Watford manager Claudio Ranieri has suggested that William Troost-Ekong may lose his spot in defence after he conceded a late penalty in his side’s 2-1 away loss at Brentford on Friday night.
Watford had led from the 24th-minute – when Emmanuel Dennis leapt well at a corner to power in a headed goal.
With six minutes left Watford’s resolve was broken after Pontus Jansson equalized for Brentford.
And deep into stoppage time Troost-Ekong brought down Saman Ghoddos who drove into the box, which saw the referee point to the penalty spot.
Bryan Mbeumo dispatched the resulting penalty giving his side a 95th-minute winner.
And when Ranieri was asked if the Super Eagles defender deserved to keep his place in the team – also taking into account the huge mistake he made in the recent 4-2 loss at Leicester:“Now, we’ll see everything, and I can speak with him,” the Italian was quoted by Hertfordshire Mercury.
The former Leicester manager stated he will have to see if his first choice defenders, who have been sidelined due to injury, are ready to play.
“And also I have to see if there are some players ready to play. Because my defensive line is not ready to play, because (Christian) Kabasele wasn’t ready. (Francisco) Sierralta isn’t ready. I have to see.”
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COMMENTS
Hope you guys will be happy watching your brother on the bench?? Even though have never been his fan and don’t like the oyibo wall of a thing, but I was never happy with the way you guys dragged him.
Shut your foul mouth… Football is vintage business what is brother here? You are either ready or not ready… You are annoyingly very noisy like a parrot… Stupid Nigerians applying sentiments in everything… the world does not have such empathy when you don’t showup to be counted… Do you know Ekongs repeated mistakes are causing the manager to shudder over keeping his job? Ranieri is not on Rohr level…
Loud mouth Jimmy… Lolz… I am happy that you have cursed your own self, because everything you just mouthed off in your comment above applies strictly to you and your doings on this platform.. Lolz
I Remember when this same dude in October assisted Osimehn for the second goal against Central Republic, I was hearing names like Ekong the versatile defender. Ekong very intelligent defender but now dude is receiving all the crucification that even Jesus Christ didn’t receive. All the good part about Ekong has been erased. So funny! Somebody even said on this forum that Ekong has never been a good defender. Pharisees! Hypocrites!! Well like I said I don’t even like Him as a defender. Am not against Rohr or Ranieri benching him or whatever but all am against was the way you guys dragged him. That was way too harsh and excess
@Q… I know who you are and won’t indulge you. Idiot… Dudes like you ain’t worth sniffing my fart!
Lolz… Jimbo the loud mouth… I won’t come down to your level… Olodo… Lolz
Monkey post don’t be a hypocrite. You only supports players you like and mock the downfall of those you don’t like.
Raneiri was only Fielding Ekong because he has an injury crisis in defence and he will definitely visit the transfer market this January window…….how can a defence not keep a single clean sheet all season……. Watford attack has been very Sharp that is why they are not yet in the relegation zone…….EPL is a very unforgiving league where you need to be up and doing or else you will be exposed…… Ekong will be just fine and he will get more playing time but it will be limited under Ranieri……Ekong can also move back to Udinese where he did excellently well before…….I wish him all the best.
Ekong should try and show his critics that he is capable.
He made a bad mistake. But he was not the only one. Tyronne Mings of Aston Villa and Matteusz Klich of Leeds committed similar, even worse blunders this weekend. Both players made reckless tackles that resulted in penalties against their clubs, which led to avoidable defeats.
I hope Ranieri will be patient with Ekong. Although I will understand if he moves to replace him. After all, his job is also on the line.
EKONG MBOK, STEP UP YOUR GAME!
Ekong really has to take long look of himself in the mirror to understand he can be far far better than he is at the moment. THE TIME IS NOW TO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS HE NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, GET A PERSONAL TRAINER TO DO ONE TO ONE ON THOSE AREAS. JUST FEW THINGS TO WORK ON TO BE AMONGST THE BEST FOR EKONG, AS GOD HAS ALREADY BLESSED HIM WITH MAJORITY. EKONG WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
You know football. I agree with you.
