Football Nigeria -- Eagles Etcetera

In an earlier blog , I attempted to predict who Gernot Rohr really is as per his management of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. That was more than a year ago. Has anything changed since then? Are there new tell-tale signs of the type of manager he is? Well, that is what I explore here. How Rohr Sets up his Team It is obvious now that Rohr believes in being cautious than being adventurous in his overall thinking about the game. On the field, he clearly prefers to set up in a 4-5-1 defensively or 4-2-3-1/4-2-1-3 when attacking.   The way the team played in a 1-1 draw in Yaounde is, in my opinion, the way Rohr prefers to play and the way the Nigerian team will play in Russia in 2018 if the team gets there. For the first time, the team exhibited a high level of discipline that practically shut down Cameroon. Watching that game, Cameroon was unlikely to score, except from the spot, even if the game had gone on for three hours! There were almost no chances to shoot at goal for the host tea...

Though this was a winnable World Cup qualifier in Yaounde but the 1-1 draw is a result that Nigeria would take happily. After all, Nigeria achieved its ultimate goal of taking at least four of six points in the two World Cup qualifiers against the African champions. In many ways, Nigeria's performance today was excellent. It was disciplined from the opening minute to the last, just as it was in Uyo. It never really appeared that Cameroon could find space around the Nigerian defense and it is telling that Cameroon's only goal came from the penalty spot after Ezenwa had made contact with a Cameroon player deep in the box. Nigeria played a very disciplined game with nine players constantly in position behind the ball and in a structural shape that consistently frustrated Cameroon as Cameroon attempted to play through the cauldron that channeled the free ball to defenders. It may have been Nigeria's most disciplined display under Rohr. Further, what was exhibited was Rohr...

Nigeria imposed a heavy 4-0 defeat on Cameroon in the most unexpected manner in Uyo today. No one expected such a wide margin of victory for either side. The margin, to be sure, never reflected the run of play. It was a World Cup qualifier alright and in such a critical game the team with the better chances usually wins and so was the case in Uyo. Surprisingly, Nigeria was on its back foot early. Where one expected Nigeria to take control and Cameroon to rely on counters, it was the opposite that occurred. In the end, Cameroon would likely regret the effrontery of attacking Nigeria on Nigeria's home ground. The decision to take it to the Nigerians opened up spaces at the back that Nigeria repeatedly exploited. It is noteworthy that none of Nigeria's goals came from any sustained pressure on Cameroon. Instead, they came from break aways or in one case a set-piece after yet another break away. Nigeria did overcome, to a large extent, the early striction that Cameroon imposed....