Mutiu Adepoju, a former Nigeria international, has expressed his disappointment at the Super Eagles’ 2-0 defeat to Madagascar in Sunday’s AFCON 2019 Group B match, attributing it to Gernot Rohr’s use of three defensive midfielders in the game, Completesports.com reports.
“It was a result I least expected from the Super Eagles against Madagascar. It was also a performance I never expected from them considering their performances and results in their two previous games,” Adepoju remarked.
“They were poor and I’m totally disappointed. Considering their previous games against Burundi and Guinea, I expected a far much better Super Eagles against against Madagascar.”
“But that wasn’t to be and I’m sure every other Nigerian is equally bruised emotionally by what they say Eagles put up against Madagascar”.
The former Racing Santander of Spain forward refuses to admit that the lethargic showing of three-time African champions was down to to coach Gernot Rohr’s near wholesome changes in the team’s starting lineup.
Rohr made five changes from the squad that decimated Guinea 1-0 to ensure Super Eagles booked a knockout stage ticket with a game to spare.
“I don’t think so. But I think it has to do with the inclusion of Mikel Obi, John Ogu and Oghenekaro Etebo in the game,” Adepoju, nicknamed Head Master during his playing days stated.
” Yes, they are all midfielders, but playing three defensive midfielders at the same time could be counter productive as it turned out.
“There was no transition from defence to midfield, no transition from midfield to attack and no supply from the flanks”.
The one time General Manager of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), posits that Super Eagles’ disappointing performance against Madagascar has eroded people’s confidence in them heading to the knockout stages of the competition.
“Yeah, when you lose a game you ought not lose, when you don’t play up to the scratch as you should, you certainly lose your supporters’ confidence.
“The next opponents are going to be tougher because they are likely going to be winners in their group, and we couldn’t do well against Madagascar.
“Its very unfortunate,” Adepoju submitted.
By Sab Osuji
23 Comments
The coach got no excuse to loss talk more of playing three defensive midfielders. Why can’t he play cb(balogun, ekong, ogu) , wb(Aina and Kalu), mikel and etebo then osihmen, onyekuru, simon. If he wants to rest players. Super eagles can’t score just one goal, the opponent keeper was on holiday. The match hurt us.
Omo9Nja have been saying endlessly that this stupid coach is not good, everybody said he was wrong, Now, today, I want to join millions of other Nigerians to say that this stupid coach should be fired immediately without pay. If he ever set his foot into Nigeria, this stupid Rohr should be disgraced and washed.
If you read what the headmaster said above, he put the whole blames on the coach. I agreed with him when the headmaster said that all
Nigerians, including me, have lost faith on this Super Eagle to win any match again in this Afcon. I want to call on the Federal Govt to send the coach home now. Omo9ja, I join you today to greet you for your long standing principle for your lack of faith on this stupid Oldman Rohr.
LETS ALL EAGLES FAN COME TOGETHER AND SAY NO TO THIS INEPTITUDE COACH AND NFA . WE NEED A SOUND COACH I EINT SUPPORT THE IDEA OF A NIGERIAN COACH NIT THAT THEY ARE NIT GOOD BUT BECAUSE OF PAROCHIAL TENDENCY. WE NEED A GOOD COACH TGAT CAN TEACH US YHE SCIENCE OF FOOTBALL SINCE NATURALLY NIGERIAN PLAYER HAVE TYE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACT OF FOOTBALL LOOK AT COUNTRIES LIKE JAPAN THEY PLAY SCIENCE OF FOOTBALL WHICH EXPOSES PLAYERS TO POSITIONAL PLAY DIRECT AND DIAGONAL SPLIT PASSES TACTICAL RUNNING ON AND OFF THE BALL SERIOUSLY SPEAKING SCORING GOALS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HAVING A GOOD STRIKERS IF OUR PLAYERS ARE EXPOSED TO SCIENCE OF FOOTBALL GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO WIN MATCHES ARE GOOD AND SKILLFUL PLAYERS THATS WHY YOU SEE SENEGAL WITH ALL POWERS AND SKILL CANT BEAT KOREA OR JAPAN AT LAST WORLD CUP.
Ahahahahaha. Where have you bn my man? The man himself, a.k.a Baba Edoman. You are now seeing what omo9ja have bn seeing for soooooo te? Ahahaha, I can’t stop laughing o. Please don’t use abuse words for coach Rohr. Yes, because using abusive words this time around can not solve the problem.
We just have to be patient. Please and please, let’s be patient. God bless Nigeria!!!
