaten. 14 years ago.

His critics point to the fact that Wenger keeps lowering the bar in terms of expectations by stating that the top 4 is a trophy since it guarantees a Champions League place. Sadly, Arsenal will for the second season in a row finish outside the top 4.

A few days after his announcement that he was stepping down, Wenger revealed that the decision to leave now wasn't his. This implies that the powers that be at the Emirates namely, Stan and Josh Kroenke have noticed the signs of apathy and disaffection of some of the VIP support and have decided to act before profits start to dwindle. 

In recent weeks, many Gunners faithful have decided to show their frustrations by voting with their feet. The sight of many empty seats at the Emirates and the slow renewal of season tickets would have sent alarm bells round the Arsenal boardroom.

In a nutshell, Wenger has been forced to step down. 

How will Wenger be remembered?

After spending 22 years on the Arsenal hot seat, there will of course be a lot Arsenal supporters and indeed observers of the premier league will remember Arsene Wenger by. 

He brought new and innovative ideas to the English game when he arrived England. He changed the diets and nutrition of his players such that several players careers were prolonged as a result. He also transformed the football too. Boring Arsenal was no longer boring.

He challenged the established order. He threatened Sir Alex Ferguson's domination of the league and won 3 premier league titles which culminated in the season of the 'Invincibles'. That season (2003/04) where Arsenal remarkably went unbeaten in the league. They would continue the run for 49 matches.

Wenger holds the record for the highest number of FA cup titles. He has won 7. 3 in the last 4 years. Unfortunately, it has done little to pacify his staunchest critics. Many of his critics believe he should have left on a high after winning any of these FA cup titles.

This is not to forget that Arsenal's move to the Emirates from Highbury was managed spectacularly by Wenger who ensured that the quality of Arsenal's football was not compromised and that they still competed with the likes of Chelsea and Man United for the league. 

With the paucity of funds due to the building of the Emirates stadium and later on, the paying of debts incurred by the club for the financing of the project, it became a Herculean task for Wenger to compete with rivals in acquiring the best players. He managed the situation admirably. Players like Nasri, Fabregas, Coquelin, Sagna, Clichy, Van Persie etc were transformed from players who were virtually unknown into players in high demand by the best clubs under his guidance.

But for every success of Wenger, his critics who want him out can easily point to his failures as a manager. 

Wenger was often accused of not having a plan B and being tactically clueless when teams shut out Arsenal or are very physical when playing his team.

He was also accused of refusing to spend money in signing better players that would improve the squad even when the Arsenal hierarchy assured fans that there was money in the bank. He stubbornly reiterated the fact that he would only sign players at the right price. This as a result, led to teams like Spurs and Man City leaving Arsenal behind.

Several irate fans have pointed out that one of the reasons that prove that Wenger has lost his mojo is his penchant for selling star players to strengthen direct rivals like Man united and Man City. Top teams hardly sell their top players to domestic rivals. Not for Wenger apparently.... He sold Van Persie and Alexis Sanchez to the Red Devils. He also sold the likes of Toure, Nasri, Sagna, Adebayor etc to City. 

Many of his detractors feel Wenger is loyal to his team to a fault. A situation which leads to a non performing player being given an extended run in the team (Xhaka) or getting bumper contracts for underperforming (Ozil) or keeping injury prone players such as Abou Diaby Tomas Rosicky and currently Santi Cazorla. A slightly more ruthless manager would have pushed such players out of the club far earlier than Wenger would.

Worst of all has to be the trophy drought.  Wenger after spending 22 years in a supposedly big club can only account for  only 3 premier league titles. The last of which came in 2004. He won the FA cup in 2005 but would not win any more trophies until 2014 when he finally ended a drought of 9 years without winning any major silverware by defeating Hull City in the final of the FA cup.

It is also fair to say that part of the reasons Wenger has stayed so long is due to the fact that the club owners feel some form of gratitude and respect for Wenger's management as his presence guarantees profits. Until recently anyway... It took the arrival of the ruthless Josh Kroenke to the scene to convince Stan his father that Wenger's time was up.

Nevertheless, there are many fond memories Wenger will be leaving behind as well as many sad ones in which fans who once adored him feel were opportunities missed due to the stubbornness and pride of the manager.

Wenger, 68, the football purist who considers football to be an art will be missed by those who love him and who experienced the first half of his successful years. The younger generation who have only experienced the consolation of 3 FA cup trophies in the last 4 years and have seen how his stock has fallen and how stale he has become believe the new regime can't come soon enough.