For me, it’s not about areas of improvement per se. Ekong’s centre defensive skills have always been rough around the edges even when he was hot and on top of his game at the 2016 Olympics and the 2018 World Cup qualifiers run.
But the problem is that he has lost form and has a slightly diminished focus. The penalty he conceded yesterday was just due to poor judgment. Executing a sliding tackle inside the 18 yard box always runs the risk of causing an infringement.
All footballers lose form at one point or the other but, unfortunately for Ekong, he has lost form at the worst time possible.
For Watford, he is currently deputising for the first choice centre back. Rather than make a case for himself to make the role his own, his performances have given justification as to why he (Ekong) should not be a starter.
Ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, his starting position in the Super Eagles is now untenable.
Unlike Alex Iwobi who is Dr Jekyll in Super Eagles colours and Mr Hyde in Everton, Ekong has been Mr Hyde for both Watford and Nigeria with his shambolic displays costing Nigeria dearly against Central Africa Republic and Cape Verde.
But there is surely a route back for him. His partner in Crime Leon Balogun was off form in ahead of the 2019 Afcon: he has since rediscovered his form with sturdy displays in club football although some of his performances of late for Nigeria leave a lot to be desired.
Ekong should be able to avail himself the services of a capable sports psychologist who will work with him to hopefully snap him out of the trance of Mr Hyde so that Dr Jekyll Ekong can re-emerge again for club and country.
@Deo… Ekong is 28yrs old and playing to his natural abilities. What he is displaying is his natural game composition… abilities are more innate than repeated routine trainings can prime one… He isn’t good and I don’t see that changing anytime soon… We are swing old dudes still play at an elite level… Bonucci, Silva, Pepe, Ramos and we saw Maldini right to the very end. Who won’t can’t improve won’t improve… Imagine Ekong waiting on Netherlands he won’t ever gave a single international cap… those nations don’t joke and lie to themselves. If Netherlands had considered him early from youth days he won’t even look in the direction of Nigeria… Go and play a guy like Ekong against Cameroon, Mali and Egypt in the WC playoffs! I am not coasting on his recent repeated pitfalls… I have observed Ekong keenly during Olympics 2016 and World Cup 2018 proper… did he wrestle Mandzukic to the ground giving away a needless penalty from corner kick situation? How about conceding own goal to Riyad Mahrez minimal pressure? Don’t let me start on his personal game analysis…
Oga Jimmyball, you are just spewing nonsense. According to your numerous lies, you that can’t make the cut at ordinary under17 level is castigating a player that has and still featuring in 3 out of the top 5 leagues in the world, quite funny.
The death of cat, mouse will be standing on 2 legs.
Who doesn’t goes off form? All those big defenders you mentioned at one time or the other causes calamities for their teams. The first 3 games of Tiago Silva in Chelsea color was a disaster, today, the team is begging him for another contract. Ekong is off form, agreed but it’s not your right to castigate him, because you are no where his level or achievement, Mr Ball jogger. That your yeye nonsense comment in the other tread where you judge good players based on ball jogging speak volumes of your football level. Ekong will come back great. Am coming back for @Jimmyball
@PRESH they almost wanted to drag him to hell LMAO!!!
@ Jimmyball what usually pain me about you is that u are a terrible human being who use mouth to destroy one career cheaply. What is wrong with playing Ekong against Cameroon, Egypt,Mali etc? Hasn’t he play against them before? Infact he even scored against Cameroon last afcon. Pls which work are doing and how good are you at it? that u will just come here and start rubbishing another person job with mere mouth. What would you have done if u were Watford coach that the performance will affect? Na wa for you bro
Oga, your hatred for this young man knows no bounds. I am beginning to suspect there is something else to it. So you know Ekong is playing to his natural abilities and can’t improve because you are what? His personal trainer, coach or you are just an hopelessly aggrieved football fan? Is it Ekong’s fault that you failed to make it as a footballer? Oga go and rest abeg! You rant without facts
*@Jimmyball
I have heard @Linkin… let us just hope we have seen the last of Ekong’s swegbe plays… lol.