I agree with adepoju, three defensive midfielders and two of them are sluggish and last, needs extra 2 minutes on the ball before they pass. The next thing NFF will do now is go to motivate them in the Nigerian way, (dollars) they will be promised dollars and their bonuses will be paid ahead. Genart rohr has successfully turned Nigerian into a team with 23 defenders, if u are an offensive player, he keeps on the bench and say that ur altitude in training is not good, after three years and countless excuses, he still doesn’t know where Mikel and iwobi should play. He doesn’t know where etebo plays. I wish we had lost to Egypt or Ivory Coast, but loosing to Madagascar is unacceptable
You have said it all mutiu the head master,The solution a sound local coaching crew with the same full support being given to the White Messiah conspiracy of a coach by Amaju pinnick gang.with infusion of players from our local league and the foreign based one’s that are ready to do battle then going forward super will restore confidence of its supporters. This coach from day one doesn’t exhibit confidence of any tactful strategy to win any match at all look at his shambolic performance at the world cup , he hasn’t learn any lesson, imaging this man opening his mouth to say that losing to Madagascar is not a shame that for me is enough .Win or lose Rohr has no business being Super Eagle’s Coach period.enough said because even if we have topped our group our likely opponent would have been South Africa or DRC so it wouldn’t have been easy for us any way judging by what this man and Amaju pinnick is doing with our football. What a shame.
So all of sudden the coach has turn bad cause of one mistake Bola guys calm down jare.
THE WEAKNESSES OF COACH ROHR
1. His Strategy
No attacking strategy. His midfield is always full of defensive minded players. Even if he plays against Lesotho, he will still choke the midfield with defensive minded players. I remember Coach Westerhof employing Sunday Oliseh as his only defensive midfielder in many of our games and we scored loads of goals!
2. His Attitude
He is too conservative and too sentimental.
He dropped Aina for Idowu for the last World Cup. His excuse? We will get the support of the Russians since one of theirs is in our team. Today, Aina is getting better but Idowu is nowhere to be found. In addition, he would rather go to the nation’s cup with a player just recovering from injury than to brng in fresh and hungry players.
3. His Mindset
No fire in his bones.
He may not have won anything of note with any national team in the past, but he forgets that Nigeria has far more potentials than Gabon, Niger and other ‘backyard’ football nations he coached in the past. The collective mentality of a team is influenced by the coach but our coach lacks a winning mentality.
4. His fans
They give him credit when we win, but refuse to blame him when we lose. They are not fans of the Super Eagles. They are fans and worshipers of Mr. Rohr!
When we lose against Madagascar, the excuse is “there are no minnows in football”. But when we lose against Croatia and Argentina, they say, “don’t forget that they are ranked a thousand places above us”.
Speaking from both sides of their mouth.
5. His Employers
What was Pinnick thinking? He renewed the man’s contract after the last World Cup, forgetting that he would be too old by the time the next World Cup commences.
Final Thought:
Can Mr. Rohr turn things around at this AFCON? I doubt it, but for the sake of the Super Eagles, I pray I am wrong.
I PREFER WE WIN AND I AM PROVED WRONG, THAN FORMUS TO LOSE AND I AM PROVED RIGHT.
That is what it means to ve a true fan.
Let’s wait and see.
Hehehehe! Bomboy, the coaches that had fire in their bones, in fact some of them had napalm bombs, flame throwers and even nuclear warhead in their bones, talking up and down chachachachachacha, yet they failed to qualify us for Afcon! Chai, you people ehn? You did not suggest that we should kill those coaches then. But you now want to kill Rohr who qualified you to world cup, Afcon, and now the next stage of Afcon? Hehehehehe! This is actually hilarious! I’m highly entertained, I must say!
Regarding your other “points”, nobody here worships Rohr. Far from it! Those of us that support Rohr here often criticize him, quite heavily at times. Only, we never, ever descend to insulting or cursing him! If that to you is worship, you are sadly mistaken!
Nice one bomboy am so happy that after all someone is still thinking like am thinking.
The fans are all worshippers of rohr and no one wants to tell him his fault and wrong, so whenever Nigeria loose they will always find one speech or word to cover the stupidity and foolishness of rohr, no one wants to tell rohr that he is a failure which he really is
Honestly was one of GR fans but hence forth he has lost my support even if he wins d nation cup he is not the kind of coach we need tactical wise,when I saw d line up I smell fowl shit,John ogu/Mikel obi two sluggish players n smauel kalu who is not in form I said lemme give him d benefit of doubt may b he has a tactical plan but at d end of 90mins I discovered that our coach is clueless,lots of fault but fingers crossed until d end of afcon
The Coach is a complete useless man. For a team that have scored just only two goals and heading into the knockout stage, that match against Madagascar was the match Nigerians were supposed to see Chukwueze, Onyekuru and Oshimen. This would open the door to see the best option in attack. Ighalo, Musa, Mikel are all finished, they have no business in the super eagles again. Period.
Rohr deserves serious opprobrium for the embarrassing 0-2 loss to Madagasccar. I wouldn’t know why he kept Oyekuru and Osimen on the bench when it was obvious that Ighalo could not live up to expectation. The fact that we have qualified for the round of 16 does not justify the scandalous loss to a debutant. Poor Rohr!!!. It is high time we dispensed with his service
@omo9ja am ready to joing you to tell nff the truth. This man is not a coach a good coach cant go to a tournament with only 4 mildfielders & 6 wingers. kalu.shehu.balogun.onuachu.uzoho.mikel.simion.ogu are not soupose to be in the squad we have better players than what we have in camp now. uche agbo. D okereke. esiti. K nwakali. S eze. Azubuike are good players but gr refuse to give them chance. imagine chukwu eze onyekuru and osimen seating at the bench for kalu and simon Usuless coach.