The Football Diary

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The Football Diary. In this post, I intend to discuss some of the interesting matches that were played over the weekend especially in the premier league. 

Liverpool Brought Down To Earth

Just the previous week, Liverpool were being hailed for the manner in which they outclassed Arsenal for certain periods in the second half of that premier league fixture as they romped to a 4-1 lead. This past weekend however was a different story. Burnley showed Liverpool how to be clinical in front of goal while just having barely 20% of ball possession. With all the possession Liverpool could muster, they still lost 2-0 although it was partly due to some careless defending.

James Milner started at left back for Liverpool in place of Alberto Moreno who was responsible for some calamitous errors in the game against Arsenal. Apparently, his presence didn't make much difference as Liverpool were breached twice by the resilient Burnley team.

Would Jurgen Klopp have rued the fact that this game should have been played at Anfield? Liverpool opted to play this fixture at Turf Moor instead of at home which was the original venue because of redevelopments going on at Anfield currently. They would probably have fancied their chances of defeating Burnley at home and build on their impressive victory over Arsenal at the Emirates.

The inconsistency of Liverpool during the Brendan Rodgers era appears to still be their undoing at the moment as Klopp attempts to build the team in his own image. They need to stop defeating the big boys one week and then coming unstuck against weaker opposition the next.

The question of Alberto Moreno rremaining at left back is a headache Klopp may silently be wishing he had fixed earlier. Perhaps Moreno will eventually come good or maybe Joe Gomez who is currently out with a serious injury could be the cover or messiah that could save Klopp's blushes if Moreno continues with his erratic performances. Time though will tell how it will all pan out for Liverpool.

Hull City Keep Fighting Like Tigers

Hull City are currently a model in inspiration for anyone in a crisis at the moment. A team with only 13 fit senior players, a caretaker manager who doesn't know what the future holds for him and a boardroom in turmoil is enough to put any club in disarray and of course, have telling results on team spirit and performance.

But it appears Hull City have leaders amongst them who have used the unsavoury situation at the club to motivate the team to win their first 2 games with Premier League champions, Leicester City, the first to suffer a shock defeat at the claws of Hull's battling tigers. 

Swansea, Hull City's last weekend opponents, were on the front foot for most of the game but Hull stuck to their game plan and hit Swansea at key moments of the latter stages of the game. Hull City eventually ran away 2-0 winners. Swansea who were 1-0 winners at Burnley the previous weekend got a bitter taste of their own medicine.

For Hull City, time will tell how long this positive run will continue. If it does continue, then it might be the catalyst that could trigger positive changes in the club. For now, Hull City can draw strength from the positive results. The club's fortunes can change if caretaker manager, Mike Phelan, can get the job on a permanent basis and some new players are brought in to make up for the shortfall in squad players before the close of the transfer window.

Arsenal Battle Leicester To 0-0 Draw

Arsenal and Leicester both remain without a victory after 2 rounds of matches played and look set to play catch up to Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd if they both falter in their next games and their rivals grab maximum points.

Arsenal as usual remain good on the eye with their free flowing football but they could not break down a stubborn Leicester defence. Leicester returned to basics after their disappointing loss to Hull City and threatened Arsenal on the break. There were controversial moments as well as Leicester were denied 2 penalty appeals. Leicester City became more dangerous with the introduction of Ahmed Musa at the latter stages of the game but on the balance of play, the result was fair for both sides.

For Arsenal, the need to sign another defender has become as urgent as ever. With their prime target Shkrodan Mustafi proving more difficult to acquire by the day. With this failure so far to land Mustafi, Arsenal has now been linked to other players such as former Man United defender, Johnny Evans, a signing which might yet bring more scorn on under fire manager, Arsene Wenger. 

Wenger was quick to defend his position on transfers during the post match press conference with his observation of Rob Holding's performance against Leicester which has to be said was excellent. He may yet end up an astute signing by Wenger. Then there is also the striker situation which Alexis Sanchez has filled with little success as 'top dog' Olivier Giroud builds up his fitness. Would Wenger be able to sign a 'world class' striker before transfer deadline day? 

Claudio Bravo In, Joe Hart out?

When new managers come into a club, there is the occasional casualty amongst the tried and trusted players who don't fit into a manager's plan or philosophy for the team. A good case in point is the Andy Carrol or Christian Benteke scenario at Liverpool in which both were forced out by Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp respectively.  