Ekong wrestled Mandzukic and so what…? Ekong scored an Own goal, is that news…?
Lets us start chronicling every one’s failures to make them look bad. Did Awaziem not concede an owngoal against lowly lesotho UPROVOKED…? Did Awaziem’s poor marking not cost us against South Africa and Argentina…?
Did Balogun’s howlers not cost us against lowly teams such as Madagascar and CAR..? have we not seen how Balogun has been consistently rendered useless in Europa league matches this season..? That he was even compared to a local pub team player…?
Semi Ajayi alone is directly responsible for most of the goals we conceded in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, back-to-back-to-back he was at fault for goals scored vs Benin, Lesotho and Sierra Leone.
Akpoguma has been a complete flop in ALL the 3 or 4 matches he has played for the SE till date.
The less said of Kenneth Omeruo whose best we last saw in 2014, the better.
Yen yen yen yen yen, Same Ekong was the rock behind our defense that helped us to win even a bronze at the olympics. Pls tell us the names of his defensive partners at that olympics without checking google….LMAOOoo…that was how anonymous they were. Why didnt dey step up after the olympics if Ekong was the worst defender ever. Ekong on the other hand has proceeded to even make bigger upward transfers up to the point of playing in the best league in the world. Same Ekong partnered Balogun to shut out our opponents to qualify for an unlikely 2018 WC when we were the least ranked team in our group.
Who is the world class CD in the SE now…? your Olisah Ndah who needed trials to sign in south African league that cannot produce players that can qualify their national team to common AFCON or WCQ playoffs…??? Your Olisah Ndah that video evidences show is better at conceding penalties and pulling down opposing strikers on their way to goal…..LMAOOoo.
Please tell us which SE defender is world class or which one is doing anything beyond the ordinary….? Did Germany consider Balogun in his youth days…? Is he not also a reject..? Is Akpoguma not a reject..? Is calving Bassey not a Leicester FC reject…? Or what exactly is your point….?
How many of your CBs have survived the EPL since the days of Yobo…?
Ekong must be the reason you never made it in life……LMAOOooo. He must be the reason you could play for Lobi stars from 200 level to 500 level but stopped playing football immediately you graduated from varsity when you would have all the time in the world to play your pro football just like the likes of Enyeama, Olofinjana, Ezeji and the rest did……LMAOOOooooo. What a chronic lie…..LMAOooo
@Dr.Drey… if we had listened to your sermons and not set a bonfire on Ahmed Musa’s ass to go to any club and be active even if it is at an EPL side… he will still be without club and inactive and you will be clamouring still for him to start our games because he has earned his involvement already from the past… afterall according to you Stephen Keshi had no club in 1994 and was still taken to world cup… so why not musa twenty seven light years later in 2021? Your usual jejune and jaundiced reasoning…
*NPFL side sorry…
Hahahahaha…..chronica liar has nothing to say anymore, he has switched to Ahmed Musa……LMAOooo. Every defender’s dossier has been opened in the public and he has discovered there’s none who is without sin……LMAOOooo
As if it was your own sermons that made Musa decide to cancel his contract in Saudi Arabia because of his desire to return to Europe which he eventually achieved in the end with 6 digits per month figures…..LMAOoooo…..unlike some other people whom people who juggled balls 5000 times as 7 years olds (LMAOOo chronic liar) are clamoring for to return to the SE who are being sacked for the 5th time in 2 seasons in miniature clubs.
My jejune and jaundiced reasoning still towers above yours and your lies by miles, and they are not fueled by racial or tribal sentiments like yours. I’m sure if Ahmed Musa where to be one Mathew Enenche or Jude Oweicho from Benue state, your hatred towards him would have been practically non existent.