Please do o. I can’t do it all. I am expecting you all to fight for your rights. This is our right. This is the only sport that unites us. We have to. God bless Nigeria!!!
Super eagles should stop underrating any country that came to Nations cup,o our defenders should defend as if they are playing with the best attackers in the world like Ronaldo and so on,secondly,our attacking midfielder are not very strong enough and dangerous,because football is played and won in the midfield,and we don’t have dangerous strikers that can make our opponents to look back when ever they want to push forward,because the best form of defence is to attack if you have a good number 8,10,9,7,11,no team will like to push forward knowing that you have deadly snipers waiting to devour their post if they do any mistake trying to score us,but our strikers weak,not sharp dribblers with speed,and no accuracy.if our strikers can give defenders problems,they will call their midfielder to come back.He should put onyekuru,chukwueze and onuachu,they will bring good results for us.Thank you.
Even If this madman called rohr still win the cup I want him to still be sacked.because he is a total failure and always will be a failure
This is someone that hasn’t won any silverware in his entire poor career as a coach and he was sacked harshly in the only 2 clubs and the first 3 African countries he has coached.I don’t know why he was employed by NFF,whether it was a way for looting millions I don’t know because there were many top class foreign coach out there which Nigeria can afford but amaju pinnick and NFF went for a foreign rejected coach someone who didn’t coach his own country Germany up to a year before he was shown the door because his empty head tactics was discovered and he was quickly dismissed. So to conclude rohr is a empty head coach and he has nothing to offer
Super eagles mustn’t loose before they could start winning matches. The problem is from the coach. He did the same error during the match between Nigeria vs Croatia. I can’t understand how a could be making experiment on an important tournament. His method of inviting players is horrible. How can a coach invite Samuel kalu and Simone Moses at the same time with Samuel chukwueze. Both Samuel kalu and Simone Moses doesn’t deserve the invitation. Henry onyekuru is a player who’s capable of taking the full responsibility of the attaching force. But it’s a shame onyekuru is being kept on bench. That coach doesn’t have what it takes manage talented like the super eagles.
Nigeria should better hand over the team to Emmanuel Amunike.
It’s good you are waking up now , let him finish AFCON and go home, Pls people where is our pacey quick passes and wing play that super Eagle is known For? I still remember our match against Bosnian and France at the world cup, it was a unique style of play to watch and who was our couch then ? A local coach without no support GR is getting today.too bad we have sinked this low.
Super Eagles lost to Madagasca because of Coach Rohr`s selection.
First, you don`t change a winning team when fighting for top sport on the table is your priority.
Second, Rohr failed because he does not have a particular pattern of play hence, players could not stick to a particular system during a crucial game: today it is 2-3-5, tomorrow 3-3-4 and at another time 4-3-3, thus confusing the players and forcing them to play in positions not natural to them. As a result, players default in transition of play from midfield to attacking line. Good teams that win in major tournaments all over the world stick a particular pattern of play peculiar to them. Super Eagles do not have any. No wonder Nigeria continues to fail despite having high quality players.
Third, it is a senseless gamble to change up to five (5) players at once simply because you wanted to create healthy rivalry among players in a major tournament under the premise of putting the entire players under pressure!
Bros adepoju calm down. The eagles are still in the race
NFF presido Amaju Pinnick giving the boys a pep talk after their defeat to Madagascar. Yes, it was a disappointment. Yes, we are very, very unhappy with Rohr and the team. No, we will not stop supporting them or believing in them. We stand behind them…..TO THE END.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJirNTs9Axs
I think it is so unfair that people are condemning some of our players because of one game. John Ogu has always been a loyal, committed player for the team. Although he doesn’t start many games, he never complains. No bad belle. Always supports whoever is playing and the rest of the team 100%. An original TEAM PLAYER. Mikel Obi – The man has tried so much for Nigeria. Since 2005, he has been playing for the senior team. He has given his due. To destroy his reputation because of a few bad games is absolutely CRIMINAL. What of Leon Balogun? Half of our LEGENDARY OYIBO wall. Leon was a rock throughout the world cup and Afcon qualifying matches. Always gives 100% in the Nigeria jersey. Now because of one bad game, some are saying he is done? Nigerians, we are better than this. We must stop this habit of using people and abandoning them when things go south. This guys had a bad day at the office against Madagascar. Things can only get better from here. With our support and encouragement, this guys can get the job done. Win or lose, our players should be appreciated, not insulted. The coach should be appreciated. Even if his contract is not renewed, he should be treated with all dignity and respect. As for this tournament, GAME STILL DEY. It is not over until it is over. Until then, we stand with our team……TO THE END.