It has happened at Manchester United already this season with Jose Mourinho axing Bastian Schweinsteiger from the first team squad and now across the city, Pep Guardiola may be about to make a real statement about the way he likes his goalkeepers to play as Bravo arrives for a medical from Barcelona.

Joe Hart who is number one at City has been dropped by Guardiola for Willy Caballero in City's first 3 competitive games this season because of Hart's deficiency in bringing the ball out of defence. As things look, Hart may be set to go from number 1 to number 3 if Bravo passes his medical.

A big fall from grace this will be for England's number one if this move materialises. 

Meanwhile In Brazil...

The Dream Team VI won Nigeria's only medal at the Olympics by winning the Losers' final by defeating Honduras 3-2 and thus claiming the bronze medal. They have thus become the fourth team to win an Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympics.

Despite the flaws in the team, we have to congratulate the team for earning a medal. This is hoping some of these players step up into the Super Eagles seamlessly and thus provide the much needed strength in depth the Super Eagles desperately needs.

A special mention goes for John Mikel Obi for the exemplary attitude and leadership he exhibited during the games. I dare say he was handsomely rewarded for his efforts by that Japanese philanthropist.

Sadly In Niamey, Nigeria's Golden Eaglets Crash Out of U-17 AFCON

Nigeria has taken the proverbial 2 step backwards after taking one step forward after failing to qualify for the African U-17 Championship and as a result, will not defend the World Cup title it won just last year. 

What is it with us and defending our titles?  The signs that the story wasn't going to end well was when the during the screening, dozens of players were shown the way out of the camp when MRI scans showed many of the players were over the age bracket. Another show of shame.

Poor football administration appears to remain the bane of sustained development and success of Nigerian football at all levels.

Football Still Remains A Uniting Sport

England and France yesterday went ahead with their international friendly match at Wembley after the deadly Paris terrorists attacks that claimed the lives of 129 people and injured hundreds more last Friday in a show of defiance, unity and respect between both nations.

The game ended 2-0 in favour of England with goals from Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. But it was a game where the score line or the performance was secondary.

It was a show of support by the English for their French rivals who were suffering at this time from the devastation of the attacks. 

England fans joined the French supporters in singing the national anthem. Flowers were laid by Prince William, French Manager Didier Deschamps, and Roy Hodgson.

The stadium was filled to capacity with 70,000 fans turning up to show support for the French. The game was attended by prime minister David Cameron, the Duke of Cambridge, the London Mayor and other dignitaries.

There was of course, the outpouring of emotion by some fans who could not hold back the tears and even the players' resolve would have been tested to the limits by the occasion. A moment's silence was held before kick off with the players and match officials having joint photographs taken in a show of solidarity with the French.

The game in which the French FA turned down a request by the English to be called off turned out to be a spectacle not on the field of play but in the display of unity, love, respect and in its message to the world and the terrorists particularly- Terrorism will not win. Good will always triumph over evil.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra, lost his cousin in the attacks and was given a standing ovation when he came on for Yohan Cabaye. Athletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann was also applauded after his sister narrowly escaped being murdered by the extremists at the Bataclan concert were most of the massacre occurred.

In Germany, the friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was called off an hour before kick off due to bomb threats to the Hannover stadium where the game was supposed to be played. Police searched through the stadium for explosives but none has been found yet. 

The friendly between Belgium and Spain was also called off due to security concerns since some of the suspects were Belgian nationals. 

So far, investigations and raids are ongoing in France, Belgium and Germany with different levels of success. However, it is important to note that what has happened in France occurs on a regular basis in the Middle East, Asia and in Africa. And there has been debates concerning the degree of coverage by the media of the Paris attacks when compared to the attacks in other third world countries which may not get near as much coverage as the one in France.

This post is not meant for taking sides or adding to the debate that is currently raging especially on social media over the  media's failure to report extensively or show sympathy or empathy to other atrocities else where. 

I will however say this, the media should learn to as much as possible, give due and balanced reporting to atrocities done all over the world. As I write, there are reports of a terrorist activity here in Yola, Nigeria were a bomb went off and killed over 30 people at a Tipper Garage. It is not getting any serious coverage as it should on world media.

All in all, football has shown once again that it can unite people of different race, creed, belief and religion no matter the circumstance. It also has the power to send a strong message to those opposed to peace and liberty. The game between France and England last night is a testament to that fact.