If you like fire atomic bombs into Jupiter, Ahmed Musa as SE current captain will also benefit from the tradition that has seen us reserved a seat for captains in our national team till they willfully retire….LMAOooo….including a clueless captain. No amount of your lies and hatred will stop or change it….LMAOoooo.
Yen yen yen yen yen Ekong this Ekong that. Ekong is the worst defender on Earth…….LMAOooo. You and your 1000 football juggling know football pass Sporting directors, Coaches and Owners of all the clubs wey Ekong don play…….LMAOooo. Maybe it was his skin colour and “favoritism” that earned him places in his clubs and all 4 coaching eras in the national teams till date…..LMAOOooo.
Shame nor even catch you. Ekong is a full bred soccer professional today playing in the best leagues in the world despite also going to school. Na the same school you go wey your testimonial no transcend shell cup level and fake stories about being in U17 national team and being a “senior player” turned affiliate turned partaker at Lobi stars………LMAOOooo
Hilarious! But i still feel he is at the lowest point and needs all the support he can get. He hasn’t been that bad for us. His defensive partnership with Balogun saw us overcome an immensely difficult world cup qualifying campaign last time round, we must not be quick to forget this. He last lost form, it happens to the best. Umar Sadiq went through a goal drought, that does not make him a bad striker, simply lost his scoring touch.
Ekong is a very good defender. But recently, he has not been his usual self. Something is wrong obviously.
Some people here have argued that his problem could be due to lack of rest.
But I don’t buy that argument, because there are lots of players that have played a lot more than him and are still performing very well.
Actually, his problem tends more towards mental than physical. Is there a personal problem distracting him? is he having problems in his relationship? Is he happy in his relationship?. I believe his problem lies within these questions. Of late, When I watch his vlogs, I see a man who is trying to cheer and make himself happy
Nigerians and sentiment nawa..Ekong has always been average at his best. when we played SL,the coach pointed out that Ekong is the weakest link in our Defensive line. Ekong shouldn’t be starting for SE, but we know bad form or not, Rohr will play him.
Nigerians dragged Rohr down, they almost wanted to drag him to hell, but common sense Nigerians knew its normal to keep the coach, no one should drag Ekong down, he has lost it, he will repair his image, there are bad days, i watched even yesterday’s game, some defenders had blunders caused penalties but no one is talking, Troost you be fine, times like these you need your family who truly understand you. And i wish you all the best.
This is what I always complain about our NFF especially Mr. Melvin Pinnick that we are not forward looking in our approach to tournament like AFCON. While we still busy fighting over who to take us to 2021 AFCON, Ghana like many other African Countries has brought out his preparation time table. According to Ghanasoccernet.com of today 12th December,2021, the provisional list of more than 23 players will be released on Tuesday 14th December, 2021. The 22 players for AFCON will be released on the 22nd December, 2021 and three friendly matches has already been arranged one of which is against Algeria in Doha Qatar which has already been named as the camping site. In our own case we are still fighting over who to lead us. We are yet, 28 days to kick-off,to have a comprehensive time table on preparation. This is the hall mark of this present NFF under Melvin Pinnick. Nigerian should know that if the Supper Eagles fail in achieving any meaningful results in Cameroon, we should know the root cause and those responsible.God bless Nigeria.
You are right my guy amaju has taken Nigeria football ten years backward…our age grade teams are nowhere to be found… Amaju pinick has been moving the SE from one banana farm to the other in the name of pitch.. what happened to the Oyo pitch why is this man so corrupt amaju is the root of the problems in the super eagles our league is messed up… Amaju is an enemy of Nigeria football he must be investigated by the efcc
My Brother, how will rohr be fired if we have a good outing at AFCON….? How will NFF have justification not to pay severance packages if they dont ensure we are disgraced in cameroon…? Rohr has his work cut out now more than ever before. He should brace up for sabotage both externally and internally. The man himself by now already knows he cant trust all his players anymore. Some of them have backings of higher powers, thats why they have guts to organize sex parties and get away with it.
