Oghenekaro Etebo’s display against Sheffield Wednesday in Saturday’s English Championship encounter has earned him rave review from opposing manager Steve Bruce.
Etebo was exceptional at the bet365 Stadium for the entire 90 minutes with his commanding display in the middle of the park.
The 23-year-old’s performance was not enough for Stoke City to clinch their 11th win of the season – as both sides played out a 0-0 draw – but the Owls boss was impressed by the qualities of the former Las Palmas player.
“Where did Stoke find Peter Etebo?,” Bruce said after the game.
“Feirense in Portugal, eh?”
Etebo arrived at Stoke last June before joining Nigeria at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia and he has already established himself in the club having played 27 games so far in the second-tier division with a goal to his credit.
Saturday’s stalemate left them 14th in the table with 48 points from 39 matches, however, the combative midfielder has charged the team to maintain the fighting spirit as the season ending draws closer.
8 Comments
Nine one bro,Happy to hear you are doing it home and abroad.
Peter Etebo should move up the ladder next season, he has done well to play in the Epl proper cos that’s where the action is.
A player of Etebo’s quality shouldn’t be playing at lower divisions doesn’t seem right not at 23.
Hopefully at least three of our super eagles players should be moving up to the elite divisions next football season.
However,this should help in adding value to the team as we prepare another squad for the world cup qualifiers to be hosted by Qatar in 2022.
The likes of the aforementioned Peter Oghenekaro Etebo,Semi Ajayi and Jamilu Collins are expected to play in the elite class and making the most of the opportunities because this are players with immense potentials
Is Bruce tapping up Etebo?
Its a very popular opinion that the two players that signed immediately before the world cup, Oghenekaro Etebo and Leon Balogun, signed too early and could probably have done better if they waited until after the world cup to decide who to join.
Steve Bruce of Sheffield Wednesday’s sentiment that Etebo is too good for the Championship is not a new viewpoint. many Stoke fans were waiting for the catch when they found that their club had signed him. They first propagated the theory that he was too good for them and though he would jump ship before even kicking a football for them.
Etebo has two options; 1. To stick it out and play week in week out in the championship with Stoke, or 2. Sign for another club in a higher league (either in England or abroad.
What is important is for him to make the decision based on whats good for his career and think it through properly
Following Stokesentinal.co.uk, a common criticism theme that has featured prominently in post-match ratings of Etebo appears to imply inadequate decision making capability on the part of the midfielder.
Although Etebo is hard working (very hard working indeed), the energetic midfielder is still rough-on-the-edges when it comes to certain key skills.
Sometimes it can come down to coaches,actually.
Under sacked Gary Rowett, Etebo was was a bit static, withdrawn sideways and central in his play.
Under new boss Nathan Jones, Etebo appears to thrive having become more expressive, mobile, progressive, ambitious and fluid in his play, culminating in his first goal for Stoke under Jones since joining the club.
Nathan’s 4-4-2 diamond formation appears to provide a platform for Etebo to express himself far better that Gary’ tactics.
Having said all that I don’t think Etebo has done enough to convince me that he is head-and-shoulder above English Championship level football.
His work ethics, application and drive are not deniable. Should he be lucky enough to get snapped up by a Premier League side, then, they would have snapped up a supremely hard working player.
Whether or not he is one lift any team in a manner that leaves his imprint on matches, he hasn’t particularly done that in Stoke over the course of the season – with due respect to the comments of ex-Man U legend Steve Bruce in the article above.
Etebo is a very good player not a pinch of doubt about that. But he must not let these comments get into his head. He should be wise to give a humble reply that respect the other players in the championship to avoid unnecessary pressure that comes with such comments. Bigger clubs will come some day but playing regularly is key.
https://www.goal.com/en/amp/news/its-official-alex-iwobi-signs-for-barcelona-from-arsenal/1qa1ggp25muqv1kl6l9vpxwohh