Moreover, who needs early camping with the quantity of talents Nigeria has that no other nation in Africa has at the moment…? Or have you forgotten we have the best players in Africa…? With the “caliber” of players we have, we dont need preparations. We dont need to pay 2+1/2 years owed bonuses of the team, we dont need to offset minimum of 8 months salaries owed the technical crew. We dont need the full retinue of backroom staff that a team serious of winning an AFCON should have. The ‘caliber’ of players we have is just enough.
By now is that preliminary 41 list which Rohr has submitted since 2 or 3 weeks ago not supposed to be out…? That is NFF for you. Nigerians should look no further for where the problems of are football is and for which people need to be sacked first before thinking of even sackin Rohr….Lmaooooo
Someone said Ekong was better than Kenneth Omeruo lol. Ekong is not a bad footballer, he’s just not a Super Eagles material.
Why will NFF plan for preparation or accept steps of preparation from Rohr, when they want the coach to fail so that they will easily cut him off by February and pay his months salaries without the severance package.
Why will NFF prepare the eagles when according to @Jimmyball and Omo9ja the super eagles have talented players more than BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, FRANCE, SPAIN, ENGLAND, SENEGAL, ALGERIA all combined together. Those teams above mentioned can prepare after all we have numerous individual talents who can even sleep with 5 ashawo and wake up the next day to win a match without coaching. Our problem till 2050 is NFF and fans like OMO9JA and never the coach in charge.
I have never seen Ekong as that high flying type of central defender, but for a defender that has weathered various storms to be a super regular under various coaches at club and national team, I have since been very cautious in forming an opinion about him and his abilities.
From the Olympics to the World Cup & AFCON and from the decent leagues in Belgium & Turkey, to the top leagues in Italian Serie A, the English Championship and now the English Premiership, this guy has tied down regular starting shirts and such a player shouldn’t be dragged in the manner some have dragged him due to his recent form.
To some of us (myself inclusive), he may be average, but I am not a coach and I’m almost sure most of us here are no where near any of the coaches that have managed him in terms of football knowledge, and for him to have had his way with those coaches, I am sure he definitely has some strengths playing to his advantage in every team he has found himself.
He may not have been particularly outstanding with the SE, but I ask, how many of SE’s central defenders have been particularly outstanding since the heydays of Everton’s Joseph Yobo or how many have successfully played in the leagues this guy has featured in recent time since Joseph Yobo?
Of course with the recent form of Awaziem and Akpoguma, coupled with Ekong’s recent loss of form, his SE’s place is seriously under threat, and this current strings of errors may be an indicator of the need for a self appraisal with the aim of working on his weaknesses.
It’s surely a tough time for Ekong, but tough times don’t last, tough men do, so to say. So we expect our dear Ekong to brace up and face this challenge with the hope of coming out of it stronger.
We sincerely wish King Ekong the best.
Well said Omoesan
See sensible talk from sensible human beings. OmoEsan, I am proud to be associated with being your clone. LMAOooo. This is basic logical reasoning. Simple as 1 + 1
A defender who has been a SUPER REGULAR FOR EVERY COACH HE HAS PLAYED UNDER both at club and national team level, from small leagues like Norwegian league to decent ones like the Dutch, Belgian and Turkish league to A list leagues like Serie A and EPL is whom one fake ex-footballer pathetic liar (who claims to have juggled the ball 1000 times as a 7 year old – another FAT LIE from his stables) calls the Worst defender to ever play for the SE and only getting playing opportunities due to “favoritism, skin colour and mere fortune”……LMAOooo.
How I wish “favoritism, skin colour and mere fortune” can get all Nigerian defenders making upward career moves in their careers till they start playing at the level of the EPL and Serie A…….LMAOoooo.
Ekong needs some time off to deal with his physical and mental fatigue, that’s all. 60 games in one year culminating in your 1st season in the EPL will get anybody messed up.